Leading Activist Murdered in Bogota

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Carlos Alberto Pedraza Salcedo

Carlos Alberto Pedraza Salcedo

Carlos Alberto Pedraza Salcedo, a leading human rights activist has been found murdered in a village outside Bogota, two days after disappearing in the capital on his way to a meeting.

Carlos Alberto was a member of Congreso de los Pueblos – a civil society movement which was involved in the mass strikes in the summer of 2013. He was also an active member of MOVICE, a coalition of over 200 human rights and victim’s of state crimes organisations.

He left his house in Bogota at 3pm on the 19th January, and the last heard of him was a telephone conversation with a relative where he said he would be home that evening after meetings. His body, with severe head injuries, was found two days later by police at 9am in Gachancipá municipality, just outside the capital.

His colleagues believe the killing was politically motivated and have called on the authorities to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice.