Miguel Suárez Santiago, 58, was murdered on 8 September in the municipality of Chimichagua, Cesar. He was a member of the Catatumbo Peasant Association ASCAMCAT and he was also the brother of Manuel Suárez Santiago, leader of the Peasant Association in the municipality of El Carmen.

According to the authorities, unknown men knocked on the door of the main house of the farm at 10 pm and requested Miguel’s help to move goods in his vehicle, which he refused. Half an hour later, three men dressed in black with their faces covered forcibly entered the house, killing Miguel.

In a statement ASCAMCAT said, “We are again in mourning and we demand that the State stop the killing of our leaders. We can’t keep burying our dreams and hopes of change for Colombia, we can’t keep burying our leaders. We demand that the Colombian government headed by president Iván Duque creates guarantees for social leaders in this country, that it creates the conditions for violence in the Catatumbo region to end, allowing peace to reign so we can advance in respecting human rights”.