Cristóbal José Ramos was president of the Junta de Acción Comunal (Community Action Board) in the village of Villa Clemen, in Montelíbano, Córdoba. He had stood for election to the council of Montelíbano and was a member of the Corporación Desarrollo y Paz de Córdoba y Urabá, (Committee for Development and Peace of Córdoba and Urabá). In his work as a community leader he had been actively involved in projects to help those communities which had been affected by violence.
On the evening of 11 September, 2020, Cristóbal was driving through the community when two men travelling on a motor bike pulled up alongside the car and short both Cristóbal and another man, Luis Emilio Díaz Mendoza, who was travelling with him.
Luis Emilio died on the spot while Cristóbal died later in hospital from his injuries.
The killing is believed to have been carried out by the Rubén Darío Ávila Martínez Unit of the armed criminal group the Clan del Golfo. Since then a member of her gang known as “Principio” has been arrested and charged with the killing. His role was to keep open the corridors used by the Clan del Golfo for the transport of drugs which he did by sowing terror in the local community. “Principio” is believed to have carried out multiple killings in the area and been responsible for the violence leading to the forced displacement of several communities.
