Rumors spread for days. Shops and bars begin to close early.
Friends socialize behind closed doors.
By about 10 PM, this and other northwestern Colombian towns in the Uraba region are silenced by an atmosphere of dread. Then, the killings occur. Later, people pour out of their homes, count the bodies and once again, mourn the dead. Everyone from the President on down makes an appearance. You see officials sweating in the heat, wearing guayabera shirts and looking uncomfortable.