[News] Colombia: Revered Social Leader and Activist Killed in Colombia

[Anti-Imperialist News]

https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Colombia-Revered-Social-Leader-and-Activist-Killed-in-Colombia-20190704-0023.html 



  Colombia: Revered Social Leader and Activist Killed in Colombia

Published 4 July 2019
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      Tatiana Posso joins the other 727 activists killed in Colombia
      since the country's peace agreement was signed in 2016.

Social leader Tatiana Paola Posso Espitia, 35, was shot twice in the 
head Wednesday morning in front of her house in El Copey located in the 
Department of Cesar when two men on motorcycles fired at the activist 
and fled the scene.

The assassination occurred just as Espitia's taxi driver, Wilson Ortega 
Palomino, arrived at her home to take the social leader to 
work, according to local media reports. The bad timing resulted in 
Ortega also being shot four times by the hitmen. He is in critical 
condition at a nearby hospital.

The National Network for Democracy and Peace in Colombia 
published a communique on its Twitter account firmly condemning the murder.

"Posso Espitia was a social activist committed to humanitarian aid, 
helping vulnerable people and victims of the armed conflict that 
continue to affect Colombia," said the report.

The organization added that the social activist, who was a candidate for 
the community council, was a beloved member of her community.

The document also explained how the city El Copey has had a long history 
marked by threats against social leaders, deaths and massive 
displacement of the population.

The tragic event comes as the Institute of Studies for Development and 
Peace (Indepaz) showed that since the signing of the peace 
agreement between the disarmed Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia 
<https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Colombia-FARC-Weighs-Legal-Action-to-Combat-Murders-Preserve-Peace-20190622-0010.html> 
(FARC) and the government of former president, Juan Manuel Santos in 
November 2016, 727 social leaders or human rights advocates have been 
killed in Colombia.

The assassinations have so far mainly targeted Afro-Colombian 
and Indigenous rights activists 
<https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Colombian-Cartel-Kills-Woman-Community-Leader-Son-Witnesses-20190622-0004.html>, 
in addition torural farmers 
<https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Colombia-Another-Farmer-Leader-Killed-After-Being-Tortured-20190627-0011.html> advocating 
for land and political rights in their respective regions.

Colombia's Ombudsman 
<https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Nearly-1000-Social-Leaders-Threatened-in-Colombia-20190703-0023.html> 
announced Wednesday that at least 983 social leaders have been 
threatened with death in Colombia, 50 percent of them are women.

Last week, the 'We Defend Peace in Colombia' human rights 
organization called for major peaceful protests in the country and 
abroad meant to pressure the President Ivan Duque administration into 
fully addressing the rampant murders.

The global march is set to take place July 26 and is meant to "pay 
tribute to the (assassinated) social leaders and to demand action to end 
these crimes," said organizers.

-- 
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