Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission reported that on October 4, Samuel Avendaño, leader and land claimant of the communities of Apartadocito and Bracito, was murdered. His body was found on Pavarando – Mutata road.
Avendaño had been demanding his right to land restitution, as well as advocating for the communities’ rights to permanence in the territory and to the land.
Samuel had made complaints to state agencies, without due attention being paid.
«Samuel had made visible the process of territorial dispossession, the state of subjection in which the communities find themselves, in territories where governability and governance do not exist. The institutional inattention to dozens of reports on this situation of socio-environmental crisis shows the little interest that exists on the part of civil, environmental and military authorities to protect the rights of the residents in this region. It is urgent that the government with the competent authorities pay immediate attention to what is happening in the territory of the community councils of Curvaradó, Pedeguita and Mancilla, as in other Councils of Bajo Atrato,” notes a statement from the Inter-Church Justice and Justice Commission. Peace .