From Justice for Colombia:
Our new series, ‘Spotlight on Women Activists’, focuses on the important role of Colombian women activists.
April 9 2021
As a peasant leader in the Catatumbo Peasant Farmers Association (ASCAMCAT), Olga Quintero is on the front line against the interests of multinationals and paramilitaries. She is also a member of the Patriotic March political organisation. Both ASCAMCAT and the Patriotic March have seen several members murdered and many more threatened or displaced. Like so many Colombian activists, Olga has received multiple threats.
To launch our ‘Spotlight on Women Activists’ series, we spoke to Olga about her role and the situation in Catatumbo, northeast Colombia, where ASCAMCAT is based. You can watch our interview above.
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IRTF note: Each month we respond to urgent human rights cases through our Rapid Response Network. In early 2020, we wrote a letter in response to the assassination of an ASCAMCAT leader:
Jan 10 2020: Tibú, Norte de Santander Dept (region Catatumbo) Tulio César Sandoval, age 61, member of the Coordinators of Coca, Marijuana and Poppy Growers (COCCAM), a member of the Patriotic March, and agricultural union leader in his village of La Silla (ASCAMCAT), was assassinated at his home in front of family members
