Former ‘X Factor’ star Zair Guette was kidnapped, tortured and reportedly murdered after leaving a concert.
Guette was found dead in a remote part of Colombia on Friday, February 14. The 25-year-old singer was gagged and his hands and feet bound.
Forensic pathologists say he sustained multiple blows and had bullet wounds among other injuries to his body. Officials say he had been shot in the head.
Guette’s manager Teddy Vergara Álvarez was found injured nearby. Vergara claimed armed men intercepted them after they left a concert.
He believes he survived the attack by playing dead. Vergara was taken from the scene in Barranco Bajo to a hospital in nearby Ginebra before being transferred to a larger facility in Buga.
Guette, from Barranquilla, boasted 175,000 followers on Instagram. He pursued a career in music after his grandfather heard him singing in the shower.
He began singing Mexican folk songs before touring around the likes of Italy and Spain. He found fame in his native Colombia after starring in reality TV shows “An Otro Nivel”, “El Factor X”, and “Yo Me Llamo”.
Guette left judges on El Factor X – a spin-off of the X Factor – speechless when he auditioned in 2021. Writing on social media, his sister Saray Guette said: “They took you from us, and with you, they stole the happiness of an entire family.
“They’ve left us with an eternal sorrow in our hearts and music because I can proudly say you took regional Mexican music to great heights. You achieved so much, not even counting everything you still had planned.”
Officials continue to investigate Guette’s death. According to Clarin, Rubén Darío Gaitán Camelo, commander of the Buga District, said: “The National Police of the municipality of Ginebra was alerted about the discovery of a person who had gunshot wounds and who was in the district of Barranco Alto.”
Fans meanwhile have been leaving tributes to the musician on social media. Andres Sanchez wrote: “My God, how sad there will never be a voice like that in Colombia.” While another added: “How it hurts, with so much future ahead.”
A third tribute translates to: “Rest in peace, I am very sorry for your departure.” Diego Jiminez wrote: “Tremendous artist, tremendous future he had, you were great, Zair, But you were going to be much bigger, RIP my friend.”
El Factor X launched in Colombia in 2005. It was Latin America’s first spin-off of Simon Cowell’s hit TV talent show and has now run for five seasons.
Since its inception in 2004, The X Factor has seen around 50 international versions launched. The X Factor Global YouTube account has around three million subscribers.
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