Colombia Solidarity Campaign

Cauca,  11th May 2009

Mayerli Alejandra Legarda Quilcue, daughter of indigenous leader Aida Quilcue, had to flee 4 armed gunmen who were waiting for her outside the family home on Monday the 11^th of May. As Mayerli was leaving the family home at around 6pm, she noticed the men pointing handguns at her from a car parked in front of the house. The 12 year-old managed to flee back into the house, where she was being accompanied by indigenous guards. The men then proceeded to drive around the house in the car, before fleeing when they realised that the indigenous guards were in the house.

Aida Quilcue 

Mayerli and her mother were assigned special protective measures by the Interamerican Commission of Human Rights in December when her father, Edwin Legarda, was murdered by the Colombian army in an attack seemingly intended for Aida. Ms Quilcue was the leader of the Cauca Regional Indigenous Council until last month, and is an influential leader of the Social and Communitarian Minga, a social process which brings together organisations from all social sectors, based around social mobilisation. Last month seven soldiers were detained for Mr Legarda's murder.