After the homicides of Mariela Marínez and Gonzalo de Jesús Parra, 34 leaders have been assassinated so far in 2023

With the murders of Mariela Marínez Gaviria in Tumaco (Nariño) and Gonzalo de Jesús Parra in Maripí (Boyacá), there are 34 social leaders murdered in the first quarter of 2023, according to Indepaz figures. (Indepaz)

There is still no change regarding the violence suffered by social leaders and human rights defenders in the country, of whom 34 have already been murdered during the first quarter of 2023, after learning of the homicides of Mariela Marínez Gaviria in Tumaco (Nariño ) and Gonzalo de Jesús Parra in Maripí (Boyacá).

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The first of these crimes was against Parra, who was killed in the village of El Zulia, in the rural sector of the Guarumal area, by a man who was later captured by the Police, according to preliminary information about the fact that they were able to establish. at the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz).

“He was a recognized leader and current president of an artisanal miners’ association known as Asomipaz, which has 200 associates located in the department of Boyacá,” the NGO reported.

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On the radio station La W Radio they reported that the accused assassin of the mining leader was captured after the Police carried out a padlock plan between the municipalities of Maripí and Pauna, where he was finally arrested.

“Upon arrival at the scene, a lifeless body is found, covered with black plastic and lit candles around it, and approximately 30 people who say they have not observed anything,” the authorities said on the radio.

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The other victim was Mariela Marínez Gaviria, 69, whose life was violently taken on Sunday, March 26, at her home, as far as armed men arrived who opened fire on her without saying a word, indicated in Indepaz.

“She was a recognized leader, current president of the Community Action Board of the Villa del Prado neighborhood in Tumaco and health promoter of the Divino Niño Hospital – Bucheli health post,” they added in the NGO.

In the newspaper El Tiempo they consulted with the mayoress of Tumaco, María Emilsen Ángulo, who regretted the murder of the community leader.

“Last night they killed the president of the Community Action Board of a village in Tumaco that is about 20 kilometers from the urban area. The only thing she has done is promote the progress and development of her village and provide social welfare to her community, we are very sad about this, ”the municipal president expressed in the Bogota newspaper.

For this fact, they also spoke at the Ombudsman’s Office where they sent a message of condolence to their relatives and asked the authorities to take into account their early warnings about the violence to which the population is subjected in that area of ​​southwestern Colombia.

“We send our voice of solidarity to his family and to the community of the region. In 2022, 13 homicides of social leaders were registered in the District of Tumaco. We urge the authorities to abide by the recommendations of the #EarlyWarning 001-20 and its subsequent consummation letters of 2021 and 2022, sent in a timely manner to local and national entities, where we warn of the risk of armed actions by illegal groups”, they expressed in that entity.

Prior to these two new homicides of social leaders, there was a report of the murder of the indigenous community member Diego Jair Orbes in Puerto Caicedo (Putumayo).

Currently, Orbes was working as a prosecutor for the Community Action Board (JAC) of the Jerusalem community, in the Arizona corridor, Indepaz reported.

They added that along with the community member, Luis Fernando Malpud, a well-known farmer from the area who was the sentimental partner of the former president of the aforementioned JAC, was murdered.

In the local news outlet Mi Putumayo Noticias, they indicated that a group of armed men were the ones who took their lives.

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