Community leader and sports director, Jorge Luis Betancourt Ortega died after being shot multiple times, while he was chatting with his family in the living room of his home. The incident occurred on the afternoon of Monday 13 January, 2020, in the San Francisco del Rayo district of the municipality of Montelíbano in the south of Córdoba.
According to the complaint made by the Cordobexia Foundation, armed men arrived at the Betancourt home and without saying a word shot Jorge Luis multiple times. The killers then fled the scene leaving the terrified family to seek help from neighbours.
Friends and family say that Jorge Luis had not spoken of receiving any threats and was focused on his work organising sporting events in surrounding villages on behalf of the Junta de Accion Comunal (JAC) in the village of San Francisco del Rayo.
However, in a statement, Cordobexia claimed that “it is necessary to point out that community and social leaders in general, but especially the members of the organisations: ASODECAS, ASCSUCOR, COCCAM, FUNSAP, ANZORC and CORDOBERXIA (sic) are singled out at as being at considerable risk, according to the Early Warning No. 054-19 issued by the Ombudsman’s Office. ”
The organisation also called the attention of the Governor of Córdoba, Orlando Benítez Mora and the Secretary of the Interior Camilo Berrocal, to the urgent need for the civil and military authorities to take action to protect the life and integrity of social leaders and human rights defenders.
According to local people the killing was carried out by members of criminal group, the “Clan del Golfo” who target charismatic leaders, like Jorge Luis, who are seen to be cooperating with the authorities.
