Colombia
13.05.02
Urgent Interventions
Colombia: extrajudicial killing and risk of torture of farmers
Case COL 130502
Extrajudicial killing / Risk of torture
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your URGENT action in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has just been informed that the life of a witness of an assassination is in considerable danger. The individual was witness to the murder of his brother, who was at the moment in an ambulance, by the Colombian paramilitary groups operating in the north of the department of Tolima.
According to reliable sources, on May 4th 2002, at around 7 :00 p.m. heavily armed individuals, who identified themselves as members of the United Self-Defence of Colombia (AUC), Tolima-bloc, broke into the property of farmer Gustavo Giraldo in Llanadas, municipality of Casabianca , in the north of the department of Tolima. During the housebreaking, the members of the paramilitary group fired their weapons, wounding Mr. Giraldo. The reports add that the farmer managed to escape and look for help in the health centre nearby. The doctors who examined Mr. Giraldo decided to take him in an ambulance to the nearest town of Ibague, as the shots had caused great damage and he could not be treated there. Mr. Giraldo’s mother and brother were allowed to go with them.
According to the information received, the paramilitary group intercepted the ambulance while in the route that links Casabianca with Palo Cabildo. The armed men gave orders to the driver to open the back door, and in cold blood assassinated Mr. Giraldo’s brother. In the mean time Mr. Giraldo managed to escape once more, through the front doors of the ambulance and amidst the paramilitary shots. The informers sustain that Mr. Giraldo is still in the region, without protection, nor guarantees for his health or his life.
Background information:
According to the reports, paramilitary presence has been detected in the municipalities of Líbano, Palo Cabildo, Casabianca, Villa Hermosa and Lérida,. On April 20th 2002, witnesses denounced the presence of paramilitary groups in Llanadas, Casabianca municipality, where according to the information, the farmer was tortured while the perpetrators of this atrocity drank beer all night. A hole was dug in the kitchen of the farmer’s house, and it had not been possible to establish whether the paramilitary men used it to bury explosives. The reports affirm that the members of the armed group claimed the hole was going to be used to bury Mr. Giraldo, but that they had not been able to find him that day. Paramilitary men dressed in civilian clothes have also been detected in the urban areas of Villa Hermosa and Casabianca.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT shares the concerns of other huma rights organizations for the security and physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Gustavo Giraldo and the other members of his family.
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. take all the necessary measures to ensure the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Gustavo Giraldo and his family;
ii. set up a high level commission in order to check the situation of the families who live in this region and whose fundamental rights are vulnerable to violations. Likewise, the commission should see for Mr. Giraldo’s life and that of the other members of his family;
iii. develop the necessary programmes to dismantle the paramilitary groups that act in the region, specifically, the AUC Tolima-bloc, who has established a centre of operations in Delicias, in the municipality of Lérida;
iv. guarantee the respect for human rights and the fundamental liberties in conformity with the national laws and the international norms on human rights ratified by the Colombian government.
Addresses:
· S.E. Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República, Carrera 8 n°. 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 74 34; (+57 1) 286 68 42; (+57 1) 284 21 86 e-mail : apastra@presidencia.gov.co
· Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santa Fe de Bogotá, D. C. Fax: (+57 1) 337 13 51
· Dr. Gustavo Bell Lemus, Ministro de la Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, Avenida El Dorado con carrera 52 CAN, Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 18 74 e-mail : siden@mindefensa.gov.co ; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co ; mdn@cable.net.co
· Dr. Armando Estrada Villa, Ministro del Interior, Ministerio del Interior, Cra. 8 n°. 8-09 SantaFe de Bogotá, Palacio de Nariño. Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 80 25 e-mail : mininterior@myrealbox.com ; minisint@col1.telecom.com.co
· Dr. Edgardo José Maya Villazón , Procurador General de la Nación, Carrera 5 n°. 15-80, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 342 97 23; (+57 1) 281 75 31 e-mail : anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co
· Dr. Luis Camilo Osorio, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22 B n°. 52-01, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 570 20 22. e-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co ; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co
· Dr. Eduardo Cifuentes, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 346 12 25 e-mail : secretaria_privada@hotmail.com
· General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado, Cra. 52, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 29 35. e-mail : siden@mindefensa.gov.co ; pilaque@cgm.mil.co
· Representaciones Diplomáticas de Colombia en sus respectivos países
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Colombia in your country.
Geneva, May 13th 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Extrajudicial killing / Risk of torture
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your URGENT action in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has just been informed that the life of a witness of an assassination is in considerable danger. The individual was witness to the murder of his brother, who was at the moment in an ambulance, by the Colombian paramilitary groups operating in the north of the department of Tolima.
According to reliable sources, on May 4th 2002, at around 7 :00 p.m. heavily armed individuals, who identified themselves as members of the United Self-Defence of Colombia (AUC), Tolima-bloc, broke into the property of farmer Gustavo Giraldo in Llanadas, municipality of Casabianca , in the north of the department of Tolima. During the housebreaking, the members of the paramilitary group fired their weapons, wounding Mr. Giraldo. The reports add that the farmer managed to escape and look for help in the health centre nearby. The doctors who examined Mr. Giraldo decided to take him in an ambulance to the nearest town of Ibague, as the shots had caused great damage and he could not be treated there. Mr. Giraldo’s mother and brother were allowed to go with them.
According to the information received, the paramilitary group intercepted the ambulance while in the route that links Casabianca with Palo Cabildo. The armed men gave orders to the driver to open the back door, and in cold blood assassinated Mr. Giraldo’s brother. In the mean time Mr. Giraldo managed to escape once more, through the front doors of the ambulance and amidst the paramilitary shots. The informers sustain that Mr. Giraldo is still in the region, without protection, nor guarantees for his health or his life.
Background information:
According to the reports, paramilitary presence has been detected in the municipalities of Líbano, Palo Cabildo, Casabianca, Villa Hermosa and Lérida,. On April 20th 2002, witnesses denounced the presence of paramilitary groups in Llanadas, Casabianca municipality, where according to the information, the farmer was tortured while the perpetrators of this atrocity drank beer all night. A hole was dug in the kitchen of the farmer’s house, and it had not been possible to establish whether the paramilitary men used it to bury explosives. The reports affirm that the members of the armed group claimed the hole was going to be used to bury Mr. Giraldo, but that they had not been able to find him that day. Paramilitary men dressed in civilian clothes have also been detected in the urban areas of Villa Hermosa and Casabianca.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT shares the concerns of other huma rights organizations for the security and physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Gustavo Giraldo and the other members of his family.
Action requested :
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. take all the necessary measures to ensure the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Gustavo Giraldo and his family;
ii. set up a high level commission in order to check the situation of the families who live in this region and whose fundamental rights are vulnerable to violations. Likewise, the commission should see for Mr. Giraldo’s life and that of the other members of his family;
iii. develop the necessary programmes to dismantle the paramilitary groups that act in the region, specifically, the AUC Tolima-bloc, who has established a centre of operations in Delicias, in the municipality of Lérida;
iv. guarantee the respect for human rights and the fundamental liberties in conformity with the national laws and the international norms on human rights ratified by the Colombian government.
Addresses:
· S.E. Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República, Carrera 8 n°. 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 74 34; (+57 1) 286 68 42; (+57 1) 284 21 86 e-mail : apastra@presidencia.gov.co
· Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santa Fe de Bogotá, D. C. Fax: (+57 1) 337 13 51
· Dr. Gustavo Bell Lemus, Ministro de la Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, Avenida El Dorado con carrera 52 CAN, Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 18 74 e-mail : siden@mindefensa.gov.co ; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co ; mdn@cable.net.co
· Dr. Armando Estrada Villa, Ministro del Interior, Ministerio del Interior, Cra. 8 n°. 8-09 SantaFe de Bogotá, Palacio de Nariño. Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 286 80 25 e-mail : mininterior@myrealbox.com ; minisint@col1.telecom.com.co
· Dr. Edgardo José Maya Villazón , Procurador General de la Nación, Carrera 5 n°. 15-80, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 342 97 23; (+57 1) 281 75 31 e-mail : anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co
· Dr. Luis Camilo Osorio, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22 B n°. 52-01, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 570 20 22. e-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co ; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co
· Dr. Eduardo Cifuentes, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 346 12 25 e-mail : secretaria_privada@hotmail.com
· General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado, Cra. 52, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 222 29 35. e-mail : siden@mindefensa.gov.co ; pilaque@cgm.mil.co
· Representaciones Diplomáticas de Colombia en sus respectivos países
Please also write to the diplomatic representatives of Colombia in your country.
Geneva, May 13th 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.