Community leader Alirio Arenas murdered despite warning authorities about threats

In the early hours of Sunday 2 September, the community leader Alirio Arenas was murdered in Ocaña, department of Norte de Santander, where he was president of the local council and a local representative of the Indigenous and Social Alternative Movement (MAIS) political party. He was also president of the Community Action Board in the village of San Isidro.

Reports said that a group of attackers shot Alirio several times in an attack that also left Johnny García Guerrero badly injured.

Alirio had warned authorities about previous threats made against him. Despite protective measures having been approved by the National Protection Unit, the government body responsible for security of at-risk individuals, these had not yet been implemented.

More than 150 social and political activists have already been murdered in Colombia this year.