The murder of Manuel Mena Viveros, in Chocó, was added to that of indigenous leader Efrén Antonio Bailarín Carupa, last Thursday. | Photo: EFE
Bogota, September 21 (RHC)-- The Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz) has denounced the perpetration of another murder against a former signatory of the Peace Agreement between the Colombian State and the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP).
According to Indepaz, the victim was Manuel Mena Viveros, who was carrying out his reincorporation process in the municipality of Quibdó, located in the department of Chocó, when he was attacked on Sunday night in the El Futuro neighborhood.
With the murder of Mena Viveros, 37 signatories of the Peace Accord have been killed so far in 2021, and the 286th since the signing of the peace process in 2016.
In this regard, the Ombudsman's Office had issued an early warning highlighting that among the population at risk in Chocó are the signatories of the agreement, social leaders and minors. Such situation is derived from the presence and constant clashes between residual armed groups operating in that region, among which the National Liberation Army (ELN), the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC) and the gang Los Mexicanos stand out.
The Ombudsman's Office details that of the 30 early warnings issued for Chocó, 16 remain in force, with an estimated 390,000 people considered to be at risk in the department.
For its part, the Comunes party raised a protest against this situation of violence and stated in its official Twitter account that "the Colombian State must fulfill its obligations to guarantee our safety; we do not want to see more comrades murdered."
In view of the growing wave of crimes in Colombia, the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in that nation issued a follow-up report on murders of human rights defenders. The report reveals that between January and August 2021, at least 143 homicide complaints have been reported, of which 52 cases have been verified and 26 are in the process of being verified.
