José Uriel Rodríguez Zúñiga, peasant leader, was shot dead by a group of men on Tuesday, August 7, 2018.

José Uriel was an active member of the peasant organization Asociación de Trabajadores Campesinos de Cajibío (ATCC), which is affiliated to the national organization Federación Nacional Sindical Unitaria Agropecuaria (Fensuagro) and the political organization Marcha Patriótica. He also participated in other organizations, such as Coordinadora Nacional de Cultivadores de Coca, Amapola y Marihuana (Coccam) and Proceso de Unidad Popular del Suroccidente Colombiano (Pupsoc). José Uriel was beneficiary of the government’s illegal-crop substitution program, Plan Nacional Integral de Sustitución de Cultivos de Uso Ilícito (PNIS).

Despite being recognised in the community for his strong commitment to social justice, the police department still refused to acknowledge him as a social leader.