Colombian authorities Thursday reported on the death of Javier Parra, an environmental activist who worked in the La Macarena mountain system in the Meta Department.
RELATED:
Parra was shot by hitmen on motorcycles as he was en route to his office. He was rushed to the hospital but died shortly after the assault from gunshot wounds," Attorney General Fernando Carrillo explained.
The environmental activist was known as "The Protector of Caño Cristales," which is famous for being the only place in the world that has a "river of five colors" because of the algae that inhabit that area.
"Our environmental leaders have become targets for criminal mafias due to their work to protect forests," Carrillo recalled.
A day before Parra's murder, the Colombian Ombudsman's Office confirmed the murder of environmental leader Harlin Rivas in the Choco Department. Hitmen on motorcycles attacked the engineering student at his work place.
The Development and Peace Studies Institute (Indepaz) reported that the number of social activists killed reached 263 so far this year
Colombia is the country with the highest number of environmental leaders killed, according to the British NGO Global Witness. Last year, 64 environmental activists were killed in this South American country.