Eighteen year old Wilder Garcia was a member of the Awá people and a member of the indigenous guard in Tortugaña Telembí.

Wilder was at home in the middle of the day with his wife and two children, because of the COVID lockdown, when armed gunmen burst into his home and shot him dead. The killing took place in the community of río Pipalta in the municipality of Barbacoas, Nariño.

Wilder was a respected community leader and apart from his work on behalf of the community he rarely left home.

Many members of the Awá community have received threats or been directly attacked by armed paramilitary groups who have recently increased their activities in the area despite a heavy military presence.

During the quarantine period the number of attacks on community leaders has increased significantly. Members of peasant, afro-descendant and indigenous communities as well LGBTI+ people are particularly at risk.