Indigenous governor assassinated in Chocó

In the last few hours, a body was found on the banks of the river Atrato that could correspond to Sarcelino Lana, who had been kidnapped by members of the Gulf Clan on March 25, according to a complaint made by the community at the time of his disappearance. He was allegedly killed by his captors and this would have led to the intervention of the Chocó Indigenous Committee, which demands that the Prosecutor's Office carry out, as soon as possible, the pertinent investigation to clarify this murder.

Lana was the indigenous governor of the Tamandó reservation, in the municipality of Medio Atrato, in the department of Chocó. He was just 29 years old and was the father of three children who are now orphaned. His death is the 48th recorded so far this year, a number that corresponds to the total number of murdered leaders who have been killed by outlawed groups or hit men in the service of other interests. It is the third murder in the last two days, after two people fell in Putumayo, on March 28.

According to an alert issued by the Office of the Ombudsman in Medio Atrato, there are constant events of this kind in the municipality, especially by the Gulf Clan. Threats are in the air every day and the 9000 inhabitants of the municipality no longer find safety in the place. The presence of irregular armed groups has led indigenous organizations to organize themselves to demand a greater presence of the Government in the territory. Thus, the Regional Coordination of the Colombian Pacific expressed itself and rejected these acts. “We call on the National Government to fulfill its obligation to protect the lives of Colombia's indigenous peoples,” he said.

For its part, the Sumapaz Foundation, from Antioquia, also condemned the crime and issued a statement in which it noted the act. “(...) with pain we inform the world that the paramilitary group AGC (Gulf Clan) has murdered the indigenous governor of the Tramando reservation, Sercelino Lana, was subsequently thrown into the river Atrato. We condemn this fact.”

At the moment, the situation is of high tension, as disputes between the ELN and the Gulf Clan occur in the area from time to time. Faced with this, the United Nations (UN) and the Office of the Ombudsman rejected the assassination of the indigenous governor and asked the authorities for different measures of protection for the community.

A few months after the presidential elections, violence in the country gives no respite. This year, like the previous one, it is positioning itself as one of the most dangerous for social leaders. Indepaz has provided on its website the names of the fallen, so far, and they appear as follows:

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