Emiliano Tróchez Camayo,an  indigenous ancestral authority, was attacked and shot dead on Friday, August 10, 2018 in his community when he was on his way to facilitate some educational activities.

Emiliano was considered by the community as a leader since he had dedicated his life to defend indigenous rights. He had been governor, youth counsellor, teacher and advisor for the indigenous organization Asociación de Cabildos Indígenas del Norte del Cauca (ACIN). All these different roles were performed according to the Sa’th Fxinxi Kiwe worldview. He was an important actor in the construction of an autonomous education system in the community.

After finishing his period as governor, Emiliano started receiving threats from guerrilla and paramilitary groups, who are fighting to gain control of the territory where the community is located. The threats and killings in the community have been systematically directed towards social leaders after they leave their official occupations (e.g. governors, teachers). Nevertheless, the police and military forces seem to disregard the pattern.