On Sunday 11 March, Tomás Barreto, a community council leader of African-Colombian descent, was murdered outside his home in San José de Uré, department of Córdoba.
So far in 2018. four social leaders have been murdered in San José de Uré. On 6 March, the president of the Community Action Council in the village of Santa Isabel, Arturo Royet, was killed by two men who arrived at his home and shot him.
In January, the council leader of nearby village of San Pedrito, Plinio Pulgarín, was killed. Also that month, the treasurer of the village of Ilusión community council, Antonio Madrid, was killed.
No arrests have occurred in any of the four cases.
In addition, local human rights defenders say that at least 500 families have been forcibly displaced from rural to urban zones, with at least five illegal groups in the area competing over coca plantations.