Indigenous leader Rodolfo Aricate Amaya was killed by two gunmen outside his home in the Cauca department, south-western Colombia.
Amaya, a leader in the Paez community, had been receiving threats for many months before he was gunned down.
The crime was allegedly committed by two strangers who had been seen previously in the nearby Caloto mountains, reported El Espectador.
Marcos Cuetia, spokesman for the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca said that the gunmen “called him by name, then shot him outside his home.”
“This region is very large, and there are all kinds of incidents with armed groups” said Cuetia, who refused to accuse a single group of the crime.
The FARC, paramilitary groups, and drug gangs are all present in the area.
“In Cauca, there is constant aggression against the indigenous population” Cuetia explained.
The indigenous community of Paez is primarily self-governed, and has received awards for their community and environmental work, recognized by groups such as the United Nations Program for Development (UNDP).
The National Indigenous Organization of Colombia has reported nearly 90 cases of killings of indigenous people since the start of 2010.
There are over one million indigenous people living in Colombia, representing 102 unique ethnic groups.
