# Violence against social leaders in Colombia > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/20260831-violence-against-social-leaders-in-colombia > Updated: 2026-09-06T20:58:15.000Z. Sources: 18. Developments: 3. Violence against indigenous and social leaders has persisted in Colombia, particularly within the Cauca region. In early August, an armed attack in Florida, Valle del Cauca, killed four people, including Kwesx Yu Kiwe, the governor of the Nasa indigenous reserve, human rights defender Julián Mauricio Gutiérrez Grajales, and two security personnel from the National Protection Unit. By late August, further assassinations occurred in La Pedregosa, Cajibío, where social leaders James Flor and María Ovidia Palechor were killed in their home. Armed individuals reportedly entered the residence and fired indiscriminately at the couple. Palechor served as a coordinator for the Women’s and Human Rights programs of the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC), while Flor was a member of the Victims’ Table. The Unidad para las Víctimas condemned the killings, noting that Palechor had previously worked with their psychosocial approach program. According to the NGO Indepaz, these deaths brought the national death toll of community leaders to 103 this year, averaging one death every 2.3 days. Authorities and the Ombudsman’s Office have previously cited high human rights risks in the Cajibío region due to territorial control exerted by the Jaime Martínez Front, a dissident armed group. ## Claims - Six-year-old Michelle Dayana Henao Chavarría was found dead in Buriticá after being missing for a week (corroborated by 5 sources) - James Flor and María Ovidia Palechor were assassinated in the Cauca department (corroborated by 4 sources) - The number of community leaders killed violently in Colombia this year has reached 103 (corroborated by 4 sources) - María Ovidia Palechor was a coordinator for the Women's and Human Rights programs of CRIC (corroborated by 4 sources) - James Flor was a member of the Victims' Table (corroborated by 4 sources) - The Jaime Martínez Front is an armed dissident group operating in the region (corroborated by 4 sources) - The Ombudsman's Office had previously warned of high human rights risks in Cajibío (corroborated by 4 sources) - Armed subjects entered a home in La Pedregosa, Cajibío, and fired indiscriminately at a couple (corroborated by 4 sources) - The Governor of Antioquia decreed three days of mourning following the death of Michelle Dayana (single source) ## Timeline ### 2026-09-06: Unidad para las Víctimas condemns killing of social leader in Cauca The Unidad para las Víctimas condemned the killing of social leader María Ovidia Palechor and her husband, James Flor, in Cajibío, Cauca. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/unidad-para-las-vctimas-condemns-killing-of-social-leader-in-cauca ### 2026-08-31: Colombia: Two social leaders assassinated in Cauca Two social leaders, James Flor and María Ovidia Palechor, were assassinated in Cauca, Colombia, bringing the year's death toll for community leaders to 103. Meanwhile, a six-year-old girl was found dead in Burí 18 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/rionegro-driver-dies-in-150-meter-fall ### 2026-08-02: Four killed including Nasa indigenous leader in Florida, Colombia attack Four dead, including Nasa indigenous leader Kwesx Yu Kiwe and defender Julián Mauricio Gutiérrez, were killed in an armed attack on a Florida, Valle del Cauca shop; Colombia’s government condemned the violence. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/four-killed-including-nasa-indigenous-leader-in-florida-colombia-attack --- Cite as: Violence against social leaders in Colombia. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/20260831-violence-against-social-leaders-in-colombia