Intimidation and threats against Ingrid Vergara
On 15 October 2015, a new pamphlet threatening members of the human rights organisation Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) was near human rights defender Ms Ingrid Vergara Chávez in Sucre's home. Named in the pamphlet were Ingrid Vergara, Mr Juan David Díaz Chamorro, and Ms Candelaria Barrios Acosta and Ms Rosario Montoya.
Ingrid Vergara is the spokesperson for Movement of Victims of State Crimes (MOVICE), a coalition of human rights organisations founded in 2005, which monitors human rights violations committed by the state in the context of the armed conflict and calls for state agents and paramilitaries to be brought to justice. MOVICE has recently denounced several politicians for having links with paramilitary groups. Its work in this respect has lead to the arrests of several high level politicians.
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- 15 October 2015 : Death threats against Ingrid Vergara Chávez
- 18 December 2014 : Renewed threats against members of MOVICE in the Departments of Atlántico, Sucre and Magdalena Medio
- 6 October 2014 : Renewed threats against Ingrid Vergara Chávez and members of MOVICE
- 3 June 2014 : Death threat against human rights defenders Ms Ingrid Vergara Chavéz and Mr Jeison Paba Reyes
- 5 February 2010 : Inimtidation and threats against human rights defenders Ms Ingrid Vergara and Mr Juan David Díaz Chamorro
On 15 October 2015, a new pamphlet threatening members of the human rights organisation Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) was near human rights defender Ms Ingrid Vergara Chávez in Sucre's home.
Named in the pamphlet were Ingrid Vergara, Mr Juan David Díaz Chamorro, and Ms Candelaria Barrios Acosta and Ms Rosario Montoya.
MOVICE is a human rights organisation which monitors human rights violations committed by the state in the context of the armed conflict and calls for state agents and paramilitaries to be brought to justice. Ingrid Vergara, Juan David Díaz and Candelaria Barrios are members of the Sucre chapter, whilst Rosario Montoya is a member of the Atlantic chapter.
The new pamphlet, which is signed by the paramilitary group “Las Águilas Negras”, names the above-mentioned human rights defenders, amongst others. Candelaria Barrios appears with the surname Verrio, however, the human rights defenders have analysed that it must be in reference to her. This pamphlet immediately follows a pamphlet which first appeared on 20 September 2015, threatening other members of MOVICE, as well as other human rights organisations and defenders.
Ingrid Vergara is the technical secretary of the Sucre chapter of MOVICE and is supposedly receiving protection measures from the governmental Unidad Nacional de Protección– UNP (National Protection Unit) due to her risk. However, this protection has never been properly implemented, leaving the human rights defender in a vulnerable situation to threats such as these.
Ingrid Vergara and Juan David Díaz have been particularly targeted in 2015. On 5 June 2015, a statement signed by the self-declared group for social cleansing, “Los Urabeños”, was sent to various email accounts. The statement signalled many human rights defenders, including Ingrid Vergara and Juan David Diaz, as military targets. It further declared that “leftist political indoctrination of civil society” would not be permitted. The pamphlet which was found on 15 October 2015 has a similar message.
Human rights defenders and members of Movimiento de Victimas de Crimenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) and its partner organisations in the Departments of Atlántico, Sucre and Magdalena Medio have received a number of death threats throughout the month of January in the form of pamphlets, phone calls and comments to members of their community.
MOVICE is a human rights organisation which monitors human rights violations committed by the state in the context of the armed conflict and calls for state agents and paramilitaries to be brought to justice. Asociación Regional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado en el Magdalena Medio – ASORVIMM (Regional Association of Victims of State Crimes in Magdalena Medio), is a partner organisation of MOVICE. The Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos – CSPP (Political Prisoner's Solidarity Committee) promotes the rights of political prisoners and campaigns for improved conditions of their detention.
On 21 January 2015, the latest in a series of three threatening pamphlets was delivered to human rights defenders and organisations in the Departments of Atlántico and Magdalena Medio. The pamphlet, which claims to be from the paramilitary group identifying itself as theAutodefensas Gaitanistas De Colombia AGC (Gaitan Self-Defense Groups of Colombia), named a long list of persons, including Messrs José Humberto Torres and Franklin Castañeda – both members of CSPP – and Ms Martha Díaz – a member of MOVICE in Atlántico. The pamphlet states that the paramilitary group was at war with the persons named and declares that the human rights defenders were falsely claiming to represent victims of the armed conflict at the peace talks currently taking place in Havana. José Humberto Torres and Martha Díaz attended Front Line Defender's Dublin Platform in 2007 and 2013, respectively, and they, as well as Franklin Castañeda, have been the victim of death threats over many years.
Previously, on 12 January 2015, Ms Carmen Mendoza, a member of MOVICE in Sucre, was informed that two unknown men on motorcycles without number plates had been inquiring after her and making threats, stating that the human rights defender must leave the area. The men continued to drive around the community throughout the day. Allegedly, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the police were contacted, but did not take any action to investigate the threats.
One day before, a pamphlet signed by the Águilas Negras paramilitary group was delivered to the homes and offices of human rights defenders in the Departments of Atlántico and the Caribbean region declaring the members of MOVICE in Sucre and Atlántico, including Mr Rosario Montoya, Mr José Humberto Torres, Ms Martha Díaz and Ms Ingrid Vergara Chávez, amongst others, to be military objectives. The same day, at approximately 5:30pm, Ms Lilia Peña Silva, President of ASORVIMM, received a threatening phone call attacking her for her human rights work.
On 18 December 2014, a pamphlet was distributed in the Caribbean region containing threats against various members of MOVICE and CSPP, again including Mr Rosario Montoya, Mr José Humberto Torres and Ms Martha Díaz.
These threats come in the context of long-term targeting of members of MOVICE throughout Colombia. According to sources, the protection measures allocated by the Unidad Nacional de Protección (National Protection Unit) to some of the above-mentioned human rights defenders have not been implemented. For more information on the threats faced by members of MOVICE and its partners, please see previous urgent appeals issued by Front Line Defenders.
On 6 October 2014 the Movimiento de Victimas de Crimenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) denounced a series of death threats made against members of the organisation.
Over a period of two weeks, the offices of the organisation in Nariño, Caldas, Sucre, Meta and Bogotá have been targeted by threats from paramilitary groups. MOVICE is a human rights organisation monitoring human rights violations committed by the state in the context of the armed conflict.
Most recently, on 5 October 2014 human rights defender Ms Martha Lucía Giraldo of MOVICE received a text message in which she was informed that she had 24 hours to leave the city of Cali and issuing a death threat against herself, Mr Walter Agredo Muñoz(Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos – FCSPP - Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee), Ms Milena Olave (Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos – CPDH (Permanent Committee for the Defence of Human Rights), and Mr José Milciades Sánchez Ortiz (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia – CUT - Colombian Confederation of Workers). The message was signed by a group who identified themselves as “Comandos Urbanos Los Rastrojos” (the Rastrojos Urban Command). FCSPP, CPDH and CUT are all members of MOVICE.
Previously, on 1 October, a pamphlet was distributed in Sucre in which the “Rastrojos” threatened Ms Ingrid Vergara Chávez, and a number of other individuals, giving them 72 hours to leave the department. Ingrid Vergara Chávez, Spokesperson for the Sucre branch of MOVICE, reported that following the distribution of the first pamphlet, a second one was found that included threats against a number of judges in the Department. It is believed that the aforementioned threats have been directed at persons who have been participating in the peace initiatives currently under way in Colombia. Members of MOVICE have made a formal complaint to the police about the most recent threats but, as of yet, there has been no official response.
Furthermore, on 27 September 2014 an active member of the Caldas branch of MOVICE, Ms Alejandra Ramírez Morales, was reportedly harassed and threatened by two men on a motorbike, having previously made an official complaint about similar threats on 16 September. Mr Darío Eccehomo Díaz and Ms María Cardona Mejía, who are also members of the Caldas branch, have also made complaints about harassment and threats from the paramilitary group “Rastrojos Eje Cafetero”.
On 8 September 2014 hundreds of recipients, including human rights organisations and trade unions, as well as international bodies such as the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights in Colombia, received a threatening email declaring 88 named human rights defenders as military objectives and stating that they would not be permitted to continue with their “cuento de la paz” (version of peace) and that they would pay with their lives as well as the lives of their families.
Since 2010, Front Line has issued numerous urgent appeals regarding violations perpetrated against human rights defenders in Colombia, including Martha Lucía Giraldo and Ingrid Vergara Chávez and their colleagues at MOVICE. However, to date, those responsible for such crimes have not been brought to justice.
On 3 June 2014, a death threat was received by the human rights defenders Ms Ingrid Vergara Chavéz and Mr Jeison Paba Reyes on the email account of the protection department of Movimiento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado (Movice) – The National Movement of Victims of State Crimes, and the general email account of the Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CPDH) – The Permanent Committee for the Defence of Human Rights.
At 10:08am, an email was sent from the account 'porto12@yahoo.es' telling the human rights defenders to stop meddling in matters that didn't concern them, calling them grasses and saying they'd pay for the harm that they had done to the sender. The human rights defenders were warned that their security guards would not protect them, and that if they themselves were out of reach, their families would be killed instead. The message ended with the line: "this isn't a threat, this is so that every time you're on the street, you think it's your last day in this world, assholes".
Ingrid Vergara Chavéz is the Technical Secretary of the Sucre state chapter of Movice, and Jeison Paba Reyes is a lawyer working for CPDH. Movice is a human rights organisation monitoring human rights violations committed by the state in the context of the armed conflict. The human rights organisation CPDH works to defend and promote human rights, encouraging public participation in government, documenting human rights violations and helping victims. Both human rights defenders have been granted precautionary protection measures by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
Movice Sucre and its members, in particular Ingrid Vergara Chavéz and Jeison Paba Reyes, have received regular death threats and harassment in the past. Ingrid Vergara Chavéz was the subject of death threats on 30 April 2013, 11 March and 12 February of the same year, and she has also been the victim of defamation on several occasions, such as on 9 May 2013 and 12 February 2013. Jeison Paba Reyes received a death threat by telephone on 16 January 2013 and another on 18 November 2012. In addition, the human rights defender has suffered defamation on 6 July 2013 and 12 February 2013. On 2 August 2013, CPDH requested the National Protection Unit to extend its protection measures for Jeison Paba Reyes, but no action was taken.
Human rights defenders Ms Ingrid Vergara and Mr Juan David Díaz Chamorro have recently received threats against them. Ingrid Vergara was also the subject of an assassination attempt on 5 February 2010.
On 5 February 2010, Ingrid Vergara and her colleague attended a meeting together. The two women are of a similar build and, on this occasion, both women were dressed in a similar fashion. When Ingrid Vergara's colleague was returning home from the meeting on a motorcycle taxi, two men on a green Yamaha Victoria motorcycle, without registration plates, drove up beside the taxi and the pillion passenger aimed a gun directly at her. However, when he saw her face, he lowered the weapon and they sped off. On 6 February 2010, Ingrid Vergara reported the incident to the Sincelejo police department where she was informed that there were only two motorbikes in the city matching the description given and that one of them belonged to a police officer.
On 18 January 2010, the aunt of Juan David Díaz Chamorro received a threatening email that read "se los advertimos los vamos a acabar a todos. De nosotros nadie se burla, pronto les daremos la primera sorpresa" (We warned you we are going to get you all. No one makes fun of us, soon we are going to give you the first surprise”. In November 2009, Juan David Díaz Chamorro also received a threatening email against him.
On 31 December 2009, at approximately 7:30am, an unidentified man telephoned Ingrid Vergara on her mobile phone from a private number and asked “donde andas perra?” (Where are you bitch?). Ingrid Vergara was not in Sincelejo at the time of the threat due to previous threats that she had received against her and her daughter in October 2009. Members of MOVICE have been targeted as a result of their human rights activities for some time now.
In November 2008, Carmelo Agámez Berrio, Technical Secretary of MOVICE Sucre was arrested and falsely accused of having links with paramilitary groups. Front Line believes that the assassination attempt against Ingrid Vergara and the threats against members of MOVICE Sucre, are directly related to the organisation's activities in defence of human rights, in particular its efforts to report politicians suspected of having links with paramilitary groups.
Front Line fears for the physical and psychological integrity of the members of MOVICE Sucre.
Front Line urges the authorities in Colombia to:
1. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the assasination attempt against Ingrid Vergara and the threats against her and Juan David Díaz Chamorro, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards ;
2. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological security and integrity of Ingrid Vergara, Juan David Díaz and all other members of MOVICE Sucre;
3. Guarantee in all circumstances that human rights defenders in Colombia to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals, and free of all restrictions including judicial harassment.
