Indepaz reports another murder of a social leader in Antioquia | News

The Colombian social leader, coordinator of the Historical Pact campaign in the municipality of Salga (Antioquia), Colombia in the last presidential elections, Juan Gabriel Rueda, was assassinated on Sunday night, confirmed President Gustavo Petro.

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According to reports from the Institute for Development and Peace (Indepaz), Rueda had received threats during the electoral campaign, and with his murder, there are already 135 murdered social leaders so far this year.

In addition to his role in the electoral campaign, Juan Gabriel Rueda was a social, environmental and political leader, just in the second country where more environmental leaders were assassinated in 2021, according to the UN.

The news of his murder was confirmed by Senator Isabel Zuleta, who through a publication on internet platforms assured that they had denounced threats for leading the campaign of now President Gustavo Petro. In addition, she asked the "Prosecutor's Office that this political crime does not go unpunished."

In fact, President Gustavo Petro himself spoke: “Juan Gabriel was coordinator of my campaign in that municipality. The Colombian Prosecutor's Office is responsible for coordinating the investigation."

According to Indepaz, during the electoral campaign, Rueda "had denounced threats against him and the Ombudsman's Office has issued Early Warning No. 004/22 of electoral risk and AT 040/20, in which it indicates that there is a presence of armed structures that exercise control and impact political and participation rights through threats, selective killings, indiscriminate attacks on candidates or political venues.”

According to Indepaz, in Antioquia there are some armed groups such as the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AGC) and local gangs in connection with the Valle de Aburrá Office.

During the year 2021, some 33 Colombian leaders were assassinated. Since the Peace Agreement was signed in 2016, 1,362 leaders have been assassinated in Colombia.