By
the A.M. Costa Rica
staff
President Carlos Alvarado
condemned on Tuesday, the
assassination of indigenous
leader Sergio Rojas, 59, at his
home in the indigenous area of Salitre*
in the province of Puntarenas.
"This is a tragic day for the
Bribri people, for the
indigenous peoples and for all
of Costa Rica." President
Alvarado said. "We express our
pain and indignation to the
relatives and to all the Bribri
people."
According to the police report,
on Monday at 9:15 p.m., a 9-1-1
call was received that in the
Yeri sector of the Salitre
indigenous territory, in the
Buenos Aires canton of
Puntarenas. The caller stated
that a series of shots had been
heard. When the police arrived
at the house, they identified
the body of Sergio Rojas. He had
been killed by multiple
gunshots.
On hearing the news, the
president asked the Minister of
Security to do everything
necessary to find those
responsible and clarify the
events as soon as possible.
In addition, the government said
that it is providing protection
for the victim’s relatives and
has increased the police
presence in the community.
The government report said that
after the emergency call was
received by the 9-1-1 operator
they immediately activated the
appropriate protocol and the
precautionary measures requested
by the Inter-American Commission
on Human Rights for several
members of the indigenous
community of Salitre.
The Public Ministry wishes to
clarify false information being
disseminated about the murder on
social networks:
* The victim did not file any
complaint, neither as an
offended person nor as a
witness, related to any land
property case.
* He went to the Prosecutor's
Office of Buenos Aires in
Puntarenas, to accompany two
people who filed a written
complaint.
* Mr. Rojas has not made any
complaint for threats or
aggression or against his life.
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National
Coordination of
the National Front
of Indigenous
Peoples courtesy
photo
Indigenous
leader Sergio
Rojas, 59, had
been killed at
his home in the
indigenous area
of Salitre in
the province of
Puntarenas.
*
Mr. Rojas does
not appear as
a victim or as
a witness in
any complaint
about threats.
* Based on the
evidence
collected so
far, it has
not been
determined
that the
motive for
murder is
related to the
complaint
filed by the
indigenous
people who
were
accompanied by
Mr. Rojas.
Mr. Sergio
Rojas was a
well-known
indigenous
leader of the
Salitre area
in Buenos
Aires,
Puntarenas and
member of the
National
Coordination
of the
National Front
of Indigenous
Peoples.
The indigenous
zone is in the
dispute over
almost 12,000
hectares of
land that
indigenous
groups claim
to own.
Farmers,
however, claim
to have bought
the land.
---------------
Should
the government
expropriate the
territory to
give it to the
indigenous
people?
We would like to
know your
thoughts on this
story. Send your
comments to: news@amcostarica.com
*Link
to reach the
map.
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