12:27 PM
Armando Wouriyu Valbuena, indigenous leader and member of the Truth Commission, was the target of an attack while traveling towards Curumaní, in the department of Cesar. The attack occurred when he, along with his security detail, were intercepted by armed men who tried to stop his vehicle.
The attack occurred on the road from Santa Isabel to Curumaní, after Valbuena participated in a consultation process on the Mining Law in Manaure, department of La Guajira.
Apparently another vehicle had followed them from the starting point and had warned others to intercept them later. Upon reaching the checkpoint, the leader of the scheme did not stop, so they began to fire shots at the vehicle, 7 managed to hit the truck, but They did not achieve their objective, since no injuries were recorded.
Wouriyu Valbuena is also general secretary of the Instance of Authorities of Indigenous Peoples, Blacks, Palenqueros, Afro-Colombians (Ineanpe), and is also part of the Follow-up and Monitoring Committee for the implementation of the recommendations of the Truth Commission.
The Vice Presidency of the Republic strongly expressed its rejection of the attack against the indigenous leader and general secretary of the IEANPE. “We make a vehement call for the incident to be investigated by the corresponding authorities as soon as possible,” he declared in an official statement.
The attack against Valbuena highlights the risks currently faced by leaders and human rights defenders in Colombia. Meanwhile, entities such as the JEP, the Truth Commission and other leaders hope that the competent authorities will act quickly to guarantee the safety of Valbuena and bring those responsible to justice.
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