Mary Florelia Canas Meza

Mary Florelia Cana Meza was the founder of the Cabildo Indígena Nasa Nuevo Despertar, in Dagua in the department of Valle del Cauca. She was displaced by violence and left Dagua for El Tambo, a town in the department of Cauca, where she was murdered on the night of Saturday, August 25, 2018.

Witnesses state that two hooded men came to Florelia’s house and asked after her husband, who managed to escape before they opened fire, killing her. She is also survived by two children, aged 12 and 13 years old. Florelia has left an important legacy in the social advancement of the region’s First Nations.

Over 48 hours later the authorities had yet to make a statement regarding the attack.

Translated from the original text by Cara y Caretas and updated with additional information from TeleSur and W Radio


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Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Caqueta

Nickname:Florelia

Sex1:Female

Date of Killing:25/08/2018

Type of Work:Community leader

Organisation:Cabildo Indígena Nasa

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

Sector Detail:Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Refugees/IDPs/Migrants

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).