Alba Alexandra Pizanda was an indigenous rights defender of the Awá people and a spokesperson for the “Cabildo Indígena del Gran Mallama de Santa Cruz, (Indigenous Council of Gran Mallama de Santa Cruz), in the territory of Los Pastos, Mallama, Nariño.
On 20 September, 2020, Alba was travelling by bus through the village when heavily armed men on a motor bike pulled up alongside and forced the bus to stop. They then proceeded to intimidate the other passengers and forced Alba to get down before shooting her several times, killing her instantly.
The killing received almost no attention in the national media because of a massacre of four other community leaders on the same day.
Indigenous leaders have called on the government to convene a security conference to confront the issue of attacks on indigenous leaders.
