Jonh Fredy Álvarez, president of the Association of Peasant Workers, Astracal, was murdered on the evening of Saturday 11 January 2020, in the municipality of Algeciras, Huila. He was also a member of the Patriotic March movement, which he had helped to set up in Huila.
According to Colonel Juan Carlos Restrepo Moscoso, commander of the Huila Police, the crime occurred when the community leader was in the living room of his home, in the Juan XXIII neighborhood. Jonh was at home having lunch with his family when a gunman forced his way in and shot him dead. The killing had all the hallmarks of a contract killing.
Jonh had taken part in several land occupations and marches to support the farming community and was known for his work on behalf of the community. The killing of Jonh came just 48 hours after the killing of Mireya Hernández, a member of the local Junta de Accion Comunal (JAC).
Lorena Sánchez, president of the Huila Peasant Workers’ Association and a member of the Patriotic March, condemned this latest killing and alleged that there are no adequate security plans in place, despite the fact that the authorities had been informed multiple times of the dangers facing community leaders.