José Antonio Yule Rivera

The lifeless bodies of José Antonio Yule Rivera, 43, and Milton Andrés García Acosta, 19, human rights defenders and community leaders in the department of Cauca, were found in a white LUV truck, with license plates BIJ 029, in the rural area of ​​La María, in the El Jagual district, on the intermunicipal road between Caloto and Corinto, a region of massive presence of Farc dissidences.

The corpses showed signs of having been tied by their hands and had been shot in the head several times.

Yule Rivera was a member of the Community Action Board of the village of El Carmelo, of the Association of Workers Pro-Constitution Zones de Reserva Campesina de Caloto – ASTRAZONACAL, a subsidiary of the Unitary Agricultural Trade Union Federation – FENSUAGRO CUT, of the National Association of Zones of Peasant Reserve – ANZORC and member of the Popular Unity Process of the Colombian Southwest – PUPSOC and the Coordination of Social and Political March Cauca.

On the other hand, Milton Andrés García was the indigenous community leader of the Resguardo de López Adentro.

Mauricio Capaz, coordinator of the Defense of Life Network of the Association of Indigenous Cabildos of Cauca, Acín, said that the situation occurs in a context of concern in the area where pamphlets from paramilitary organizations recently circulated threatening a group of people, among which are recognized leaders of the indigenous guard.

The organizations of leaders and social, community and rural leaders, indigenous communities, as well as the Human Rights Network of the Colombian Southwest “Francisco Isaías Cifuentes” and the National Network of Guarantees and Human Rights of the Social Coordination and Patriotic March Policy asked the Government National, the Ombudsman, the Attorney General of the Nation, the National Police and the National Army to advance the respective investigations and not leave impunity for the murders of these community leaders.


If you would like to provide a personal recollection, please email us at: HRDMemorial@frontlinedefenders.org

Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Cauca

Sex1:Male

Age:43

Date of Killing:17/11/2018

Previous Threats:Yes

Type of Work:Farmer

Organisation:Junta de Acción comunal de la vereda El Carmelo

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

Sector Detail:Indigenous Peoples' Rights, Land 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).