Colombia
09.07.01
Urgent Interventions
Colombia: fifteen dead and hundreds displaced following violent paramilitary incursion
Case COL 090701
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has been informed of the violent incursion of a paramilitary group into the Municipality of Peque, in the north west of the Department of Antioquia. As a result, ten persons were killed, more than 15 persons are missing and hundreds of inhabitants were forced to displace, causing a serious humanitarian crisis.
According to information from reliable sources, on July 4 2001, the Municipality of Peque was taken by about 300 men of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC, who stayed there for three days, period during which they killed the following persons: Samuel Emilio Moreno, Francisco Antonio Higuita, Giovanni Ortiz Tuberquia, John Édgar Higuita, Einel Higuita Cano, Miguel Higuita Cano, Marcos Gómez and Carlos Alberto Agudelo.
The reports point out that the paramilitaries committed acts of intimidation and sacking in the rural areas of Peque, and in their flight took with them about 30 youths, forcing them to drive a heard of some 1000 cattle. According to the reports, the paramilitary commander named ‘Marcos’, who led the incursion in Peque, told the civilian authorities he was taking the cows to “clean” mines off the roads in the districts of Los Llanos, El Agrio and San Julián.
The names of the following the missing persons are available:
Pedro Julio David Higuita, 23 ; Eduardo Antonio Graciano; Oscar Darío Ramírez Betancur; José Angel Guerra Goes; John Javier Higuita, 20; Yamid Fernando Tuberquia López, 18; Rodrigo Tuberquia, 18, y Ruben Darío Salas, 18, and minors Jonier Alberto Úsuga Ortiz, 16, and Wilson Alexander Hurtado Pérez, 16.
According to municipal authorities, paramilitary leader “Marcos” gave the order to clear all of the population in the briefest terms, despite being told that it was logistically impossible to evacuate a whole village. Nevertheless, before leaving on Friday afternoon, “Marcos” left no doubt, instructing them to begin leaving.
As a result of the terror and also of the express order of the paramilitaries, more than 4000 persons fled the districts to the municipality, where they were placed in the school, the Police Command and some family houses. The Municipality of Peque is under sanitary emergency since there are children suffering chicken pox and diarrhoea and the hospital has only two doctors and four nurses; furthermore, the paramilitaries took all the supplies and the food sent by the Governor of the Department lasts only for three days.
The OMCT condemns these extremely violent acts, the persecution against the civilian population, the apparent impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators and the failure of the municipal, governmental and national authorities to implement effective protective measures to prevent these acts.
Requested Action:
Please write to the Colombian Authorities urging them to:
i. take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the above-mentioned communities and to bring an end to such violent events;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the above-mentioned events, especially the reports of torture, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to justice and apply the civil, penal or administrative sanctions stipulated by law;
iii. fully execute the recommendations made by international and regional human rights organisations, including those of the High Commission for Human Rights, the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the Inter.American Human Rights Commission as well as national and governmental human rights organisations;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties in all the country in accordance with national law and international human rights norms.
Addresses
· S.E. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Presidente de la República, Cra. 8 n .7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 566 20 71
· Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n . 6-54 Piso 3, Santafé de Bogotá, D. C. Fax: (+57 1) 337 13 51
· 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
· Mission Permanente de la Colombie auprès de l’Office de las Nations Unies et des institutions spécialisées a Genève. Chemin du Champ d’Anier 17-19, 1209 Genève. Tel : (+41) 22 798 4554, 798 4555. E-mail: mission.colombia@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the embassies of Colombia in your respective country.
Geneva, July 9, 2001
The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your urgent intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of the OMCT has been informed of the violent incursion of a paramilitary group into the Municipality of Peque, in the north west of the Department of Antioquia. As a result, ten persons were killed, more than 15 persons are missing and hundreds of inhabitants were forced to displace, causing a serious humanitarian crisis.
According to information from reliable sources, on July 4 2001, the Municipality of Peque was taken by about 300 men of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC, who stayed there for three days, period during which they killed the following persons: Samuel Emilio Moreno, Francisco Antonio Higuita, Giovanni Ortiz Tuberquia, John Édgar Higuita, Einel Higuita Cano, Miguel Higuita Cano, Marcos Gómez and Carlos Alberto Agudelo.
The reports point out that the paramilitaries committed acts of intimidation and sacking in the rural areas of Peque, and in their flight took with them about 30 youths, forcing them to drive a heard of some 1000 cattle. According to the reports, the paramilitary commander named ‘Marcos’, who led the incursion in Peque, told the civilian authorities he was taking the cows to “clean” mines off the roads in the districts of Los Llanos, El Agrio and San Julián.
The names of the following the missing persons are available:
Pedro Julio David Higuita, 23 ; Eduardo Antonio Graciano; Oscar Darío Ramírez Betancur; José Angel Guerra Goes; John Javier Higuita, 20; Yamid Fernando Tuberquia López, 18; Rodrigo Tuberquia, 18, y Ruben Darío Salas, 18, and minors Jonier Alberto Úsuga Ortiz, 16, and Wilson Alexander Hurtado Pérez, 16.
According to municipal authorities, paramilitary leader “Marcos” gave the order to clear all of the population in the briefest terms, despite being told that it was logistically impossible to evacuate a whole village. Nevertheless, before leaving on Friday afternoon, “Marcos” left no doubt, instructing them to begin leaving.
As a result of the terror and also of the express order of the paramilitaries, more than 4000 persons fled the districts to the municipality, where they were placed in the school, the Police Command and some family houses. The Municipality of Peque is under sanitary emergency since there are children suffering chicken pox and diarrhoea and the hospital has only two doctors and four nurses; furthermore, the paramilitaries took all the supplies and the food sent by the Governor of the Department lasts only for three days.
The OMCT condemns these extremely violent acts, the persecution against the civilian population, the apparent impunity enjoyed by the perpetrators and the failure of the municipal, governmental and national authorities to implement effective protective measures to prevent these acts.
Requested Action:
Please write to the Colombian Authorities urging them to:
i. take all measures necessary to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the above-mentioned communities and to bring an end to such violent events;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the above-mentioned events, especially the reports of torture, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to justice and apply the civil, penal or administrative sanctions stipulated by law;
iii. fully execute the recommendations made by international and regional human rights organisations, including those of the High Commission for Human Rights, the United Nations Human Rights Commission, the Inter.American Human Rights Commission as well as national and governmental human rights organisations;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties in all the country in accordance with national law and international human rights norms.
Addresses
· S.E. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Presidente de la República, Cra. 8 n .7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santafé de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1) 566 20 71
· Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos, Calle 7 n . 6-54 Piso 3, Santafé de Bogotá, D. C. Fax: (+57 1) 337 13 51
· 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
· Mission Permanente de la Colombie auprès de l’Office de las Nations Unies et des institutions spécialisées a Genève. Chemin du Champ d’Anier 17-19, 1209 Genève. Tel : (+41) 22 798 4554, 798 4555. E-mail: mission.colombia@ties.itu.int
Please also write to the embassies of Colombia in your respective country.
Geneva, July 9, 2001