Colombia: Protección urgente a personas defensoras y dirigentes indígenas

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Item 3 &5: Interactive Dialogue with the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

26 September 2024

Oral statement by:Dora Muñoz

We appreciate the report of the Expert Mechanism and agree with the importance of the proposal related to the protection of indigenous defenders and leaders. As recognised in your report, defenders of the human and collective rights of indigenous peoples face a critical situation, as in the case of my husband, Miller Correa, who was assassinated.

Jose Miller Corea, community leader, authority and Colombian human rights defender of the Association of Indigenous Councils of Northern Cauca, was assassinated on 14 March 2022 in the exercise of his work as a traditional authority. More than two years have passed, and no adequate progress has been made in the investigation nor the punishment of those responsible for Miller's murder, so we fear that this case will remain in impunity.

Attacks against indigenous leaders and authorities harm the unity of the people. The assassination of a representative authority such as Miller is a systematic and direct extermination attack against our people that aims to damage our collective processes.

As requested by the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, we ask this Council to insist on accountability through prompt, effective and impartial investigations of the assassinations of Indigenous defenders.

We thank you.