Teacher and social leader Delmayro Reyes was killed in front of his students, while he was crossing a bridge in the rural area of Dagua, which is located in the department of Valle del Cauca. Delmayro was approached by two unknown assailants, who did not engage verbally but immediately opened fire. He received two gunshot wounds and died en route to the local hospital.
Delmayro was known in his community as a good man. He worked at the Institución Educativa El Palmar and is presumed to have been murdered because of his activities preventing local gangs from selling drugs to his students. Valle del Cauca’s governor Dilian Francisca Toro dio has assured the public that his death will not be met with impunity.
Delmayro’s murder occurred a mere days before another three Colombian social leaders were assassinated. Julio Cesar Montalvo was a leader on the Zenú reservation in alto San Jorge. Carlos Jimmy Prado Gallardo, national delegate to the government program for consulting communities prior to development projects, in which he represented the community of Black, Afro-Colombian, Raizal and Palenquero communities. Orlando Nicolás Negrete was president of the community action committee of Tierralta.