Erlin Forastero was a teacher and governor of the Emberá people in the community of Tierra Alta in Alto Baudó, Chocó.
On 14 October, 2020, Erlin went to the offices of a government agency in Alto Baudó to receive a government subsidy as part of the “Familias en Acción” (Families in Action) programme. He was standing in line with other members of the community when a group of armed men arrived, dragged him out and shot him dead.
Leaders of the Mesa Indígena del Chocó (Indigenous Council of Chocó) have called on the armed groups “to leave the indigenous population out of the conflict, not to recruit its members into armed groups and to end the violence.” Likewise, they called on the government “to implement forceful and effective strategies to protect local communities and to find the whereabouts of those responsible.”
It is believed that the killing was carried out by members of the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia.