Gabriel Alfonso Correa Chavestan

Source: La Paz

About

Gabriel Alfonso Correa Chavestan was a lawyer who graduated from the University of Santiago de Cali. Correa Chavestan was also a member of the Buenos Aires miners’ cooperative; the threats reportedly began after the former councillor refused to participate in a meeting with miners and an armed group from the region, according to media reports such as La W Radio.

Despite the fact that in one of the council plenaries in 2017, Gabriel Correa publicly denounced the threats against him and his family, he did not receive protection because the petition was in the process of being processed. In addition to being threatened, he was the victim of extortion asking for money and gold in exchange for his life, he said.

 

Source: Blu Radio, Diario del Huila

Killing & Investigation

The councilman from Buenos Aires, Cauca, Gabriel Alfonso Correa Chavestan, 49 years old, was killed in the early morning of July 2, 2018.  He was shot by two men on a motorcycle and recieved six gunshot wounds, when he arrived at his house located in the same municipality.

Colonel Fabio Rojas, police commander in Cauca, said the mayor had been threatened with extortion and had requested security from the state since last year, a request that was still pending.

The case already is in the hands of the Attorney General’s Office, according to Cauca Governor Oscar Campo, who regretted the killing via Twitter.

Oscar Campo
@1oscarcampo
We reject and regret the assassination of councilman Gabriel Adolfo Correa Chavestan of the municipality of Buenos Aires, @FiscaliaCol and #FuerzaPública will look to capture those responsible.
Rechazamos y lamentamos el asesinato del concejal Gabriel Adolfo Correa Chavestan del municipio de Buenos Aires, @FiscaliaCol y #FuerzaPública reaccionan en procura de esclarecer el hecho y capturar los responsables.
Source: La Paz

According to versions given to the media, on one occasion, the leader’s brother received a death threat pamphlet for him and his family, signed by the self-proclaimed “sixth front of the FARC”, where they demanded the delivery of 50 million pesos or 600 grams of gold, so it is presumed that the act was perpetrated by individuals belonging to the dissidents of that organization. However, the authorities have not given any assurances about the perpetrators of the murder as of yet.

 


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Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Cauca

Sex1:Male

Age:49

Date of Killing:02/07/2018

Previous Threats:No information

Type of Work:Community leader

Organisation:Junta de Accion, La Cabuya

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

Sector Detail:Citizens' 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).