The murder of José Edwin Legarda shows once again Colombia's contempt for its indigenous population. Legarda's wife was Aida Quilcué, Chief Councilor of the CRIC and well-known leader of last October's demonstrations which took thousands of indigenous people to the streets to claim for their rights.

A squad of the Colombian army shot yesterday Aida Quilcué's vehicle in which José Edwin Legarda was traveling. He died several hours later after receiving three bullet wounds. When the vehicle was ambushed Legarda was on his way to collect his wife, who had returned from Geneva after presenting the situation of Colombia's indigenous population before UN's Council of Human Rights.

According to the Ministry of Defense, the military opened fire because the vehicle did not stop in a checkpoint. However, witnesses assure that there was no order to stop whatsoever. Quilcué pointed out that the real target was herself, and indigenous sources state that the murder was meant to be the authorities' retaliation against leaders who played a key role in the organization of indigenous mass protests last October and November.

Reactions to the murder have been immediate and categorical. In a press release, the Andean Indigenous Coordinating Organization (COAI), one of the most influential organizations of the continent, has called for Álvaro Uribe to be trialed for genocide of indigenous people. COAI accuses him of being the "main responsible of persecution policies, military raids into indigenous territories, forced displacements, arrests and detentions, tortures, murdering and disappearances".

Amnesty International has declared that this case is a good example of indiscriminate killing of civilians by security forces, and has asked the authorities to conduct an "immediate, exhaustive and impartial" investigation to take those responsible of the killing to court.

Further information:

• ReliefWeb: Colombia: Amnesty International condemns killing by security forces of husband of indigenous leader
• AFP: Esposo de líder de protesta indígena murió baleado por Ejército colombiano
• lanacion.com.py: Militares matan a líder indígena colombiano por no detenerse
• Nationalia:Colombia's indigenous peoples protest against human rights violations