María Ovidia Palechor and James Flor, a married couple of social leaders, were assassinated in the Las Casitas sector of La Pedregosa, Cajibío, Cauca, on September 1, 2026. ^[1] The article reports that the petrismo opposition, led by former President Gustavo Petro and former Vice President Francia Márquez, is demanding accountability from President Abelardo De La Espriella for the wave of violence in Cauca, Colombia. ^[2] Former Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced on September 1, 2026, that he denounced his successor, Abelardo de la Espriella, to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for political persecution. ^[3] On 2026-09-01, former Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez publicly condemned the murder of indigenous leaders María Ovidia Palechor and her husband James Flor in Cajibío, Cauca, allegedly committed by illegal armed groups. ^[4] James Flor was a community leader and a member of the Victims' Table of Cajibío, known for promoting social protection and development initiatives. ^[5] María Ovidia Palechor was an indigenous leader from the Yanakuna people and served as a counselor for Human Rights and the Women's Program of the Indigenous Regional Council of Cauca (Cric). ^[6] The couple had previously denounced threats and risks faced by communities due to the presence and intimidation of armed actors and requested state security measures. ^[7] Several armed men broke into the residence and fired repeatedly against the couple, who died at the scene. ^[8] The couple, who defended the rights of indigenous communities in the Cauca department for decades, were killed in the early hours of Tuesday morning. ^[9] The identity of the perpetrators responsible for the assassination is currently unknown. ^[10] As of August 5, 2026, the article reports 88 murdered leaders, 78 massacres, and 6 assassinated peace agreement signatories in Cauca, Colombia. ^[11] Gustavo Petro, former President of Colombia, said on September 1, 2026, that the murders of James Flor and María Ovidia Palechor, both his personal friends and members of the Pacto Histórico, constitute a new paramilitarism in the area and that the response is popular organization at the highest level. ^[12]