Norbey Antonio Rivera was a community leader and member of the Asociación Campesina en Argelia (Peasant Association of Argelia). He was respecred for his support for community development projects and the defence of human rights.
His partner, Nancy Santacruz, was a member of the local council of Argelia and had previously reported receiving death threats from armed groups because of her work in the community. As a result the couple had moved to Popayán in Cauca
On 30 December, 2020, Norbey was driving through an area of the city known as La Ladera when gunmen opened fire hitting him multiple times. He died instantly.
In November, human rights organisation, Programa Somos Defensores, published a new report in which the data showed that: in 48% of killings the perpetrator was unknown: in 30% of cases the perpetrators were paramilitaries: in 11% of cases the perpetrators were members of the FARC and in 6% of cases the perpetrators were members of the ELN.
The presidential adviser for Human Rights, Nancy Patricia Gutiérrez, said in a recent statement that “there is a very close correlation between the actions of organized armed groups and organized criminal groups as part of illegal economic enterprises in the areas where most of the crimes against social and community leaders and human rights defenders take place.”
