Efrén de Jesús Ospina Velásquez

Efren de Jesus Ospina Velasquez, was a member of the Junta de Acción Comunal in vereda Totumito-Carboneras, in Norte de Santander. He worked on the delivery of programmes to replace the production of coca with other crops as part of the Programa Nacional Integral de Sustitución de Cultivos de uso Ilícito -PNIS-, (National Programme for the Substitution of Illicit Crops).

He had been successful in organizing groups of farmers to agree to complete eradication of coca production.

On 8 February 2020, Efren was at home with his wife when armed men on motor bikes drove up to the house and shot him dead. Efren was the third community leader killed in Catatumbo since the start of 2020.

The Office of the High Commission for Human Rights has expressed concern at the high number of killings in Catatumbo and the high level of general violence.


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Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Norte de Santander

Sex1:Male

Age:44

Date of Killing:08/02/2020

Previous Threats:No information

Type of Work:Community leader

Organisation:Junta de Acción Comunal de la vereda Totumito-Carboneras. Programa Nacional Integral de Sustitución de Cultivos de uso Ilícito (PNIS).

Sector or Type of Rights the HRD Worked On:ESC Rights

Sector Detail:Citizens' rights, Land Rights, Peasant Communities

More information:Front Line Defenders

1This database records an individual's chosen gender identity. If they do not self-identify as male or female they can use the option of recording other/neither or use the term NBGI (non binary gender identity).