Indigenous leader Carlos Biscué was murdered yesterday in Caloto in the southern region of Cauca, the most dangerous region of Colombia for social activists since the signing of the peace agreement in late 2016. More than 100 indigenous leaders, human rights defenders, trade unionists and FARC former guerrillas have been killed there.
Reports said that Carlos was killed when unidentified men opened fire on a party. He was 30 years old and lived in the Huellas indigenous reserve in Caloto.
The latest killing comes amid national outrage over the murder in Córdoba on Friday of María Del Pilar Hurtado, who was killed in front of her young son after receiving paramilitary death threats. Footage of the boy’s traumatised reaction went viral in Colombia, drawing much attention on social media and in the national press.
Cauca, where Carlos Biscué was killed, is heavily affected by state abandonment and the presence of armed groups competing for territorial control. Last month, a Justice for Colombia Peace Monitor delegation visited Cauca to meet with human rights organisations and communities affected by ongoing political violence.