Emérito Digno Buendía Martínez was a community leader and member of Asociación Campesina del Catatumbo (Peasant Association of Catatumbo)-ASCAMCAT, in Cúcuta, Norte de Santander. He was also a member of the Junta de Acción Comunal (Community Action Board) – JAC in the village of Totumito and the Coordinadora Nacional de Cultivadores de Coca, (National Coordinating Committee of Coca Producers).
On 19 May, 2020 Emérito was shot dead when the army opened fire on a group of peasants as part of an operation to forcibly eradicate coca production. Two other peasants were injured in the attack.
Since March 2020, the army has been carrying on a forcible campaign of coca eradication, as opposed to a programme of voluntary substitution, which has resulted in protests from the communities affected. One of the concerns in these communities is that troop movements will help to spread the COVID virus to isolated areas which have been previously unaffected.
Between November 2016 and June 2020 seventy-five human rights defenders and community leaders involved in the voluntary substitution programme have been murdered.