CoDevelopment Canada is deeply concerned about the forced disappearance on November 28 of two Afro-Colombian community representatives who work closely with our partner NOMADESC in Colombia.

Abencio Caicedo and Edinson Valencia have been missing since November 28 when they left their homes in the community of Yurumanguí in Buenaventura, southwestern Colombia. Caicedo is a member of the village council, while Valencia is a representative of APONURY, an Afro-Colombian rights organization active in communities along the Yurumanguí river. Both also work with the local Committee for Collective Reparations, seeking redress for communities affected by Colombia’s armed conflict.

NOMADESC provides human rights accompaniment and training for communities in the region affected by violence.

In Buenaventura, Colombia’s principal Pacific port, violence has increased over the past decade as communities are displaced by port expansion, and drug cartels battle for control of a lucrative export route.

While it is still not known who abducted the two activists, the Colombian Truth Commission believes it may be related to their work against the port expansion, illegal mining and drug cultivation in the region.

Please join us in calling on Colombia authorities to do all they can to ensure that Abencio Caicedo and Edinson Valencia are released alive.

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