Former Colombian President Gustavo Petro publicly announced via his official X account on September 1, 2026, that he filed a formal judicial action against the current president, Abelardo de la Espriella, at the International Criminal Court (ICC). ^[1] Social leaders James Flor and Maria Ovidia Palechor were assassinated in their home located in the La Pedregosa neighborhood of the Cajibio municipality in the Cauca department. ^[2] Gustavo Petro stated that the complaint filed with the ICC is based on alleged political persecution against civil collectives with ideological identities and characterizes these acts as crimes against humanity. ^[3] Petro asserted that the judicial action was filed within the framework of the powers he exercised as president and under the protection of Colombian legislation articulated to the Rome Statute. ^[4] Social leaders James Flor and María Ovidia Palechor were assassinated in the municipality of Cajibío in the Cauca region, according to the Regional Indigenous Council of the Cauca (CRIC). ^[5] According to the Indepaz register, these two homicides bring the number of social leaders assassinated in Colombia during 2026 to 103, and to 22 in the Cauca department. ^[6] James Flor was a community leader and was linked to the victims' table, with both having a recognized history of accompanying victims of the conflict and defending community rights. ^[7]