Bogota, June 3 (teleSUR-RHC)-- The National Movement of Victims of State Crimes in Colombia denounced Monday the assassination of Alex Fabian Espinosa Carvajalino, a trade unionist, human rights defender, and member of the organization.

Espinosa was killed inside his home over the weekend. The activist had alerted authorities he had been subject of death threats starting in 2011. It was for that reason that he had relocated from the city of Cucuta to the neighboring municipality of Los Patios.

The National Movement of Victims of State Crimes, known as Movice, said that despite receiving death threats, Espinosa did not receive the necessary protection from state authorities. Movice also rejected claims made by Jaime Barrera, commander of the Metropolitan Police of Cucuta, that Espinosa was killed as a result of a crime of passion.

The human rights organization believes that Espinoza was killed as a result of his work defending human rights. Movice further denounced the fact that three trade unionists had been killed in Cucuta in the last three months alone.

“Given this, we demand that the office of the National Prosecutor General quickly deliver results of the investigation being conducted into the murder of Alex Fabian Espinosa and other union leaders who have been killed,” read a statement by Movice.

Despite a state-sponsored demobilization of paramilitary groups in 2003, criminal groups continue to operate throughout Colombia. The activities of paramilitary groups have been raised by the peace negotiating team of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia as a threat to the peace process.