The young José Rafael Meza Rivera, 20 years old, belonging to the Nasa people, was murdered in the town center of Río Negro, municipality of ÍquiraHuila.
The tragic event took place while Meza Rivera was traveling on a motorcycle with another person, being approached by armed men.
The Regional Indigenous Council of Huila (CRIHU) issued a statement rejecting the murder of the community member. The entity, which represents the self-government authorities of the 33 territories of the eight indigenous peoples of the department, expressed its deep concern about the growing violence.
“The Department of the Association of Traditional Authorities of the CRIHU, as a representative entity, reiterates its resounding rejection of the acts of disharmony in our territories generated by armed actors within the framework of the Colombian armed conflict that we live,” says the statement. The organization emphasizes that these violent acts not only threaten the lives of its members, but also disturb the peace and harmony of their ancestral territories.
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The murder of José Rafael Meza Rivera is added to the death of another community member, Víctor Baicue Finscuewhich occurred on October 4, 2023.
The CRIHU makes an urgent call to institutions that defend human rights, including the United Nations, the OAS Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia (MAPP/OAS), the Ombudsman’s Office and the Public Ministry, to urge the national government to take immediate measures to protect the lives and rights of the indigenous peoples of Huila.
“We reiterate that the association of traditional authorities of the CRIHU strongly rejects the presence of armed groups in native territories and even more so the victimization of indigenous community members and territorial disharmonies,” the statement concludes.
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