Colombia
30.01.02
Urgent Interventions
Colombia: enforced disappearance of a child
Case COL 300102.CC
Child Concern
Enforced disappearance
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT INTERVENTION in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description on the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos (FCSPP), a member of the OMCT network, about the enforced disappearance of Johana Vargas Bustos, a 16 year old girl. These events occurred between El Dorado and Cubarral, in Del Meta department.
According to the information received, on Friday 18 January 2002, in the area known as Agua Zarcas, situated at the entry of the El Dorado urban district, different soldiers, belonging to the 7th Brigade of Albán Battalion, had established a checkpoint. According to the report, at 11:45 a.m., soldiers stopped the Transportes Meta bus n. 027 (taxmeta) coming from Villavicencio, and forced two young persons (a young man and a girl) off the bus detained them.
The young girl detained, Johana Bustos, lives in the La Macarena area, in the Medellín district of Arriari, municipality of El Castillo. To date, the name of the other person detained is still unknown.
According to the report the detained persons were kept there until 4:00 p.m., when the checkpoint was lifted, and forced into a four door red car which drove off in the direction of Cubarral. According to the information, the two persons tried to escape, but only the young man succeded. So far, the whereabouts of Johana Vargas Bustos, still remain unknown.
According to the information, on 19 January 2002, Johana Vargas Bustos’ family went to the office of the mayor of El Castillo, who in tern called the mayor of El Dorado and asked him information concerning Johana Vargas Bustos. The Mayor of El Dorado replied “ everyone had been detained the day before, was released at 4:00 p.m and I don’t have any information about Johana Vargas Bustos”.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the security and the physical and psychological integrity of Johana Vargas Bustos.
Background information
According to the information, in the Alto Ariari region the soldiers of 7th Brigade, Albán Battalion, have been carrying out operations against the guerrilla forces. On Friday 11 January 2002, many soldiers arrived at the Medellín del Ariari district, in El Castillo, where they harassed locals, accusing them of collaborating with the guerrilla forces. At 10:35 a.m the soldiers set up a military checkpoint at the exit of the town, in the direction of El Castillo, and they blocked the cars for one hours approximately.
According to the information, at 12:00 the soldiers left the village and at 12:30 and burst of machine gun were heard for roughly 15 minutes. The shots came from the region of the cemetery and a bullet reached one of the houses in the neighbourhood.
Since this episode soldiers have not returned to the village.
The information also mentioned that the same day, on 11 January 2002, the bus which usually arrives from Villavicencio to Puerta Esperanza district, in El Castillo, was blocked by paramilitaries near the Cubarral municipality. The paramilitaries confiscated the deliveries (food), claiming that the food was for the guerrilla.
From this moment the paramilitaries have been maintaining a checkpoint of all the deliveries to el Castillo. The cars transporting vegetables, cannot enter the village without paying a fine of 25.000 pesos imposed by the paramilitaries. The information has pointed out that although the militaries, belonging to the 7 brigade, maintain a permanent control in the region situated between the cross-road of Cubarral and the El Dorado municipality, the paramilitaries have exercised restrictions. For example, on 20 January 2002 in the morning, the cars which usually transport vegetables and goods, could not enter Cubarral district due to the blockade by the paramilitaries.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. to take all necessary measures to find out the whereabouts of Johana Vargas Bustos, to guarantee her security and physical and psychological integrity
ii. to guarantee an immediate, exhaustive and impartial enquiry into the facts described above, to identify those responsible bring them before a competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal and civil and/or administrative sanctions foreseen by the law
iii. to guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country, according to national laws and international standards, and in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses
· S.E. Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República, Cra. 8 n°.7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santafé de Bogotá.Fax: (+57 1) 2867434; (+57 1) 2866842; (+57 1) 28421 86
· Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santafé de Bogotá, D. C. Fax: (+57 1) 337 13 51.
· Doctor Gustavo Bell Lemus, Ministro de la Defensa, Avenida El Dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 18 74 ; e-mail : (dirección electrónica): siden@mindefensa.gov.co
· Doctor Armando Estrada Villa, Ministro del Interior, Cra. 8 n°. 8-09 Santa Fe de Bogotá, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 80 25 ; (+57 1) 286 84 05 ; (+57 1) 281 58 84 ; e-mail: minisint@col1.telecom.com.co
· Doctor Edgardo José Maya Villazón, Procurador General de la Nación, Carrera 5 n°. 15-80, Santa Fe de Bogotá.Fax: (+57 1) 284 0472; (+57 1) 342 97 23 ; (+57 1) 282 76 14 e-mail : reygon@procuraduria.gov.co
· Doctor Luis Camilo Osorio, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22 B n°. 52-01, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 570 20 08 ; (+57 1) 570 20 00; e-mail : contacto@fiscalia.gov.co ; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co ; webmaster@fiscalia.gov.co
· Doctor Eduardo Cifuentes, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+ 57 1) 346 12 25
· General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado con Cra. 52, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 29 35 ; e-mail : siden@mindefensa.gov.co; pilaque@cgm.mil.co
Please write to the Colombian diplomatic representative in your country.
Geneva, 4 January 2002
Kindly inform us of any action you may take, citing the reference of this appeal in your reply.
Child Concern
Enforced disappearance
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT INTERVENTION in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description on the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos (FCSPP), a member of the OMCT network, about the enforced disappearance of Johana Vargas Bustos, a 16 year old girl. These events occurred between El Dorado and Cubarral, in Del Meta department.
According to the information received, on Friday 18 January 2002, in the area known as Agua Zarcas, situated at the entry of the El Dorado urban district, different soldiers, belonging to the 7th Brigade of Albán Battalion, had established a checkpoint. According to the report, at 11:45 a.m., soldiers stopped the Transportes Meta bus n. 027 (taxmeta) coming from Villavicencio, and forced two young persons (a young man and a girl) off the bus detained them.
The young girl detained, Johana Bustos, lives in the La Macarena area, in the Medellín district of Arriari, municipality of El Castillo. To date, the name of the other person detained is still unknown.
According to the report the detained persons were kept there until 4:00 p.m., when the checkpoint was lifted, and forced into a four door red car which drove off in the direction of Cubarral. According to the information, the two persons tried to escape, but only the young man succeded. So far, the whereabouts of Johana Vargas Bustos, still remain unknown.
According to the information, on 19 January 2002, Johana Vargas Bustos’ family went to the office of the mayor of El Castillo, who in tern called the mayor of El Dorado and asked him information concerning Johana Vargas Bustos. The Mayor of El Dorado replied “ everyone had been detained the day before, was released at 4:00 p.m and I don’t have any information about Johana Vargas Bustos”.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the security and the physical and psychological integrity of Johana Vargas Bustos.
Background information
According to the information, in the Alto Ariari region the soldiers of 7th Brigade, Albán Battalion, have been carrying out operations against the guerrilla forces. On Friday 11 January 2002, many soldiers arrived at the Medellín del Ariari district, in El Castillo, where they harassed locals, accusing them of collaborating with the guerrilla forces. At 10:35 a.m the soldiers set up a military checkpoint at the exit of the town, in the direction of El Castillo, and they blocked the cars for one hours approximately.
According to the information, at 12:00 the soldiers left the village and at 12:30 and burst of machine gun were heard for roughly 15 minutes. The shots came from the region of the cemetery and a bullet reached one of the houses in the neighbourhood.
Since this episode soldiers have not returned to the village.
The information also mentioned that the same day, on 11 January 2002, the bus which usually arrives from Villavicencio to Puerta Esperanza district, in El Castillo, was blocked by paramilitaries near the Cubarral municipality. The paramilitaries confiscated the deliveries (food), claiming that the food was for the guerrilla.
From this moment the paramilitaries have been maintaining a checkpoint of all the deliveries to el Castillo. The cars transporting vegetables, cannot enter the village without paying a fine of 25.000 pesos imposed by the paramilitaries. The information has pointed out that although the militaries, belonging to the 7 brigade, maintain a permanent control in the region situated between the cross-road of Cubarral and the El Dorado municipality, the paramilitaries have exercised restrictions. For example, on 20 January 2002 in the morning, the cars which usually transport vegetables and goods, could not enter Cubarral district due to the blockade by the paramilitaries.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. to take all necessary measures to find out the whereabouts of Johana Vargas Bustos, to guarantee her security and physical and psychological integrity
ii. to guarantee an immediate, exhaustive and impartial enquiry into the facts described above, to identify those responsible bring them before a competent and impartial tribunal and apply the penal and civil and/or administrative sanctions foreseen by the law
iii. to guarantee respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country, according to national laws and international standards, and in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Addresses
· S.E. Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República, Cra. 8 n°.7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santafé de Bogotá.Fax: (+57 1) 2867434; (+57 1) 2866842; (+57 1) 28421 86
· Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santafé de Bogotá, D. C. Fax: (+57 1) 337 13 51.
· Doctor Gustavo Bell Lemus, Ministro de la Defensa, Avenida El Dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 18 74 ; e-mail : (dirección electrónica): siden@mindefensa.gov.co
· Doctor Armando Estrada Villa, Ministro del Interior, Cra. 8 n°. 8-09 Santa Fe de Bogotá, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 80 25 ; (+57 1) 286 84 05 ; (+57 1) 281 58 84 ; e-mail: minisint@col1.telecom.com.co
· Doctor Edgardo José Maya Villazón, Procurador General de la Nación, Carrera 5 n°. 15-80, Santa Fe de Bogotá.Fax: (+57 1) 284 0472; (+57 1) 342 97 23 ; (+57 1) 282 76 14 e-mail : reygon@procuraduria.gov.co
· Doctor Luis Camilo Osorio, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22 B n°. 52-01, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 570 20 08 ; (+57 1) 570 20 00; e-mail : contacto@fiscalia.gov.co ; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co ; webmaster@fiscalia.gov.co
· Doctor Eduardo Cifuentes, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+ 57 1) 346 12 25
· General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado con Cra. 52, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 29 35 ; e-mail : siden@mindefensa.gov.co; pilaque@cgm.mil.co
Please write to the Colombian diplomatic representative in your country.
Geneva, 4 January 2002
Kindly inform us of any action you may take, citing the reference of this appeal in your reply.