Lilia Peña Silva
Lilia Peña Silva is the founder and president of the Regional Association of Victims of State Crimes in Magdalena Medio (Asociación Regional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado del Magdalena Medio, ASORVIMM). As a result of her peaceful work in defence of human rights her husband and brother were tortured, disappeared, and assassinated.
HRDs in Colombia work in a violent and unsafe environment. They are subjected to threats, intimidation, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, physical assaults, torture, killings, illegal searches of their homes and offices and stigmatisation as a result of their activities in defence of human rights. The perpetrators of these abuses are frequently paramilitary groups, many of whom have links to the government or security services, or armed opposition groups. The continued frequent and severe threats and attacks against HRDs around the country contradict government claims of paramilitary demobilisation.
