Fears that a recent resurgence of paramilitary activity in Norte de Santander, combined with large-scale military operations in the area, will put the civilian population at risk have been heightened by the apparent extrajudicial execution of Antonio Navarro on 1 October 1994. He was reportedly tortured and shot to death by a group of armed men who had arrived in the village of Limonal, looking for villagers named on a list. Reports indicate that the group was working with an army patrol. The paramilitaries then went to El Paramo where they forced their way into the house of a woman, Ludy, whom they accused of being a guerrilla. She mananged to evade capture. A confrontation between guerrilla and the army and paramilitary group took place shortly after the killing of Antonio Navarro, resulting in the deaths of three soldiers.
