Otto Valenzuela

Otto Valenzuela was a human rights defender in the town of Frontera in Putumayo, Colombia, who participated in the assemblies of the Association for Sustainable Holistic Development of the Perla Amazónica (ADISPA) and was the transparency monitor for his town’s Community Action Board. He was also a promoter of the the peace treaty’s programmes aimed at replacing illicit crops with legal ones.

On 8 October, 2018, other members of ADISPA found the HRD’s lifeless body in the border town. He had been killed by a gunshot. Yaneth Silva, a member of ADISPA, said that on the morning of the killing the social leader was working in the community minga (a form of collective work action; for more information click here.) and later retired to his home. She said that neighbours later reported hearing a shot, but did not alert the authorities because they did not imagine that it was an act of violence.

Yaneth also said that ADISPA reported the facts to the police, who told them they could not approach the place «because it is very out-of-the-way» and made the recommendation «to be very careful with the issue of collecting bullet casings for the investigation,» delegating to civilians tasks for which only to the Police or the Prosecutor’s Office are responsible. For this reason, Yaneth Silva stated that in addition to causing «irreparable damage to the community», Otto’s murder has generated anxiety at a community level and discouragement in other social leaders who fear for their lives.

Based on the original report by HSB News


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Регион:Северная и Южная Америка

Страна:Колумбия

Департамент/Провинция/Штат:департамент Путумайо

Пол1:Мужской

Дата убийства:08/10/2018

Предшествовавшие угрозы:Нет

Тип деятельности:Общинный лидер

Организация:Asociación de Desarrollo Integral Sostenible de la Perla Amazónica, ADISPA

Сектор, в котором работал правозащитник, или тип прав, которыми он занимался:Экономические, социальные и культурные права

Описание сектора:Гражданские права, Крестьянские общины, Миростроительство

Подробнее:Front Line Defenders

1В базе данных отражается гендерная идентичность, выбранная самим человеком. Если человек не считает себя ни мужчиной, ни женщиной, можно выбрать вариант "иное" или воспользоваться термином "небинарная гендерная идентичность" (НГИ). .