MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Former Bariloche official shot in Rio dies

Burlón wound up in the middle of a favela after following GPS directions

A 51-year-old Argentine traveler who was mugged and shot in the head in a Rio de Janeiro favela on Dec. 12, 2024, after mistakenly following GPS directions, died Monday after nearly a month in the Souza Aguiar Municipal Hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU). Gastón Burlón was a former Tourism Secretary in the Patagonian skiing resort of Bariloche until 2023.

“With deep regret, we mourn the passing of Gastón Burlón, a leader whose passion for the promotion of tourism and our destination will be remembered as a valuable contribution to the development of our community,” the Bariloche Chamber of Tourism said in a statement.

“Gaston was a committed and visionary reference, whose work made a significant contribution to those who had the privilege of knowing him and working with him,” the document went on.

Burlón also had an ”outstanding career as an entrepreneur, president of the Association of Tourism Agencies of Bariloche, leader of the Club Estudiantes Unidos, and president of the Argentine Chamber of Student Tourism (CATE),“ the Chamber noted. ”His legacy will endure as an inspiration for all of us who share his love for Bariloche and for tourism as an engine of development and community union.“

The former official was on his way with his family to Christ the Redeemer and, due to a GPS mix-up, mistakenly entered the Morro dos Prazeres favela, controlled by the Comando Vermelho criminal group, at which time he was shot in the chest and head and lost control of the car, which crashed into a house. He was then rushed to the Souza Aguiar Municipal Hospital, where he underwent surgery.

Brazilian Police arrested a suspect identified as Sandro ”Sandrinho“ da Silva Vicente who would remain in custody pending further investigations. Sandrinho is known to have a criminal record of at least 20 episodes, in addition to his allegiance to the gang.

”Sandrinho's arrest is fundamental for the continuity and success of the police investigations, as it will allow the collection of new statements, the elaboration of reports, the production of image reports, as well as the identification of the other individual who approached the group,” local authorities stressed.