Ombudsman Volmar Perez on Wednesday expressed his concern over the displacement of approximately 300 indigenous Colombians in the southern department of Nariño.
Perez confirmed that 60 indigenous families from the Boca de Vibora community, near Olaya Herrera in Nariño, were displaced by a confrontation between the Colombian navy and FARC guerrillas on January 31.
The Ombudsman also reported almost 30 “selective murders” of indigenous Colombians in Olaya Herrera over the last few months.
Nariño’s regional ombudsman reported the murders to the authorities, along with the “intimidating situation” in which the population of this Pacific coastal community live, due to acts of violence by illegal armed groups.
The issue of the Boca de Vibora community’s vulnerability was raised by the Nariño regional ombudsman in June 2009.
Nariño is one of the departments where violence caused by confrontations between guerrillas, paramilitary groups and the Colombian army is at its worst.
