Bojaya: Colombia’s community leaders caught in the crossfire

Undeterred by death threats, Leyner Palacios, a community leader in Colombia, fights for peace and human rights.

In May 2002, at least 79 people were killed in Bojaya, Colombia when a mortar was thrown into a church where many were hiding from the crossfire between FARC rebels and paramilitaries.

Leyner Palacios survived, but 32 of his family members did not. When the FARC and Colombian government signed a peace deal in 2016, Palacios made it his mission to ensure the deal was implemented, being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize in the process.

But, as other armed groups fill the power vacuum, Palacios’s life and work are at risk. Will he be able to protect his family and community?