On 27 January 2018, the human rights activist María Cecilia Lozano survived an assassination attempt in Villavicencio, department of Meta. While returning home, she was attacked by two people on a motorbike. One of the riders pursued her with a knife and caused serious wounds to her face and back. A friend of María came to her aid and also suffered knife injuries.
María is a survivor of the 1997 paramilitary massacre of residents in the town of Mapiripán and coordinator of the Women’s Network of Displacement Victims in Meta (ASOMUDEM). She also works with land restitution programmes and victims’ rights groups.
There have been several cases of threats against members of ASOMUDEM since 2016.
Source: Prensa Rural