On Monday 20 February 2017, 32 year old Wilfredy Gonzalez was shot several times in front of his house as he returned from working in Compostela de Usme.

According to Edgar Juandias and Arley Estupinan, both local community leaders, Wilfredy was recognised as an effective member of the local community human rights committee. It is widely believed that Wilfredy’s death was linked to his work against the activities of illegal armed groups active in the area. In recent weeks some community leaders in Usme, which is located in the south eastern part of the capital, had denounced the fact that leaflets with death threats against local community leaders, and signed by the “Aguilas Negras” “Black Eagles”, had been widely distributed in the area.

Even though Wilfredy was not mentioned by name in the leaflets, there is no doubt that his death was linked to those threats. Many leaders have expressed their fear at the repeated violence against leaders in the area; such as repeated threats and attacks on community leaders as well as gunfire aimed at the houses of prominent community leaders as happened in January 2017.