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Chocho was a member of the United Evangelical Church (Mennonite Brethren) in Panama.
Church leaders reported that guerrillas arrived at the Chocho home early morning August 26. Alber struggled with one of the men and was shot five times. One son, trying to defend his father, was wounded in the foot. A nine-year-old son ran from the house.
The wounded son was taken to a nearby hospital in Meteti, and later moved to La Palma. He was operated on and the bullet was removed from his foot. He is recovering well.
The son who ran from the community in fear, returned hours later.
A funeral for Alber Chocho was held August 28 in the community of Canaan. A commission from the United Evangelical Church office in Panama City traveled to Darién August 29 to lend support to the family and community.
The story was widely picked up by the Panamanian media because raids by Colombian paramilitary groups into Panama's rural villages are becoming an increasingly severe problem. According to reports from the church, guerrilla groups are robbing local people to sustain themselves and their cause, and it doesn't seem to matter to them if Panamanian lives are lost as a result.
Linda Shelly, MCC program director for Latin America/Caribbean, visited rural Panama in August and reported that guerrilla violence affects daily lives of the Wounaan and Embera indigenous peoples of Darin, where most of the Mennonite churches are located.
Shelly heard many lament the changes in their lives. "We can't do agriculture like we used to because the guerrillas pass through the fields and may kill us. We can't go out hunting at night because it's too dangerous. We don't visit some of the churches further up the river because we could be stopped by the guerrillas. We took the radios to the city because they made us a target of the guerrillas."
MCC and MBMS International support the service ministry programs of the Panamanian churches. Basket-making is one income-generating operation that women can do at home, thus reducing the risk of attacks by the guerrillas. This craft is part of the indigenous culture.
Within Colombia, MCC also supports several Anabaptist programs working to try to bring peace to their country, where violence has resulted in more than one million displaced people as well as many deaths.
The United Evangelical Church is asking for prayer.
In addition to the continued assistance for service programs, MBMS International and MCC will provide some financial assistance for the family and church dealing with this tragedy.
MCC and MBMS International
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