BOGOTA, Columbia, March 2, 2003 — Unidentified gunmen in Colombia assassinated Rev. Jose Juan Lozada Corteza, pastor of the Evangelical Christian Church of San Antonio, while Lozada was traveling between his home and Chaparral. The attack happened on January 27th.
According to the Commission on Human Rights and Peace of the Evangelical Council of Colombia (CEDECOL), uniformed men stopped the public bus in which Lozada was traveling and singled out the clergyman from the rest of the passengers. The assailants forced him off the vehicle and, in full view of bystanders, shot Lozada in the head.
The gunmen, members of an illegal armed group fighting in the country's protracted civil war, reportedly also killed a member of Rev. Lozada's church who was traveling with him. At press time, CEDECOL officials were trying to confirm the identity of the second victim.
The area around San Antonio, a small town in the department of Tolima three hours' drive south of Ibagué, has experienced intermittent violence as guerrilla groups, paramilitary units and government forces vie for control of the territory. The motives for Lozada's murder remain unclear.
Officials of the human rights commission said that Lozada was married, but did not disclose the names of his spouse or children.
At least 72 Protestant pastors and 33 Catholic priests have died violently in the past decade in Colombia. Armed groups known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the Army of National Liberation (ELN) and the Auto Defense Union of Colombia (AUC) commit the majority of the murders, although in some cases investigations have implicated corrupt politicians and drug traffickers.
The CEDECOL human rights commission is in the process of creating a support network for victims and their families. The organization also documents incidents involving kidnapping, extortion, threats and displacement of church members and ministers.
Another Pastor escaped murder attempt as he preached from pulpit
Recently, CEDECOL leaders urged Rev. Esnilder Popó, pastor of the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church and president of the local ministerial association in Santander, Cauca, to leave the community following an attempt on his life two months ago.
| "What do you need?" Popó asked.
"I'm frightened," the man replied. "I came here on a mission to kill you."
A moment later, he rose from his knees and quickly left the church.
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The incident occurred during Sunday worship on November 13, when two strangers entered the church as Popó was preparing to preach. During the morning message, one of the men stood up and moved toward the pulpit, then abruptly turned around and walked out. The other man remained until the end of the service.
When Rev. Popó finished preaching, the second man approached the pulpit and fell on his knees in front of the pastor. Weeping, he asked for help. "What do you need?" Popó asked.
"I'm frightened," the man replied. "I came here on a mission to kill you." A moment later, he rose from his knees and quickly left the church.
The following Wednesday at noon, the same man returned to Popó's church as CEDECOL representatives were meeting to discuss what to do about the matter. Two local ministers recognized the individual and took him to an adjoining room. "Why do you want to kill Rev. Popó?" they asked.
The man said he did not know why, only that orders had come "from northeast Antioquia" for him to assassinate Popó in the pulpit. "But I could not bring myself to do it," he said, before abruptly disappearing again.
Fearing that assassins would continue to stalk Popó until they succeeded in their mission, CEDECOL leaders urged the pastor to leave Santander with his wife and daughter for an undisclosed location.
The conflict in Colombia is now in its fourth decade, making it the longest-running guerrilla war in Latin American history. According to statistics compiled by Amnesty International, more than 60,000 persons have died in the fighting since 1985, with civilians comprising 80 percent of the victims. Colombia also suffers the world's highest rate of kidnapping, an average of four per day. Ransom payments generate the second largest source of income, after cocaine trafficking, for illegal armed groups.
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