Omar Guasiruma Nacabera

Omar Guasiruma Nacabera, 27, and Ernesto Guasiruma Nacabera, 33, were indigenous guards of the Embera people. They were also members of the Organización Regional Indígena del Valle del Cauca. (Regional Indigenous Organisation of Valle del Cauca).

On 23 March 2020, Omar and Ernesto were in their home in the Naranjal district of Bolívar, complying with the quarantine decreed by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Unknown men arrived at the house and asked them to come to a meeting, together with two other members of their family.  They followed the two men towards the Sanquinini River, where the men then opened fire on them.

Omar and Ernesto died on the spot while the other two people were gravely injured.

José Edgar Guasiruma Nacabera died later from his injuries.

The alleged intellectual author of the killings,  Brian Stiven Botero Martínez, has since been arrested and at the time of writing was being held in pre-trial detention.


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

Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Valle del Cauca

Sex1:Male

Age:27

Date of Killing:23/03/2020

Type of Work:Community leader

Organisation:Comunidad indigena pueblo Emberá.

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

Sector Detail:Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Land Rights, Minority 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).