On Tuesday 22 April, a FARC former combatant, Dimar Torres, was murdered in the Catatumbo region of northeast Colombia. He was participating in the transitional process to civilian life following the 2016 peace agreement. Witness reports said he had been killed by the army.
Following the agreement, Dimar had moved with his wife and children to Convención in Catatumbo, where he was active in the local community and in coordinating reincorporation of FARC members alongside the United Nations. He was registered as disabled due to injuries he suffered during the conflict.
Dimar was found after local residents heard gunfire and went to investigate. They encountered soldiers who denied any knowledge of Dimar’s whereabouts. Shortly afterwards, the search party found his tools buried in a shallow pit. They then discovered his body nearby.
Catatumbo is one of the regions of Colombia most affected by ongoing political instability and violence, with several armed groups, as well as the army, highly present in the region. In August 2018, a JFC delegation visited Catatumbo to hear about the conditions faced by communities there.
More than 100 FARC members and 25 close relatives have been murdered since the agreement was signed in November 2016.