Edwin Emiro Acosta Ochoa was a community leader who worked for the welfare of the community and to protect the rights of his fellow miners.
Edwin was a member of the Comisión de Interlocución del Sur de Bolívar, Centro y Sur del Cesar (Consultative Committee of South Bolivar and Central and South Cesar)-CISBCSC and of the Asociación Agrominera de Tiquisio (Association of Miners in Tiquisio).
He was also a shareholder in the Sociedad de Economía mixta ambiental agropecuaria minera (Company for the Development of a Mixed Farming and Mining Economy) SEMAAM SAS.
On 26 May, 2020, Edwin was at home with his family in the community of Mina Seca in the municipality of Tiquisio, in Bolivar, when members of a paramilitary group arrived, asking for him by name. As soon as they identified Edwin they shot him dead in front of his family.
Local leaders have asked how it is possible for paramilitary groups to carry out killings like this with impunity when there is such a strong military presence in the area.
According to an analysis by Programa Somos Defensores, 2019 was the most violent year in the last decade in terms of attacks on human rights defenders. Bolivar was one of the eleven departments with the highest number of cases.
