Communities Denounce National Army for Assassination of Peasant Leader
On October 28, peasant communities of Corinto-Cauca reported that members of the National Army detained and murdered Flower Jair Trompeta Paví, social leader and member of the Asociación de Trabajadores Pro-Constitución Zonas de Reserva Campesina de Caloto -ASTRAZONACAL-.
The community said that the social leader was detained by the National Army, and two hours later was found murdered in the village of La Laguna in the municipality of Corinto.
Flower Jair Trompeta Paví was also part of the Asociación Nacional de Zonas de Reserva Campesina -ANZORC-, the Proceso de Unidad Popular del Suroccidente Colombiano -PUPSOC-, and the Coordinación Política y Social Marcha Patriótica del Cauca.
The family of the social leader and the community repudiated and denied that he had belonged to the FARC and that he had been killed in combat, as the Army affirmed. In addition, this case resembles that of Dimar Torres, a former combatant who was part of the reinstatement process and who was brutally murdered by the National Army.
The murder of social leaders of peasant and indigenous communities in the department of Cauca is becoming increasingly severe. The most recent case was presented on October 29 in the Tacueyó Reservation, in the municipality of Toribío-Cauca, where armed men murdered the Cristina Bautista Indigenous Authority and five indigenous guards.
“We invite the international community to investigate these acts that appear to have the complicity of the Colombian government, the causes are the effects that are being experienced today against our indigenous peoples, especially in the north of Cauca and the rest of the national territory,” reads the communiqué issued by the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca -CRIC-.
Nasa Indians Murdered in Cauca
Indigenous organizations reported that today (October 29) five members of the Guardia Indígena (Indigenous Guard) and Nasa leader Cristina Bautista Taquinas were murdered in the municipality of Toribio, Cauca. In addition, Matías Montaño Noscué, José Norman Montano Noscué, Crescencio Peteche Mensa and Dora Rut Mesa Peteche were injured.
The events that took place in the village of La Luz, in the village of Tacueyó, were denounced by the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia -ONIC-.
Senator Feliciano Valencia confirmed the deaths of José Gerardo Soto and Cristina Bautista, who were guard and indigenous authority respectively.
#ATTENTION
Preliminary report that we have on the situation that was presented in the afternoon in the Tacueyó reservation.Wounded:
Matías Montaño Noscué
José Norman Montano Noscué
Crescencio Peteche Mensa
Dora Rut Mesa PetecheDeceased :
José Gerardo Soto
Cristina Bautista pic.twitter.com/d8jsszXwTk
– Feliciano Valencia 🌽 (@FelicianoValen) October 29, 2019
So far, accounts point to different armed groups perpetrating the massacre; however, it is not clear who was responsible.
Some accusations state that armed personnel passed through the Tacueyó region yesterday and there was no action by the army to stop them. Threats have also circulated in the region relating to the Sinaloa cartel which, in association with paramilitary groups, operates in the region.
Now don’t let them come to us with Sinaloa’s poster stories or Farc’s dissidents.
This attack against the Nasa Project and @ACIN_Cauca is clearly to destroy the strongest social and political organizational process in the country. It is to destroy the main adversary of this government.
– Juan Houghton (@JuanHoughton) October 29, 2019
Two weeks ago the CRIC also reported the murder of Toribio Canoas, a member of the Guardia Indígena in Tacueyó.
The Association of Indigenous Councils of the North of Cauca -ACIN- also called on human rights organizations to be alert to this situation.
We declared a state of emergency, armed groups attack the Tacueyo City Council, and reported the following: #Dead: José Gerardo Soto Cristina Bautista, guard and authority assassinated. All Human Rights organizations alert @ONUHumanRights @DefensoriaCol @mindefensa @MinInterior @ONIC_Colombia
– Cxhab Wala Kiwe – ACIN (@ACIN_Cauca) October 29, 2019