Armed men murdered Diomara Cifuentes, a renowned peasant leader, in the rural area of Suárez, Cauca.
The events occurred on the morning of this Tuesday, May 7. According to some information, unknown persons arrived at the woman’s home, located in the Bellavista sector, and without saying a word, They shot him repeatedly in front of his family.
He was shot several times in the chest and abdomen.
As for the attackers, witnesses indicate that they fled in a black vehicle.
The 55-year-old victim was founder of the Association of Peasant Workers of the Cordillera (ASOCORDILLERA) and a member of the community action board of the El Naranjal village.
“The fear caused by the murder of our colleague, as well as the way in which the events occurred, have generated displacements of colleagues, to whom the entities of the Colombian State and the national, departmental and municipal Government must accompany and provide guarantees; Likewise, we demand guarantees for the life and integrity of social leaders,” the Popular Unity Process of the Colombian Southwest (Pupsoc) expressed in a statement.
The Institute of Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz) stated that the Ombudsman’s Office had already issued early warnings that indicated risk scenarios for human rights defenders and social leaders in the municipality of Suárez.
“The imposition of norms and other forms of social control by armed groups means a permanent risk of violation of the rights of the population,” the Organization pointed out.
According to Indepaz, with this homicide there are now 61 social leaders murdered in the country so far in 2024. In Cauca, there are 11.
Among the armed groups that are present in the municipality are the ‘Jaime Martínez’ front of the Western Bloc Central Staff (EMC) and local gangs.
