Christian Leaders Bodies Found in Mass Grave
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The bodies of eight Christian leaders who disappeared in April were discovered in a mass grave in Colombia.
The victims—James Caicedo, Óscar García, Máryuri Hernández, Maribel Silva, Isaid Gómez, Carlos Valero, Nixon Peñaloza, and Jesús Valero—were conducting humanitarian and spiritual outreach in the region, according to the office of the attorney general, cited by Christian Daily International.
Why It Matters
The region is marked by power struggles between dissident factions of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN).
This massacre represents the largest recorded in Colombia in 2025, according to the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz).
Christians are often targeted in Columbia because they oppose the country's drug cartels and guerrilla groups, according to Open Doors' 2025 World Watch Report of the 50 countries where it is most difficult to be a Christian
What To Know
The Christian leaders were summoned by members of the FARC's Armando Ríos Front, led by Iván Mordisco, prior to their disappearance, according to initial reports from the attorney general's office.
The FARC was trying to block the influence of a rival ELN cell in the area, but authorities have not found any evidence of any links between the Christians and the guerrilla group.
The victims' identities and backgrounds were confirmed by Christian Solidarity Worldwide and Open Doors, which highlighted that Colombian Christian leaders, particularly those working with youth, are frequent targets of cartel or guerrilla violence.
The mass grave was identified after authorities detained a guerrilla in May whose cellphone contained photos of the victims and the crime, making it possible to locate the grave.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro called this massacre a grave human rights violation and called for a stronger security presence in regions affected by conflict.
Stock photo of a cross atop a church, taken in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Dec. 19, 2011.
Stock photo of a cross atop a church, taken in Hyderabad, India, Monday, Dec. 19, 2011.
AP
What People Are Saying
The Evangelical Confederation of Colombia (CEDECOL) said in a statement: "We ask for prayers for peace and consolation for these families. We raise a firm voice of cry and demand that the authorities ensure that these crimes do not go unpunished, that the investigations move forward swiftly, and that real guarantees are provided for the protection of the lives and integrity of those who exercise spiritual leadership in the most vulnerable regions of the country."
The daughter of one of the victims told SEMANA newspaper that the Petro administration should be "present and to avoid these types of situations, because currently two armed groups are fighting over territory, and the peasantry is caught in the middle, and there is no response from the state, no protection from the state. In other words, we are truly alone in a war between two armed groups."
What Happens Next
Investigations are ongoing by the Colombian attorney general's office, and the Evangelical Confederation has called for urgent protection measures.
International organizations are monitoring further developments and urging the Colombian government to address violence against religious and social leaders in rural regions
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