A
total of 213 social leaders and human rights defenders have been
murdered in Colombia since January 2017 to date
Colombian
social leader Francisco Zabala was reportedly killed in Antioquia by
gunmen.
Zabala
was the president of El Riso's Community Action Board. The activist
was in the company of a fellow farmer when they were both murdered in
a crime-ridden region of Caceres. More than 2,000 people have fled
the area due to ongoing violence.
Clashes
between the ELN, the Gulf Clan and Los Caparrapo over the control of
turf is to be largely blamed for the state of the region.
The
town, which United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees officials
is unable to enter, has been tense over the past two months,
according to Nodo Antioquia spokesman, Oscar Yesid Zapata.
The
organization confirmed that Zabala is the fourth social leader killed
since the beginning of the year. He is also the second, in as many
days, to have been found dead. The other is Jose Herrera, whose body
was discovered after being reported missing a week ago.
Herrera's
body was found in the Cauca river, on Monday.
A total
of 213 social leaders and human rights defenders have been murdered
in Colombia since January 2017 to date.
Multiple
human rights organizations have urged the Colombian government to
implement more effective measures to preserve the lives of social
leaders.
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