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María Ovidia Palechor and James Flor were killed by armed men at their home in Cajibío.

María Ovidia Palechor and James Flor were shot and killed by armed men at their home in the Las Casitas sector of the Cajibío municipality in Cauca, Colombia. The couple, who spent decades defending the rights of indigenous communities and social leaderships, were killed during a morning attack where several armed men broke into their residence and fired repeatedly. Authorities have not yet identified the perpetrators or the specific motives for the attack. The Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca confirmed the crime and requested the National Government to protect the social leaderships of the region. The deaths of María Ovidia Palechor and James Flor add to a wave of violence in the Cauca department, where 103 social leaders and community members have been killed since the beginning of 2026. María Ovidia Palechor served as the coordinator of the Woman's Program and the Human Rights Program for the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca. James Flor was recognized for his work with victims and agricultural processes in the La Pedregosa area. The Defender of the People, Iris Marñn, denounced the security situation and called for an urgent security council meeting for the Cauca region.

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