The January 8 assassination of a Protestant Christian chief in northern Colombia has reignited calls for for the Colombian authorities to reverse its controversial 2023 modification to safety laws that stripped spiritual leaders of their protections.
The taking pictures of 28-year-old Iván Garcia, a church chief and preacher, as he and 6 different folks — together with his 14-year-old stepdaughter — walked alongside an unlit rural street after leaving a non secular celebration on the Individuals of God Christian Imaginative and prescient Church, the place his spouse, pastor Karen Nierles, led the Bible examine.
Two gunmen on a motorbike stopped subsequent to the group, dismounted, opened fireplace on Garcia and hit him six instances, twice within the head. The gunmen then fled the scene on a bicycle, forsaking an injured lady with a bullet in her arm.
Pastor Nierles, Garcia's spouse of six months, stated his energetic involvement of their church, New Rebirth in Christ Church within the village of Garital, has helped his speedy progress, which has seen his congregation develop from seven to thirty devoted members.
In an interview with Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), a human rights group that works to defend freedom of faith and perception, Pastor Nierles stated that García renounced violence after leaving his life as a member of an unlawful armed group to return to his Christian religion.
Pastor Yimys Peñalosa, the chief of the denomination to which Pastor Nierles' church belongs, instructed CSW that a few month in the past, the couple heard two gunshots as they left Mr. Garcia's office, however didn’t imagine the act was aimed particularly at them. She stated her husband by no means talked about receiving any threats or warnings earlier than the assault, revealing that he as an alternative shared how he was not afraid to serve God.
“He instructed me a couple of days in the past that he’s not afraid to show the Bible, that he has a brand new life,” she stated. “He instructed me that to reside is Christ and to die is achieve.”
The director of advocacy for CSW, Anna Lee Stangl, stated the killing was the second premeditated assassination of a Protestant Christian chief in northern Colombia in a span of two weeks, elevating issues that spiritual leaders are being focused.
“CSW mourns with Ivan Garcia's household and church group,” she stated.
“Regardless of the danger, Mr. García selected to separate himself from an unlawful armed group due to his spiritual beliefs, and it’s unacceptable that he ought to pay together with his life for that alternative.”
Ms. Stangl stated there have been disturbing similarities to the Dec. 29 assault, when gunmen opened fireplace on pastor Marlon Lora, his spouse Yurlay Rincon, son Santiago and his grownup daughter Ángela as they sat for lunch at a restaurant after a Sunday morning church service. Aguachica, Division of Cesar. The one one not killed on the scene was Santiago, however he remained in essential situation and died in hospital a couple of days later.
“The character of the assault on Mr. Garcia, in addition to the bloodbath of Pastor Marlon Lora and his total household two weeks in the past, point out that these had been premeditated and focused assassinations,” Stangl stated.
It blames the Colombian authorities's determination to alter Decree 1066, the authorized instrument governing safety measures to which high-risk people, communities and organizations are entitled. The elimination of non secular leaders as a protected class has left them susceptible to violence that’s focused due to spiritual actions carried out as a part of their positions,” she stated.
“Spiritual leaders have lengthy been focused by unlawful armed and felony teams for quite a lot of causes, together with the position a lot of them assume as peacemakers and their willingness to make use of their affect of their communities to encourage others to reject participation in violent and felony actions. stated Mrs. Stangl.
“There should be a full investigation into each units of murders and people accountable should be held accountable.”
