Carlos Biscué, a 30-year-old indigenous community leader, was murdered on 23 June 2019. Carlos was a Nasa indigenous leader in the Huellas Indigenous Reservation in Caloto, Cauca.

According to the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC for its Spanish Acronym), several armed men arrived at El Pilamo de López Adentro village, where the indigenous leader was at a party which had been organized in his honour, and opened fire on him. According to the initial information available, it is presumed that a paramilitary group are responsible for the act. It seems that he had not received any threats prior to the attack.

Carlos worked as an agricultural producer in the Caloto area and was one of the most active members of the Nasa community in the Huellas Indigenous Reservation.

On social media, journalists, politicians and several organizations denounced the murder and demanded that Iván Duque’s Government act to quell the wave of violence against social leaders and human rights defenders all over the country.

The Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC for its Spanish acronym) have once again highlighted its concern over the appearance of pamphlets in Cauca which threaten indigenous organizations, farmers and trade unionists and the human rights defenders involved in land and other disputes.

In this regard, according to a report issued by the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (INDEPAZ), Cauca is the department with the highest number of murders of social leaders, with more than 56, followed by Antioquía. Also, the report notes that during the first 100 days of president Iván Duque’s administration, more than 120 murders of social leaders have been recorded. According to the report, between 1 January 2018 and 17 November 2018, 226 social leaders and human rights defenders were murdered and 70 of the 226 victims belong to peasant organizations, indigenous organizations, afro-descendant communities and other movements.