Excmo. Sr. Presidente Iván Duque Márquez, President of the Republic of Colombia
Sr. Fiscal Francisco Barbosa Delgado, Attorney General of Colombia
November 25, 2020
Dear President Duque and Attorney General Barbosa:
We are deeply concerned about information we received from the Colombian Commission of Jurists (CCJ) about continuing threats against Adriel Ruiz Galván, a community leader from Buenaventura in Valle del Cauca Department. The former Catholic priest is president of the Foundation Spaces for Coexistence and Social Development (FUNDESCODES), a member of the Buenaventura Civic Strike Committee, and advisor to the Inter-Ethnic Truth Commission of the Pacific.
The following incidents have been reported in June and November to the Fiscalía, and protection measures were requested from the National Protection Unit (UNP), as well as precautionary measures from the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).
June 30: At the beginning of a work meeting (via online internet platform) with the international cooperation organization Comundo, an unknown person came into the conversation without connecting to the video camera. He identified himself as the nephew of one of Comundo's coordinators. Because of security concerns, the meeting participants closed the conversation.
July 14: An unknown person in a vehicle took pictures of Adriel Ruiz Galván while he was at the headquarters of FUNDESCODES in the Comuna Tres zone of the the Lleras neighborhood in Buenaventura.
August 5: While on his way to the FUNDESCODES office in the morning, Adriel Ruiz Galván was followed by two unknown persons on a motorcycle. That same afternoon, he received a call on his personal mobile phone from an unknown number. The caller insisted that he had a problem with Adriel Ruiz Galván and needed to speak with him personally.
November 2: An unknown person left a message for Adriel Ruiz Galván via the WhatsApp messaging platform: “…it is you who will dictate what happens to you; if you do not speak you will be screwed…you are already compromising your family…it's time to send people for your family.”
We strongly urge that you
- carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into all threats and acts of intimidation against Adriel Ruiz Galván, publish the results, and bring those responsible to justice
- provide the requested protection measures for Adriel Ruiz Galván, in accordance with his wishes
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai and Christine Stonebraker-Martínez
Co-Coordinators
