On Friday, June 28, the tragic news of the murder of Eyber Danilo Poto Pazú, stepson of the Vice Minister of Ethnic Peoples, Nelson Lemus, was released. Poto, a member of the San Francisco indigenous reservation, located in the municipality of Toribío, was kidnapped on June 22 by members of the Dagoberto Ramos Front, a dissident faction of the FARC that calls itself the Central General Staff (EMC).
The news of Poto’s murder was confirmed by several sources, including the indigenous organization Minga Association and various government institutions. The Minga Association expressed its pain and condemnation through a statement on the X platform, highlighting Lemus’ commitment to peace and his role as a historic leader in Cauca. The organization denounced the EMC’s lack of commitment to the peace process and showed its solidarity with the Nasa people.
The National Planning Department also regretted the murder, stressing that life is sacred and that violence must not continue to overshadow the path to peace in Colombia. In his message, he expressed his support for Poto’s family in these difficult times.
The murder has generated a wave of indignation and rejection in the political and social sphere of the country. The Minister of Information and Communications Technologies, Mauricio Lizcano, urged a prompt investigation to clarify the facts and capture those responsible. Lizcano, like other political leaders, emphasized the importance of taking strong measures against the perpetrators of this crime.
The director of the Land Restitution Unit, Giovani Yule, also spoke out, stressing that for indigenous people life is sacred and that the memory of Eyber Danilo Poto should inspire the fight for a more dignified and harmonious country. These voices were joined by congressmen and other political actors, such as the Polo Democrático Alternativo party, who firmly rejected violence and called for true peace.
Although authorities have not yet officially confirmed responsibility for the murder, the EMC has been identified as the main suspect due to its recent history of violence in the region. Until March, the EMC, led by ‘Iván Mordisco’, was negotiating peace, but the group’s internal division has caused a breakdown in dialogue and an increase in violence in southwestern Colombia.
