Body of Bolivian sub-lieutenant killed in ambush flown to Santa Cruz

The remains of Sub-lieutenant Yerson Salazar Aliendres, who was killed in an armed ambush in the border municipality of San Matías, were transported by air to Santa Cruz de la Sierra on Sunday. His family will now be able to bid him farewell.

Salazar's body was flown from San Ignacio de Velasco to El Trompillo airport in Santa Cruz after police concluded initial investigations and a legal medical examination. The young officer was found buried on the La Purísima ranch, about a kilometer from a clandestine airstrip discovered during police operations. The discovery ended an intensive search by specialized police units in the border region with Brazil.

Investigators found a Cessna aircraft, aviation fuel, firearm magazines, and tactical clothing at the site. These items will be analyzed to understand the logistical structure of the criminal organization suspected of using the ranch as an operational base. The ambush occurred on Thursday, and the attackers had initially removed Salazar's body in a truck.

Salazar's family had been holding a symbolic wake while awaiting the recovery of his remains. His mother had publicly pleaded for his body to be found so he could receive a Christian burial. She tearfully stated that her son, who had only a year and a half of service, was due for vacation soon and questioned why he was sent to a high-risk area without a permanent service weapon.

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Until all constitutional issues affecting the status, governance and legitimacy of the INC are conclusively resolved and constitutional order is restored, the Ijaw Elders Forum shall fill the resulting vacuum in advancing the collective interests of the Ijaw people, as it did between 2015 and 2021.