On April 27th, 2008 the people of Tiquisio gathered in the church to say goodbye to Padre Rafael and his pastoral team --Marta and Said.

Despite the assurances made during the march of April 16th less than two weeks later both the Diosisis of Magangue and the Program for Peace and Development felt obliged to remove threatened personal out of the area.

That event ended with the bishops and priests celebrating mass in the Cathedral. Father Francisco de Ruix --director of the Program of Peace and Development (PDP)organization--helped lead the communion. Members of the PDP were also named in the death thre

Both the Bishop of Magangue and the Bishop of Barranca assured the people that despite the threats the church would not abandon the communities and would continue the work they were doing on behalf of campesinos and small miners in the area.

The cathedral was too small to accomodate all the supporters, and some had to watch from the doorways and windows.

The march ended at the local cathedral

On April 16th, 2008, hundreds of people and organizations joined the Bishop of Magangue and about sixty priests in a march through the town of Morales to show their support for the threatened Pastoral Teams.

The Pastoral Team in Tiquisio was not the only Pastoral Team threatened. Threats were also named priests from nearby communities of Regidor and Arenal and members of the Program for Peace and Development in the Magdalena Medio and the president of the Sma

Death Threats from someone claiming to be paramilitary commander Camilo, directly threatened from left to right: SAID ANTONIO ECHAVÉZ, MARTHA LUCIA TORRES SIERRA and FATHER RAFAEL GALLEGO.