Colombia’s Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CPDH) on Thursday announced the assassination of human rights defender and community leader Jhonny Hurtado in the central department of Meta, reported Colombian media.
According to reports, 56-year-old Hurtado, who was president of the Committee for Human Rights in the municipality of La Macarena, was killed by gunshot last Sunday.
Authorities state that the area in which the victim was killed remains under the control of a paramilitary group named “Omega,” who formed in the region to pursue leaders of Colombian guerrilla group FARC.
However, the perpetrators of the crime are as yet unknown by police.
The CPDH informed that the assassinated leader had been working with local farmers and landowners, forming delegations to campaign against human rights violations in the area.