Erik Payares, Santos Peña and Jhon Fredy Ortega embrace their family in celebration outside the court in Barrancabermeja. (CPT/Caldwell Manners)
After six months of avoiding arrest under false and unjust charges, three land struggle leaders from the communities of El Guayabo and Bella Unión have returned home.
On October 25, Erik Payares, Jhon Fredy Ortega and Santos Peña turned themselves in to Barrancabermeja’s prosecutor’s office to defend their innocence against charges of possession of weapons, personal injury and conspiracy to commit crime. All but the last charge has been dropped. The judge ruled against the need to imprison them since they were not a risk to the community and had demonstrated their intentions to fully cooperate with the remaining investigation.