Indigenous leader attacked near Popayan

A group of armed men attacked indigenous leader and CRIC member Daniel Piñacue Achicue outside of the south Colombian city of Popayan, local media reported on Thursday.

Piñacue, governor of the indigenous community in Calderas was near the municipal of Inza on Wednesday when a group of armed men shot at his armored vehicle on the way to Popayan. At least ten members of his community tried protect their leader from the attack.

According to reports by El Espectador, the indigenous community suspects the FARC of being behind the incident and are conducting an investigation. The ASI (Indigenous Social Aliance) wrote a letter seeking government protection for leaders in Cauca and denouncing the crime.

In an open letter addressed to the FARC, ASI asked, “Why do you kill people and then accuse them so they can’t defend themselves? Why do you use crime to obstruct the political resurgance in the department and the surge of new movements in the past few years? … Is the indigenous political movement sentenced to death? Did you have something to do with the attempt against our candidate Daniel Piñacue Achicue?”

The leader of the Nasa indigenous people is a candidate for the Chamber of Commerce in Cauca.