The Paraguas Munchique stretch of ‘cloud forest’ in west Colombia’s green mountains contains six Key Biodiversity Areas, home to more than 50 threatened species and is under serious threat from illegal logging and gold mining.

Guildon Solís Ambuila was an afrodescendant leader in Buenos Aaires, Cauca who worked for the rights of the Munchique community.

On 5 December, 2020, Guildon was murdered because he was taking part in an investigation into a mass killing which took place in the village of Buenos Aires in September 2020 in which 7 villagers were murdered. Guildon acted as the link between the officials working in the Mayor’s office and the community of traditional miners who have been under attack from paramilitary groups.

Twenty days before the killing Guildon had reported that he had been threatened by a paramilitary commander who told him that he was going to kill him.

According to other members of the community Guildon had contacted the Unidad Nacional de Protección, (National Protection Unit), but they had said that they could only provide protection if he moved to Bogota. Guildon was not prepared to do this as he wanted to continue helping the survivors of the September and other recent massacres.

Cauca is one of the most dangerous departments for community leaders in Colombia. Of the 280 killings of community leaders and human rights defenders in Colombia in 2020, 90 took place in Cauca