Army kills husband indigenous leader

The husband of Ayda Quilcue, one of the organizers of the anti-government protests in October and November, was killed when the army opened fire at the car he was driving.

President Luis Evelis Andrade of the Colombia’s National Indigenous Organization (ONIC) says Edwin Legarda was driving the minivan of the Cauca Regional Indigenous Council (CRIC) assigned to his wife when the army opened fire.

Legarda was taken to a Popayán hospital, but died of his injuries.

Abdrade said he couldn’t prove it was the army that killed Legarda, but he said it was established that an army platoon was the only armed group present in the area at that time.

Ayda Quilcue believes the army tried to assassinate her. Both she and ONIC president Andrade say the number of death threats addressed to indigenous leaders have increased after they organized the ‘Minga’.

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