Murder Attempt on Indigenous Governor in Colombia

By teleSUR

14 October 17

The governor of Belalcazar in Cauca and several members of the Patriotic Union received death threats.

olombian authorities have denounced the attempted assassination of the Indigenous governor of Belalcazar, Cauca after continuous death threats.

Hermes Pete Vivas, governor of Resguardo de Belalcazar Zona Tierradentro, was shot and left hurt by unknown people in the early hours of Friday.

According to police reports, at 2:30 a.m. local, when the leader was traveling by motorcycle to the town center, he was intercepted by two individuals who made him stop.

The Governor said he stopped and then the criminals shot him repeatedly, forcing him to leave his motorcycle and escape.

"I reacted immediately and they fled. Later I realized that I had been injured in the left arm," the Indigenous leader told W-Radio.

He was taken to a hospital and he is currently in stable condition.

The governor said he had been worried since he received several death threats from people who are against his work in the community. He said that in recent days, he had to change his residence due to threats that were being made.

Meanwhile, several members of the leftist Patriotic Union group said they had received death threats, targeting former presidential candidate Aida Avella and human rights defenders, such as LGBTI leaders.

The document was signed by a right-wing Colombian paramilitary group, the Gaitanistas Self Defense Forces of Colombia.

"We reiterate our willingness to combat communism and thereby eliminate the plagues that promote it," the pamphlet received by the group read.