Gersain Yatacué

Gersain Yatacué, an indigenous community leader, was shot dead on Thursday, August 1, 2019 around 2:30 PM by unidentified men in Pajarito, Huellas Caloto, Toribío, Cauca when he was on his way home. he had been working to provide support to the techical staff who provide advice on economic and  food production issues as part of the Nasa Project.

Gersain was an active participant in this community-based project that promotes the cooperative food production initiatives of three indigenous councils (the San Francisco, Toribío, and Tacueyó reserves) that decided to work under a collective model to produce fruit, milk, fish, coffee and rice. The Nasa Project is supported by the Sumando Paz program led by the Ministry of Labor with support from UNDP.

As member of the kiwe thegna indigenous people, Gersain was also the coordinator of the Indigenous Guard for the land and community in Vereda San Julián in Toribío.

Members and coordinators of the Indigenous Guard searched the area to find the perpetrators. They also claimed that the murder was an act of retaliation for the implementation of these new methods of community organisation that are being developed in the North of Cauca by the indigenous communities.


If you would like to provide a personal recollection, please email us at: HRDMemorial@frontlinedefenders.org

Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Cauca

Sex1:Male

Date of Killing:01/08/2019

Previous Threats:No information

Type of Work:Community leader

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

Sector Detail:Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Land Rights

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).