Front Line is deeply concerned following the physical assault and death threats made against Yolanda Becerra Vega, President of the Organización Femenina Popular – OFP (Popular Women's Organisation).

Further Information

Posted 07/11/2007 On 4 November 2007, at approximately 7.30am, unidentified armed and masked men forcibly entered the home of Yolanda Becerra Vega in the town of Barrancabermeja. They physically assaulted Yolanda while holding her against a wall, one of the men threatened her: “hijeputa del cuento se le acabo, tiene 48 horas para que se vaya, sino, vamos a acabar con su familia, Usted no se nos escapa” (son of a bitch, it is over, you have 48 hours to leave, otherwise we will put an end to your family and you will not escape). The men searched her home for fifteen minutes during which they destroyed her personal belongings.

A little earlier, at 6.00am, on the 4 November 2007, Jacqueline Rojas Castañeda, member of the OFP and Juan Carlos Galvis, Vice President of the National Union of Food Industry Workers (SINALTRAINAL), discovered that the door of the second floor of their residence had been tampered with, in what is believed to be an attempt to intimidate them and to prevent them leaving their home.

Front Line believes that the break-in, assault, death threat and acts of intimidation are directly related to the peaceful human rights activities of Yolanda Becerra Vega, Jacqueline Rojas Castañeda and Juan Carlos Galvis.

Front Line saw for themselves the difficulties faced by members of the OFP, when they met with Jacqueline Rojas Castañeda and Yolanda Becerra Vega in Barrancabermeja, during their mission to Colombia from 22nd October to 2nd November 2007.

To date, the OFP has documented approximately 135 separate incidents of harassment and threats against members of their organisation. Since 2001, Jacqueline Rojas Castañeda has been the victim of death threats, intimidation, surveillance and judicial harassment. There has also been an attempt to kill her by paramilitary groups.

On 22 October 2007, Yolanda Becerra Vega, sent a letter on behalf of the OFP, to the Colombian Vice-President, Francisco Santos reporting a written death threat that the OFP received, which was signed by the Águilas Negras (Black Eagles) paramilitary group, and received in the OFP offices on 7 July 2007. The death threat was directed to the OFP and a number of other human rights defenders.

At the beginning of September 2007, a commander from the Central Bolívar Division of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), reportedly accused USO, CREDHOS, CDPMM, OFP and ACVC of 'criminal acts in the name of marxism', during a hearing with the Prosecutor for Justice and Peace in Barrancabermeja.