Cliver Rocha, Bolivia

CEJIS is a non-governmental organisation, founded in 1978, which aims to defend the human rights of indigenous communities with ties to the land and territory in the low-lying regions of Bolivia. In this region, society is defined by an elite who monopolise the economic and political power and control the land, to the detriment of the indigenous people.

Between 1998 and 2005, the amount of violent acts committed in order to hinder our work has increased. The acts include physical attacks, death threats against officials, detentions and kidnappings, raids on offices, damage to property and theft of equipment. Victims include Francisco Romero, Leonardo Tamburini, Tomás Véliz, Javier Aramayo, Cliver Rocha, Carlos Romero, Mónica Lijerón, Ignacio Franco, César Blanco, Mabel Herrera y Zulma Soto.

The processes of granting land titles and re-titling the Northern Amazonian indigenous territories have been met with open opposition, violence and hostility from farm owners (both rubber and nut producers), timber merchants, interest groups and ranchers. The state has shown negligence and indifference towards these activities.

In March-April 2003, the Riber Rejas family, which wanted to remove the indigenous Tacana people from their historical territory of Esperanza, attacked the lawyer, Cliver Rocha, on two occasions and threatened to kill him if he did not leave the city.

In January 2005, a group of 30 people from ASAGRI (Ranchers and Foresters Association) carried out a violent raid on our office, taking books and documents and burning them in the doorway. They also threatened all the officials present and left a message stating that they were looking for Cliver Rocha so they could burn him alive. The president of ASAGRI gave both oral and written statements claiming responsibility for the events, reiterating the threats and extending them to other human rights NGOs in the region.

These events were reported to the international community, the Bolivian state authorities, the Public Ministry and Bolivian magistrates.

The state has not guaranteed the life protection and safety of the CEJIS officials. Prosecutors and magistrates are openly biased and refuse to deliver a swift and proper justice. Instead, they prefer to allow the conspirators and actual perpetrators to go unpunished.

For this reason, faced with the imminent risk, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights passed precautionary measures in March this year. Although this reputable and respected international body has granted protection measures, the conflict and threats have increased and the visibility of illegal groups and the openness of their declarations has also increased. Meanwhile, the state ignores and allows these events to happen.

If this tendency continues, it is predicted that the situation could result in new attacks and bloodshed, not only against CEJIS officials, but also against the indigenous people themselves who have also been threatened and attacked on several occasions.