Dear Sirs:
We are deeply concerned that death threats have been made against recognized human rights organizations, social leaders, and human rights defenders in the Magdalena Medio region.
On January 18, the Magdalena Medio Block of the FARC-EP (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army) circulated pamphlets in which they issued threats against recognized social leaders David Ravelo Crespo, Andrés Ortiz, and Iván Madero Vergel (Regional Corporation for the Defense of Human Rights, or CREDHOS), Jairo Cala (former FARC combatant who participated in the peace talks in Havana), Miguel Cifuentes (member of the board of directors of the Peasant Association of the Cimitarra River Valley-National Agroecological Network, or ACVC-RAN), and Luis El Environtalista (Environmental Highway of the Magdalena Medio).
On February 1, the AGC paramilitaries (Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) issued another pamphlet declaring members of the following organizations as military targets: CREDHOS, FEDEPESAN (Federation of Artisanal Fishermen, Environmentalists and Tourists of Santander Department), OFP (Popular Women’s Organization), ACVC (Peasant Association of the Cimitarra River Valley), CORPOINDH (Integrated Corporation for the Defense of Human Rights), CORNACOIDH (Defenders of Life-Guardians of the Environment), ETTDDHH (Space for Human Rights Workers, consisting of more than two dozen organizations in the region). Also named were social leaders and human rights defenders Fernando Pacheco (Donating Unites Us Foundation), Raul Barba Rueda (Observatory Corporation for Territorial Development), Carlos Moreno, Yolima Sampayo, and Luis Alberto González (social leader and environmentalist in Barrancabermeja, Santander Department).
We urge that you:
- investigate the threats against the individuals and organizations named above
- consult with the individuals and organizations named above to offer protection mechanisms, in strict accordance with their wishes
- fully fund and implement the collective protection policy established in the Decree 660 of 2018, including the establishment of spaces for inter-institutional coordination and collaboration with civil society, coordination with local authorities responsible for emergency response, and providing effective protection routes
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai Christine L. Stonebraker-Martínez
Co-Coordinators
copies:
Luis Fernando Velasco Chaves, Minister of Interior ~ via email
Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia, Ambassador of Colombia to the US ~ via email, US mail
José Luis Caballero Ochoa, Rapporteur for Colombia , Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ~ via email, US mail
UN: Juliette De Rivero, Representative in Colombia of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ~ via email
US Embassy: Francisco Palmieri (Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim); Adam Levy (human rights) ~ via email
US State Department: Desk Officer for Colombia ~ via email
US Senators from Ohio: Brown & Vance ~ via email
US Representatives from Ohio: Beatty, Brown, Jordan, Joyce, Kaptur, Latta, Miller, Sykes ~ via email
