Iris Marín, the Defender of the People of Colombia, denounced the assassination of María Ovidia Palechor and her husband, James Flor, in the Cauca department. ^[1] On September 1, 2026, María Ovidia Palechor and James Flor, a couple of social leaders, were assassinated by hitmen in their home in the Las Casitas sector, La Pedregosa township, in Cajibío, Cauca, Colombia. ^[2] Iris Marín stated that five social leaders have been killed in the last eight days and called for urgent actions to protect them, especially in the Cauca department. ^[3] María Ovidia Palechor was a recognized leader of the La Pedregosa community who had publicly reported the effects of an attack by armed dissidents known as 'Iván Mordisco' on April 25, in which several people died. ^[4] María Ovidia Palechor and James Flor had dedicated their lives to social leadership of campesino and indigenous communities in Cajibío, Cauca. ^[5] The couple had warned about the risks they faced in a zone marked by violence from armed groups. ^[6] Iris Marín expressed that it is painful that those who claim rights against armed groups face such a fate, describing the groups as indifferent and cruel to the unarmed population. ^[7] The murder of María Palechor and James Flor is under investigation. ^[8]