On 4 April, Álvaro Pérez of the Catatumbo peasant farmer association ASCAMCAT was murdered in the town of San Calixto. He was a local community leader and campaigned around improved housing for residents.
In a statement, ASCAMCAT said that its members ‘continued being victims of constant attacks and harassment by some media and political sectors, for which we therefore demand a serious investigation into the case and justice for this and other murders in which the victims are our leaders’.
At least 30 social leaders have been killed in Colombia so far in 2018.