Three members of the FARC political party have been murdered in southeast Colombia, taking the number of murdered former combatants to at least 24 this year and as many as 60 since the peace agreement was signed in November 2016.
In a statement, the People’s Alternative Revolutionary Force (FARC) said that Cristian Bellaizac, Jhon Jairo Ruiz Pillimue and Wilinton Bravo Angulo were killed between 22 May and 26 May in the departments of Cauca and Valle del Cauca, The FARC urged all political forces in the country to commit ‘seriously to walking jointly along the pathway to reconciliation and living together’. It says that paramilitaries are seeking to destabilise the peace process by attacking and killing former combatants.
According to the Colombian government, 40 FARC members undergoing the reincorporation process have been killed since the signing of the peace agreement. The FARC says the actual figure is around 60. Additionally, over 225 social leaders have been killed during the same period.