Norbey Antonio Rivera

Norbey Antonio Rivera was a community leader and member of the Asociación Campesina en Argelia (Peasant Association of Argelia). He was respecred for his support for community development projects and the defence of human rights.

His partner, Nancy Santacruz, was a member of the local council of Argelia and had previously reported receiving death threats from armed groups because of her work in the community. As a result, the couple had moved to Popayán in Cauca.

On 30 December, 2020, Norbey was driving through an area of the city known as La Ladera when gunmen opened fire hitting him multiple times. He died instantly.

In November, human rights organisation, Programa Somos Defensores, published a new report in which the data showed that: in 48% of killings the perpetrator was unknown: in 30% of cases the perpetrators were paramilitaries: in 11% of cases the perpetrators were members of the FARC and in 6% of cases the perpetrators were members of the ELN.

The presidential adviser for Human Rights, Nancy Patricia Gutiérrez, said in a recent statement that “there is a very close correlation between the actions of organized armed groups and organized criminal groups as part of illegal economic enterprises in the areas where most of the crimes against social and community leaders and human rights defenders take place.”

 


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Region:Americas

Country:Colombia

Department/Province/State:Cauca

Nickname:El mono Rivera

Sex1:Male

Date of Killing:30/12/2020

Type of Work:Community leader

Organisation:Asociación Campesina de Trabajadores de Argelia (Ascamta)

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

Sector Detail:Citizens' rights, Land Rights, Peasant Communities

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).