Front Line is concerned following reports of death threats against human rights lawyers, Ms Blanca Irene López and Ms Claudia Erazo, received on 26 March 2009. Blanca Irene López and Claudia Erazo work for the Corporación Jurídica Yira Castro – CJYC (Yira Castro Judicial Corporation), an organisation which defends the rights of displaced people and peasant communities.

Further Information

On 26 March 2009, CJYC received a death threat via email, allegedly sent by the AUC Bloque Capital de las Águilas Negras (Capital Block of the Black Eagles), a branch of the Black Eagles paramilitary group, and addressed to Blanca Irene Lopez and Claudia Erazo. This email is the eighth in a series of identical threats received via email by the CJYC since 2007. The CJYC has filed complaints about these threats as well as other incidents such as a break-in at its headquarters during which information relating to human rights violations was stolen; and the sabotage of its website. Most recently, on 6 March 2009, the CJYC sent a public petition to the National General Prosecutor requesting information on measures taken in relation to these threats and attacks. However, to date they have received no response.

Front Line believes that the death threats against Blanca Irene López and Claudia Erazo are directly related to their work in the defence of human rights, in particular their work to defend the rights of displaced people and peasant communities. Front Line sees this as part of an ongoing trend of harassment against members of the CJYC. Front Line is seriously concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Blanca Irene López, Claudia Erazo and all other members of the CJYC.