Oliver Herrera Camacho

Source El Tiempo

Respected community leader in the river communities of the Guayabero River, in La Macarena, Oliver Herrera Camacho, was murdered in front of his family on Friday, August 31, 2018 at around 7 o’clock at night by two armed men who shot him repeatedly, according to the statements given by relatives to community leaders in that region.

The president of the Association of Community Action Boards La Macarena, Delio Franco, pointed out that Herrera Camacho, who had previously been president of the community action board of Brisas del Guayabero, had received no threats.

Franco stated that Herrera was very loved and respected by the community of that region, 120 kilometers from the urban center of La Macarena, on the borders of Meta with Caquetá, where there is presence of dissidents members of the Farc.

The Community Association Asgal-G said in a statement that in the area of ​​Tinigua and Los Picachos parks, in the Special Management Area of ​​La Macarena (AMEN), there have been recent problems “due to the recent arrival of new settlers, in addition to the cutting of native forest that has generated the prosecution of hundreds of peasants “.

They add that the National Parks Agency is looking for dialogue with the communities and to that end has convened a meeting.

The Meta Police Command reported that the Siqui of the Caquetá Police conducted the technical inspection of the body of Herrera and the investigation will be conducted in conjunction with the 19 th District Attorney of San Vicente del Caguán.

The Meta government secretary, Gerardo Mancera, maintains that since the agreement signed by the Government with the FARC the Prosecutor’s Office has only certified the death of two leaders, while community organizations maintain that the actual figure is much higher.


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Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Meta

Sex1:Male

Date of Killing:31/08/2018

Previous Threats:Yes

Type of Work:Community leader

Organisation: junta de acción comunal de la vereda Brisas del Guayabero

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

Sector Detail: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).