78. On 24 July 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Mr. Hernando Hernandez Pardo, Vice-President of CUT and President of the Oil Workers' Trade Union (USO), who escaped an assassination attempt on 6 July 2001. According to the information received, he was speaking at a union meeting in Barrancabermeja in Santander department when he was warned that a group of heavily armed paramilitary gunmen had come to the meeting to kill him. The meeting was immediately suspended and Mr. Hernandez Pardo was taken to safety.
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79. On 6 August 2001, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal regarding members of the Bogota-based human rights organization, Corporation Sembrar, who have reportedly been kept under surveillance and threatened. It was alleged that members of the organization, as well as other people who work with Sembrar, have been watched on entering and leaving its office in Bogota. The threats appear to be related to the organization's activities in and around the city of Barrancabermeja, an area for the control of which army-backed paramilitaries are waging a military campaign.
80. On 23 August 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding the situation of threats, murders and harassment faced by trade unionists. According to the information received, on 16 August 2001, three board members of SINTRAELECOL were victims of an attempted murder when they were leaving its offices in Fusagasuga, department of Cundinamarca. As a result, Ms. Doris Lozano Nunez died and Mr. Omar Garcia Angulo was seriously injured. On the same day, Mr. Manuel Pajaro Peinado, treasurer of the Trade Union of Public Services of Barranquilla district was murdered in his home. It was reported that
Mr. Edgar Pua and Mr. Jose Merino, treasurer and attorney respectively of ANTHOC received death threats and were asked to leave the city and to put an end to their activities. It was also alleged that Mr. Gustavo Villanueva, Director of ANTHOC in Polonuevo, received death threats.
81. On 28 August 2001, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal regarding Commandant Enrique Cotes Prado's declarations during a meeting on 27 July 2001 between local civil and military authorities and a national commission in Fusagasuga. This commission comprised the Vice-Presidency, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ombudsman and the Prosecutor's Office, as well as human rights organizations and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as observer, and aimed at establishing dialogue with local authorities about the human rights situation in the region. One of the key issues in this dialogue was the relationship between members of the Military Base Camps of Las Aguilas and the inhabitants. According to the information received, Commandant Cotes Prado publicly declared that the State institutions and their civil servants, which did not take position regarding the occupation of the area by the guerrilla 20 years ago, were "serving guerrilla members". It has been reported that these declarations violated Presidential Directive 07, which aims to protect human rights defenders, including civil servants who perform human rights work. In that sense, Commandant Cotes's public declarations reportedly did not contribute to promoting dialogue between the different actors in the region and, on the contrary, might create a polarization of the situation.
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82. On 13 September 2001, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal regarding Edgar Pua, Judith Castillo, Argemio Rivaldo, Carlos Bustamente, Ubaldo Galindo, Jose Merino and Arminto Sarmiento, members of ANTHOC in Baranquilla, Atlantico region, who were reportedly threatened with death by paramiliatries who accused them of being guerrilla members. As a result of these threats, they were forced to leave the region. Carmen Pungo and Ricaurte Yanten Pungo, members of ANTHOC, were murdered on 2 September 2001 by paramilitary groups in Tambo, Cauca region.
83. On 26 September 2001, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal jointly with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Mr. Hernando Montoya, a trade union leader of SINTRAMUNICIPIO, Cartago section, department of Valle, who reportedly received anonymous death threats on 7 September 2001. Previously, the Cooperativa de Seguridad (COPROSEG) had reportedly threatened
Mr. Montoya. Although a beneficiary of the Minister of the Interior programme of protection, he is allegedly still facing harassment and threats by paramilitary groups. In addition, it has been reported that the mayor of Cartago has proffered verbal threats against Mr. Montoya on various occasions which have contributed to increasing the risk for his safety.
84. On 25 October 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression regarding Mr. Luis Manuel Anaya Aguas, treasurer of the Sindicato de Conductores y Trabaj adores del Transporte de Santander (SINCONTRAINDER) in Barrancabermeja, and its president, Mr. Luis Lopez, who were reportedly killed on 16 and
19 October 2001. On 17 October 2001, Mr. Julian Rodriguez, a member of the Corporation CREDHOS, was murdered in Barrancabermeja, allegedly in retaliation for his human rights activities. According to the information received, six trade unionist leaders of the Union Sindical Obrera (USO) were reportedly held in detention on 19 October 2001 in various cities around the country and accused of rebellion. Among the detainees were Mr. Jairo Calderon, former president of the USO, held in detention in Bucaramanga, Mr. Alonso Martinez, a USO activist, held in Bogota, Mr. Ramon Rangel, a member of the USO Human Rights Commission, held in Barrancabermeja and Mr. Fernando Acuna, former president of FEDEPETROL, held in Barrancabermeja. Agents of the Technical Body of Investigation of the Public Prosecutor's Office and of the Administrative Department of Security (DAS) were reportedly responsible for the arrests. These acts were connected with a one-day demonstration against ECOPETROL, a petrol company under State control, organized by the USO to protest against continuing harassment, death threats, murders and disappearances reportedly suffered by USO leaders and activists. Various board members of the Comite Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (COMPERDH) as well as one of its lawyers, have been reportedly threatened with
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death. This is the case for Mr. Ernesto Amezquita Camacho, Mr. Luis Jairo Ramirez,
Dr. Jahel Quiroga in relation with her activities in the Corporation Reiniciar and
Dr. Carlos Lozano. On 11 October 2001, Mr. Rigoberto Jimenez, president of the Asociacion de
Ayuda Solidaria (ANDAS) in Cartagena, and an AND AS board member were intimidated by
two unidentified men on a motorbike. On 16 October 2001, Mr. Manuel de la Rosa, treasurer of
ANDAS, was reportedly detained by three armed men in plain clothes and taken away by force
in a van. He was released at the request of other members of the organization.
85. On 30 October 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Ms. Gladys Avila, Secretary-General of ASFADDES, Ms. Gloria Herney, ASFADDES General Coordinator, and other human rights defenders with that association, who were reportedly receiving death threats and being followed on a continuous basis. In recent weeks, it was reported, anonymous telephone calls had been made to ASFADDES. In addition, interference was heard on the office telephones.
86. On 13 November 2001, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal regarding the destruction of the Organization Femenina Popular (OFP) community centre in the Barrio La Virgen, Barrancabermeja, department of Santander. According to the information received, on 10 November 2001, a group of armed men forcibly entered the OFP centre and began to demolish it.
87. On 30 November 2001, the Special Representative sent an urgent appeal regarding continuous threats against members of the Asociacion Campesina del Valle del Rio Cimitarra (ACVC) despite the recommendation made by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights on 1 November 2001 to the Government of Colombia to implement the protective measures granted in 1999 in order to protect members of ACVC allegedly declared military targets by paramilitary groups. According to the information received, on 7 November 2001, members of the Cuerpo Tecnico de Investigaciones (CTI) of the Attorney-General's Office (Fiscalia) and of the Fifth Brigade of the Army broke into the home of Mr. Cesar Jerez, a member of the board of the Association, in Bucaramanga, and intimidated his family. These threats are allegedly linked to the activities carried out by ACVC in the defence of the human rights of the inhabitants of Valle del Rio Cimitarra in Magdalena Medio Colombiano. The Special Representative was also informed of the existence of a military intelligence report as well as a judicial investigation by the Attorney-General's Office against ACVC and its board.
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Allegation letters
88. On 15 February 2001, the Special Representative expressed her concern at the killing of Mr. Ivan Villamizar, regional ombudsman (defensor del pueblo) in Cucuta City in North Santander, on 12 February 2001. Mr. Villamizar, who had been the Dean of the University of Cucuta, had consistently denounced human rights violations in Catatumbo as well as the massacres, reportedly committed in 1999 by paramilitaries, in La Gabarra and Tibu, all in the department of Northern Santander. It is reported that, because of his work, he had been the object of constant death threats. A press release was issued on the same case by the Special Representative on 16 February 2001.
89. On 17 April 2001, the Special Representative submitted a communication to Mr. Gustavo Bell Lemus, Vice-President of the Republic of Colombia, reminding him of a list of cases she has already sent to the Government. The Special Representative expressed concern over the particularly precarious situation of human rights defenders in the country, especially in the city of Barrancabermeja. Reports indicated that serious human rights abuses are perpetrated by the paramilitary "Self Defence Group" (AUC). The Special Representative acknowledged that the Government of Colombia had taken measures to address the problem, such as the Special Protection Programme for Witnesses and Threatened Persons under the Ministry of the Interior. However, she remained concerned about the slow pace of judicial investigations into crimes against human rights defenders and about the limited administrative, security and financial resources to protect those human rights defenders who found themselves at risk.
90. On 19 October 2001, the Special Representative, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, sent an allegation letter to the Government regarding the case of
Mr. Eduardo Umana Mendoza, a lawyer and human rights defender. According to the information received, Dr. Mendoza was killed on 18 April 1998 by two men and a woman who identified themselves as journalists. Prior to his death, Dr. Mendoza had been threatened on numerous occasions. Complaints had been filed with the competent authorities, but no progress had been made on the investigations into these threats. A number of arrests have been made in connection with the murder, but so far only one person has been formally charged. There is a grave concern that, despite indications of military involvement in the crime, it appears that this line of investigation has not been followed.
91. On 19 October 2001, the Special Representative, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, sent an allegation letter regarding the following cases.
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Human rights organizations
92. According to the information received, army-backed paramilitaries threatened to kill OFP members after they helped to organize three days of events and marches in Barrancabermeja calling on both sides in Colombia's armed conflict to respect the human rights of civilians. The paramilitaries declared 11 families who took part in the 14 to 17 August 2001 event to be military targets. First, paramilitary gunmen went to women's homes and told them not to go on the march, and set up roadblocks to stop the event taking place, despite the fact that the army had a strong presence in the city. At the end of the march, the women gathered in the city football stadium to hear speeches. OFP members Jackeline Rojas and Yolanda Becerra were on the podium preparing to begin the event when a man approached and threatened them. On
24 August 2001, OFP was told that paramilitaries had decided to assassinate their members, beginning with one of their leaders, Patricia Ramirez.
93. According to the information received, on 8 and 9 October 2000, four families belonging to the Asociacion de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos (ASFADDES) branch at Medellin reportedly received several threatening telephone calls, which were repeated on
31 October 2000, following which they had to leave the region. Ms. Martha Elizabeth Soto Gallo received a threatening message on her answerphone on 13 April 2000. On 11 and 23 November 2000, in Medellin, two letters carrying a death threat was sent to Mr. Sancho Castro, a collaborator of the association. On 20 November 2000, the person in charge of the Cundinamarca branch of ASFADDES is reported to have been followed in Bogota by two unknown people. It was also reported that, in May 2000, Ms. Rocio Campos, a member of the Managing Council of ASFADDES and its Barrancabermeja branch received several telephone calls from unknown persons who threatened her, fired gunshots and asked her about her brother, Daniel Campos, who disappeared in May 1998. The Special Representative has also been informed of the murder of Ms. Elisabeth Canas Cano, a member of ASFADDES, on 11 July 2000 in Barrancabermeja. She had been actively involved in combating unpunished criminals, especially in connection with the disappearance of a group of 25 people, including her son, Giovanny Canas Cano, and her brother, Jose Milton Canas Cano, who both disappeared at Barrancabermeja on 16 May 1998. Furthermore, on 29 and 30 September 2000, during a forum entitled "For life and human rights" held in Barrancabermeja, threats were made by paramilitary groups in the form of slogans against members of ASFADDES accused of being members of guerrilla groups and military targets. As a result of the threats targeting it, ASFADDES decided to close temporarily its office in Barrancabermeja on 28 February 2001.
94. According to the information received, since the Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (CREDHOS) was created 13 years ago, eight of its members have been killed and two others were the victims of murder attempts. The former president of CREDHOS,
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Osiris Bayther, and the coordinator of the organization in Bolivar, Marco Tulios Campos, were forced to leave Colombia in 1998 and to give up their activities in the region after receiving death threats. The offices of CREDHOS in Barrancabermeja were raided on 16 and 18 October 1999. On 19 October 1999, the coordinator of CREDHOS in Barrancabermeja, Pablo Javier Arenales, received numerous threatening phone calls. In August 2000, the secretary of the organization, Monica Madera Vergel, received a threatening call on the phone assigned to her by the Ministry of the Interior programme. These acts are connected with the pamphlet distributed by CREDHOS in Bucaramanga during an event, "For life and human rights", in September 2000 denouncing the threats against its members and holding the AUC responsible for them.
Members of human rights organizations
95. According to the information received, on 19 May 1997, a group of masked gunmen, identifying themselves as members of the Attorney General's Office, killed Carlos Mario Calderon and Elsa Constanza Alvarado, both activists of the Centre for Research and Popular Education, in their Bogota apartment. According to the information received, in July 2001 four persons were reportedly accused of having participated in the murder and sentenced to between 4 and 60 years' imprisonment. It has been reported that detention orders have been issued against paramilitary leaders Carlos and Fidel Castano, who were allegedly charged with having planned the murders. It has been further reported that although the authorities knew about their whereabouts, they did not take the appropriate measures to arrest them. According to the information received, four judicial police officers and one key witness have been murdered in the course of the investigation. The Special Representative requested information regarding the follow-up to the measures taken by the competent authorities to investigate, prosecute and sentence those found responsible for these acts.