An armed attack on the director and subdirector of Neiva prison in Colombia killed an 11-year-old boy, the director's son, on Tuesday morning. Authorities condemned the incident and launched investigations to capture the perpetrators. The subdirector remains in critical condition after being wounded.
The attack took place around 7:00 a.m. on Ruta 45, the Neiva-Rivera road, in the Jardines del Paraíso sector south of Neiva. Two men on a motorcycle intercepted the Mazda vehicle carrying director Edgar Enrique Rodríguez Muñoz, his 11-year-old son Ismael Rodríguez Pulgarín, and subdirector Renato Solano Osorio. The assailants fired at least six shots, killing the boy with a head wound and injuring the subdirector in the thorax and abdomen.
The director emerged unharmed. The subdirector, a 50-year-old retired colonel, underwent surgery at Hernando Moncaleano Perdomo University Hospital and remains in the ICU on ventilator support. Hospital manager Juan Diego Fierro described his condition as critical, with the first 24 hours being pivotal.
Justice Minister Andrés Idárraga Franco condemned the attack in a press conference: “We reject this attack outright. It pains us deeply that as a result of this criminal act, an 11-year-old minor lost his life.” He confirmed a call with INPEC director Daniel Gutiérrez and noted no prior threats were reported. Director Rodríguez had been in the role for only 10 days.
The National Police activated a 'Plan Candado' to apprehend the hitmen. Neiva's City Hall, alongside the Metropolitan Police and the Fiscalía's CTI, formed a special investigative task force. The Attorney General's Office expressed solidarity with the family and urged the Defense Ministry to bolster territorial control in Huila, reviewing security measures for officials.
INPEC repudiated the incident in a bulletin, confirming the attack details at 6:53 a.m. The Ombudsman's Office linked it to a chain of violence against prison staff, citing prior killings in 2024 and 2025 in various cities. A witness reported her motorcycle was destroyed in the collision caused by the victims' vehicle during the shooting.
