Erlin Forastero Undagama

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.


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Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Choco

Sex1:Male

Age:30

Date of Killing:14/10/2020

Type of Work:Community leader

Organisation:Docente y gobernador indígena del pueblo Embera oriundo del Resguardo Jurubida-Chory

Sector or Type of Rights the HRD Worked On:ESC Rights

Sector Detail:Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Right to Eduction/Student Rights

More information:Front Line Defenders

1This database records an individual's chosen gender identity. If they do not self-identify as male or female they can use the option of recording other/neither or use the term NBGI (non binary gender identity).