The International Office for Human Rights Action on Colombia

Day: 3 September 2026

OIDHACO condemns the murders of María Ovidia Palechor and James Flor in Cajibío, Cauca

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The International Office for Human Rights – Action on Colombia (OIDHACO) expresses its profound rejection and condemnation of the killing of María Ovidia Palechor, a Yanakuna Indigenous leader and human rights defender, and James Flor, a recognized peasant leader and victims’ representative, which occurred on 1 September in the district of La Pedregosa, municipality of Cajibío, Cauca.

María Ovidia devoted her life to the defence of human rights, women’s rights, territory and peacebuilding, and held important responsibilities within the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC). James Flor carried out recognized work in defence of victims’ rights and peasant communities. Both supported community processes in the La Pedregosa Peace Territory and had repeatedly denounced the presence, threats and intimidation by armed actors in the area, particularly following the serious events that took place in El Túnel on 25 April.

These killings are particularly alarming because the communities and their leaders had previously warned Colombian institutions about the seriousness of the situation and requested protection measures. The Office of the Ombudsman has likewise pointed to the need to adopt urgent measures in view of the deteriorating security conditions faced by those exercising social leadership in Cauca.

OIDHACO expresses its solidarity with the families of María Ovidia and James, the Yanakuna people, CRIC, peasant communities and the entire La Pedregosa Peace Territory. Their killing is another painful example of the risks that continue to be faced by those who defend human rights, represent victims and build alternatives for peace in the territories. According to Indepaz, these killings bring to 103 the number of social leaders and human rights defenders killed in Colombia during 2026.

OIDHACO calls on the Colombian State to:

  • guarantee a prompt, thorough and independent investigation capable of identifying and bringing to justice both the direct perpetrators and those who ordered these killings;
  • immediately adopt effective protection measures, agreed with the communities concerned, for the women and men leaders and communities of the La Pedregosa Peace Territory, taking into account the risks previously reported;
  • strengthen collective prevention and protection measures, with territorial, ethnic and gender approaches, for communities and social organizations in Cauca;
  • ensure that Indigenous, peasant and Afro-descendant communities, as well as victims’ organizations, can exercise their leadership and continue building peace without putting their lives at risk.

Defending human rights and building peace must no longer cost lives in Colombia. Protecting those who defend rights and sustain peace processes in the territories must be an effective priority for the Colombian State.

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Our solidarity is universal.

We are deeply concerned about all victims of armed conflict, repression and violence around the world — from Sudan to Syria, including the persecution of the Rohingya and so many other crises that often receive less international attention than they deserve. Each of these situations calls for solidarity, remembrance, justice and action.

However, we have decided to specifically highlight the message ‘Stop Genocide in Palestine’ because what is happening in Palestine represents not only a human tragedy of enormous magnitude, but also a direct challenge to the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and to the rules-based international system itself. The indifference and complicity of much of the international community in the face of the apartheid regime imposed by the Israeli government on the Palestinian people represent one of the greatest moral and political contradictions of our time.

The persistent violation of essential norms — such as the protection of the civilian population, the prohibition of collective punishment and respect for proportionality in the use of force — not only has devastating consequences for the Palestinian population, but also erodes the global mechanisms designed to limit the power of states and prevent abuses.

When these rules are repeatedly breached without any effective consequences, the framework that protects all populations in conflict situations, anywhere in the world, is weakened. Therefore, speaking out in this case does not mean ignoring other forms of suffering, but rather emphasising the urgency of defending an international order which, if it collapses, leaves everyone in a more vulnerable position.

Drawing attention to this situation is, therefore, an act consistent with the universal values we uphold: the protection of life, human dignity and respect for international law, without exception.

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