Two gunmen shot Maya, a journalist and a
leader of the local indigenous community, in his home in rural Caloto in
southwest Cauca province, according to the Bogotá-based Foundation for Freedom
of the Press (FLIP) and CPJ interviews.
Maya, 34, was a correspondent for Radio Payumat, a community
radio station that is part of a network operated by the Association of
Indigenous Councils in Norte del Cauca (ACÍN).
Maya covered political issues and the civil conflict in the region,
according to Jorge Arias, an ACÍN representative. Maya’s newsgathering
activities were closely tied to his role as an indigenous leader, Arias said.
Two weeks before the murder, graffiti in Caloto accused Maya
and other indigenous leaders of being members of the leftist guerrilla group
Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), CPJ sources said. Arias
told CPJ that it was difficult to establish whether Maya was killed for his journalism
or his role as an indigenous community leader.
No police investigation had been initiated as of early
December, local authorities told CPJ. Arias said indigenous officials were conducting
an investigation of their own.