Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Granados Rueda, an officer of the No. 3 Anti-Narcotics Brigade, was killed in an attack in Popayán. The assault happened as he headed to his residence, carried out by two men on a motorcycle. Authorities and political leaders condemned the act as a war crime.
Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Granados Rueda, chief of staff and operations officer of the No. 3 Anti-Narcotics Brigade of the National Army, was the victim of a hitman attack in Popayán on November 27, 2025, around 12:20 p.m. While driving his vehicle near the roundabout leading to the fiscal houses in the Champagnat neighborhood, two individuals on a motorcycle fired repeatedly at him. Although belonging to the Military Aviation, Granados Rueda advanced wounded, but the severity of the impacts prevented him from reaching his residence. He was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
General Javier Africano, commander of the Third Division, confirmed that the officer was heading from the military canton in Popayán to his fiscal house in the Champagnat neighborhood. The National Army condemned the murder as an indiscriminate crime and a flagrant violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and human rights. In an official statement, they declared: “We condemn the indiscriminate murder of our lieutenant colonel Rafael Granados Rueda, which occurred in Popayán while he was in a state of defenselessness. This crime constitutes a flagrant violation of International Humanitarian Law and human rights”.
The institution described it as “a direct affront to those who with honor and commitment work daily for the security and stability of the region”. In coordination with the National Police, they activated immediate search protocols, reinforcing security in the area to identify those responsible and prevent new criminal actions.
President Gustavo Petro rejected the incident, stating: “The murder of Lieutenant Colonel Granados Rafael is a war crime. I have requested a report on his security in his movements”. Senator Temístocles Ortega said: “It just happened in the central streets of Popayán. An active lieutenant colonel, victim of a hitman attack. Solidarity with the family, with the Army and outright rejection. What more to say. Act, please. They will kill us all”.
Other leaders such as David Luna, Claudia López, Roy Barreras, and Paloma Valencia mourned the death, demanding greater protection for uniformed personnel and criticizing the deterioration in national security. Granados Rueda had been key in actions against illegal economies and armed structures in Cauca.