Colombian Vendor Murdered in Popular Playa del Carmen Food Zone

A Colombian man was tragically killed on Christmas Eve in Playa del Carmen, marking the second foreigner to be killed in the area within three days. This incident follows three additional killings that occurred yesterday. Authorities have been discreet about these incidents to prevent tarnishing the image of the popular tourist destination during the holiday season.

The victim owned a Colombian food stand situated on Paseos del Mayab Avenue and the extension of 38th North Street, at the main entrance to the Selvanova residential area. At approximately 4:45 pm, two individuals approached the food stand on a motorcycle. Without warning, they fired multiple rounds at the owner, who was killed instantly. The assailants quickly fled the scene, heading south on Paseos del Mayab. Their destination remains unknown.

Local State Police and Municipal Public Security were dispatched to the scene to secure the area and begin preliminary investigations. They questioned any potential witnesses in the vicinity. Later, the FGE and Semefo arrived to remove the body.

This year, there have been seventy-eight recorded killings in the municipality. The frequency of these incidents has been rising over the past hundred days. Many of the victims displayed signs of torture, and there has been a notable increase in female victims.

In a concerning development, a local news outlet accused a State Police subcommander of obstructing their reporting on the incident. They allege the officer threatened to confiscate their equipment to prevent the news from reaching the thousands of tourists visiting Playa del Carmen this holiday season.