In yet another deadly attack on Christians, FARC guerrillas have shot and killed a fourteen-year-old girl who was a member of a Seventh Day Adventist Church at her home. The pastor of the church, Pastor Nieves, was later shot and killed, leaving behind his wife and two children.
Pastor Gualberto Nieves and fourteen-year-old girl assassinated by Colombian guerrillas
On Monday 2 May, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas attacked a rural home of some members of Pastor Gualberto Nieves' Seventh Day Adventist Church in Arauca. A fourteen-year-old girl, Mayerli Blanco was shot and killed, leaving her siblings to walk three hours to the nearest farm to phone their father, who was travelling. He and Pastor Nieves immediately made their way to the farm on horseback, where Pastor Nieves was shot in the chest and killed instantly. Pastor Nieves is survived by his wife and two young daughters.
Armed attacks target Christians
Illegal armed groups including the FARC guerrillas make these attacks frequently, targeting pastors and Christians, forcing them to stop preaching, harassing them, disappearing them and murdering them. Earlier this year another pastor and his daughter were murdered outside an evangelical church by rightwing paramilitaries during a Sunday morning service*. Between 25 and 30 Colombian pastors are murdered by armed groups ever year, with more than 300 pastors killed since 2000. They are a target of the illegal armed groups because they promote a faith and lifestyle which directly conflicts with the values and aims of the armed groups.These latest stories show the constant threat that Christians are faced with and the importance for continued advocacy and support for pastors and Christians facing violent persecution.
*Date and names cannot be given for security reasons.
Empowering the persecuted
CSW continues to work with our partners on the ground, helping them to document cases like this and to make sure that the victims of this religious persecution are not forgotten, especially those in such rural parts of the country where most of these violations occur. Your prayers and support play a key role in bringing change in Colombia and your donations have helped us to fund this vital documentation training and work.
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- For Pastor Nieves' wife and daughters as they grieve. Pray for God's comfort and protection;
- Pray for the members of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Arauca as they mourn the loss of their pastor;
- Pray for the family of Mayerli Blanco, for God to be their strength and comfort;
- Pray for other Colombian Christians who continue to face similar persecution;
- Pray for renewed hope for our partners, as they work to see justice and peace come in Colombia
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Colombia has the highest rate of disappearances and killings in the world, with 25-30 pastors killed every year. In the past few years alone, hundreds of church leaders have been assassinated. But in the midst of this terrifying and unstable situation, there are beacons of light and hope – brave people who set out to defend the oppressed! You can give them the tools to do this, by funding a day of training in how to document human rights abuses, work effectively with the media, and give religious freedom violations international attention.
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