Edier Adán Lopera

Edier Adán Lopera was a community leader and coordinator of the Committee for Reconciliation of the Junta de Acción Comunal (Community Action Board) in the village of Urales, municipality of Tarazá, in Antioquia.

He was also a member of the Programa Nacional Integral de Sustitución de Cultivos de uso Ilícito (National Programme for the Substitution of Illicit Crops) –PNIS, and the Asociación Campesina del Bajo Cauca (Peasant Association of Bajo Cauca)-ASOCBAC. ASOBAC in turn is part of the political movement, Marcha Patriótica.

On 15 June, 2020, Edier was shot dead by members of paramilitary group Los Caparros, in the village of Caracolí. The gunmen prevented the family from removing the body for medical examination for a total of 9 days as a way of intimidating the rest of the community.

Edier had been receiving direct death threats for some time.

For months prior to the shooting the local community had been complaining about the presence of armed groups in the area.

Bajo Cauca is highly unstable due to the presence of armed groups and the lack of a civilian state presence.


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Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Antioquia

Sex1:Male

Age:58

Date of Killing:15/06/2020

Previous Threats:Yes

Type of Work:Farmer

Organisation:Comité de Conciliación de la Junta de Acción Comunal de la vereda Urales. Programa Nacional Integral de Sustitución de Cultivos de uso Ilícito (PNIS) y de la Asociación Campesina del Bajo Cauca (ASOCBAC).

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

Sector Detail:Land Rights, Peace Building, 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).