November 27 was U.S. Thanksgiving, a day I usually associate with festive meals and family gatherings.  Here in Barrancabermeja, however, our day unfolded differently.

At midday, two strangers entered a house in our neighborhood and shot a man as he sat eating lunch.  This murder adds to the wave of assassinations—at least 100 so far this year—in Barrancabermeja.  Because this particular killing occurred just down the street, the violence feels both shocking and frighteningly mundane.