Home

Colombia

Colombia: House break-in, assault and threats against human rights defenders Ms Jackeline Rojas Castañeda, Mr Juan Carlos Galvis and familyposted on: 2011/11/17

On 9 November 2011, the home of human rights defenders Ms Jackeline Rojas Castañeda and Mr Juan Carlos Galvis was forcibly entered by two unknown armed individuals.

Colombia: Joint Open Letter to Secretary Hillary Clinton on the situation of Principe Gabriel Gonzálezposted on: 2011/10/10

Colombian human rights defender Principe Gabriel González is imprisoned today (4 October) under the codes of yesterday’s discredited criminal justice system.

Colombia: Alleged planned attacks against human rights defender and journalist, Ms Claudia Julieta Duqueposted on: 2011/09/23

Human rights defender Ms Claudia Julieta Duque has been informed of alleged plans within the Military Intelligence Department to carry out attacks against her. Claudia Julieta Duque is a journalist and works as a correspondent with the Equipo Nizkor and Radio Nizkor in Colombia, and is a former member of the Federación Colombiana de Periodistas – Fecolper (Colombian Federation of Journalists) and of the directive board of the Unión de Periodistas de Bogotá – UPB (Journalists Union of Bogotá). She is an honorary member of the National Union of Journalists of the United Kingdom and Ireland, and of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). Claudia Julieta Duque has been the target of intimidation, harassment, threats and surveillance since 2001. In January 2004, the Protection Programme for Journalists, under the direction of the Minister of the Interior, extended her protection measures, while in November 2009, the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights granted her precautionary measures in order to guarantee her safety.

Colombia: Ongoing campaigns of intimidation, harassment and persecution against human rights defendersposted on: 2011/09/02

Front Line is deeply concerned regarding reports that ongoing campaigns of intimidation, harassment and persecution perpetrated against human rights defenders by State and non-state actors, are not being adequately investigated by the Colombian authorities. Despite the campaign from the side of paramilitary groups intensifying in recent months, the authorities have failed to bring to account those responsible for orchestrating such acts. Most recently, Front Line has been informed of a planned assassination, as well as death threats which were issued against human rights defenders in the Valle del Cauca region of Colombia.

Further Information

On 24 August 2011, it was revealed that two prison guards at the Tramacúa Prison in Valledupar, Cesar Department, had supplied a prisoner with a dagger in order to stab Mr Iván Cepeda Castro, member of Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) and member of congress, while carrying out a prison visit on 22 May 2011. The prisoner however refused to carry out the attack.

Colombia: Human rights defender Mr Gonzalo Guillén threatened and falsely accused of having links with FARCposted on: 2011/07/07

Human rights defender and journalist Mr Gonzalo Guillén has been falsely accused by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos of having links with the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). Gonzalo Guillén is an independent journalist, former correspondent with El Nuevo Herald of Miami, and is currently an adviser for El Universo newspaper of Guayaquil (Ecuador) and President of the Instituto Prensa y Sociedad – Colombia (Colombia section of the Press and Society Institute). He has been long-involved in investigating and documenting crimes allegedly carried out by members of the Colombian armed forces, and has had to leave Colombia on a number of occasions for extended periods as a result of threats he has received.

Colombia: Death threats received by members of MOVICE Capítulo Valleposted on: 2011/06/09

Human rights defenders, Ms Jenny Torres, Ms Martha Giraldo and Mr Julio Cesar Rosero, received death threats on 2 and 7 June 2011. Jenny Torres and Martha Giraldo are members of the Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) in Valle del Cauca, Colombia, and lawyer Julio Cesar Rosero is providing legal representation to Jenny Torres in the trial against military officers for the 2007 killing of her husband Edinson Yimel Villanueva.

Colombia: Death threat against human rights defender and journalist Mr Nelson Orregoposted on: 2011/05/30

On 21 May 2011 human rights defender and journalist Mr Nelson Orrego received a death threat via email to his workplace. Nelson Orrego has been working as a journalist with Periferia Prensa Alternativa (Periferia Alternative Press) since 2009, and has investigated and published various articles relating to victims of crimes carried out by paramilitary and drug-trafficking groups.

Colombia: Death threats against human rights defenders Ms Candelaria Barrios Acosta, Ms Ingrid Vergara Chavéz, Mr Pedro Geney and Mr Franklin Torresposted on: 2011/05/24

Human rights defender Ms Candelaria Barrios Acosta received a death threat on 20 May 2011. Candelaria Barrios Acosta is a member of Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) in Sucre, Colombia, and is the sister of Carmelo de Jesus Barrios Acosta, who was murdered by paramilitaries on 15 November 2006. The previous day Ms Ingrid Vergara Chavéz, spokesperson for the Sucre branch of MOVICE, Mr Pedro Geney, a member of MOVICE, and Mr Franklin Torres, a member of both MOVICE and the board of directors of the Asociación de Trabajadores Agropecuarios y Campesinos del Departamento de Sucre - ASOTRACDES (Association of Peasants and Agricultural Workers of the department of Sucre) also received death threats.

Colombia: Break-in at home of human rights defender Mr Danilo Rueda and theft of items containing sensitive informationposted on: 2011/05/20

On 13 May 2011 the home of human rights defender Mr Danilo Rueda in Bogotá was broken into and computer memory sticks containing confidential and sensitive information regarding human rights abuses and his work in the protection of human rights were stolen. Danilo Rueda is the National Coordinator of the NGO Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz – CIJP (Inter-Church Commission of Justice and Peace), a church-based human rights organisation working to expose human rights violations committed in the conflict regions of Colombia by state security forces and paramilitary groups. Members of the group including Danilo Rueda have been subjected to death threats and other acts of intimidation in the past as a result of their work in the defence of human rights.

Colombia: Attempted forced entry at the home of human rights defender Ms Zoraida Hernández Pedrazaposted on: 2011/04/20

On 14 April 2011 the home of human rights lawyer and land rights activist, Ms Zoraida Hernández Pedraza, was subjected to an attempted break-in by two unidentified men while her and her family were present. Zoraida Hernández Pedraza is the President of Corporación Sembrar, an organisation that is dedicated to working for the defence and re-institution of lands in Colombia, and the spokesperson for various land rights organisations. She is also the spokesperson for the Movimiento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado - MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes).

Colombia: Death threats against human rights defenders and journalistsposted on: 2011/02/21

On 15 February 2011, an email containing death threats was received by a number of human rights defenders and journalists including Messrs Eduardo Márquez, Hollman Morris, Daniel Coronell, Marcos Perales Mendoza and Ms Claudia Duque, and human rights organisations including the Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) and the Corporación Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo - CCAJAR (José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Collective).

Further Information

The threatening email, which is signed by the right-wing paramilitary group “Aguilas Negras” (Black Eagles), declares that “the hour has arrived to exterminate and annihilate all the people and organisations who try to pass for human rights defenders,” including international NGOs, journalists, women's organisations, and those working with Internally Displaced Persons, claiming all of the above are in fact demobilised members of leftist guerrilla movements such as the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia - FARC (Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces).

The email then goes on to declare the group's intention to assassinate a long list of individuals including numero

Colombia: Death threats against human rights defenders Ms Martha Lucia Giraldo, Ms Cristina Castro, Ms Berenice Celeyta and Ms Aída Quilcuéposted on: 2010/12/21

On 10 December 2010, human rights defenders Ms Martha Lucia Giraldo, Ms Cristina Castro, Ms Berenice Celeyta and Ms Aída Quilcué received numerous death threats following a public event held in Valle de Cauca to mark the 61st anniversary of International Human Rights Day.

Further Information

Marta Lucia Giraldo works with the Movimiento de Victimas de Crimenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes);

Cristina Castro is a member of the Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Politicos- Seccional Valle de Cauca - CSPP (Solidarity Committee for Political Prisoners – Valle de Cauca branch);

Berenice Celeyta is the Director of the Asociacion Para la Investigacion y Accion Social - Asociación NOMADESC (Association for Investigation and Social Action);

Aída Quilcué is the former Chief Counsel of the Consejo Regional Indígena de Colombia – CRIC (The Indigenous Regional Council of Cauca).

On 10 December 2010, various human rights organisations in the Valle de Cauca region of Colombia came together to mark the 61st anniversary of International Human Rights Day. Public events to mark the day were held in the municipalities of Cali and Zarzal.

Colombia – Human rights defender Carolina Rubio Esguerra detained by Colombian Criminal Investigation Unit posted on: 2010/11/17

On 16 November 2010, human rights defender Ms Carolina Rubio Esguerra was detained by members of the Seccional de Investigación Criminal - SIJIN (Criminal Investigation Unit) in Bucaramanga City, Colombia, and is currently being held at the SIJIN Headquarters. Carolina Rubio Esguerra is in her ninth month of pregnancy.

Colombia: Public stigmatisation of the Corporación Colectivo de Abogados “José Alvear Restrepo”, and alleged planned assassination of one of its membersposted on: 2010/09/21

On 10 September 2010, it was reported that an assassination was being planned against a human rights lawyer working with the Corporación Colectivo de Abogados “José Alvear Restrepo” - CCAJAR (“José Alvear Restrepo” Lawyers' Collective). It is alleged that this plot involves elements of military intelligence.

Colombia: Human rights defender Mr David Ravelo Crespo detained and currently being held in Bogotáposted on: 2010/09/17

Human rights defender, Mr David Ravelo Crespo, Secretary of the Board of Directors of the Corporación Regional para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos – CREDHOS (Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights), was arrested on 14 September 2010 by members of the Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación de la Fiscalía – CTI (Technical Investigation Division of the District Attorney's office).