Colombia
29.04.02
Urgent Interventions
Colombia: forced disappearances in the Departments of Antioquia, Boyacá, Santander and Cundinamarca
Case COL 290402
Various forced disappearances
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed of forced disappearances which occurred in the Departments of Antioquia, Boyacá, Santander and Cundinamarca.
According to information received from the Asociación de familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos de Colombia (ASFADDES), in the past few days the following cases of forced disappearances have been reported in Colombia :
- Misael Durango Benítez and Hiber Padierna, banana freighters who had been working for a period of four months, disappeared since the 20 December of the year 2000 when they left the city of Chigorodó directed to Medellín, Antioquia, in a truck with plates VSC 809, belonging to Mr. Durango Benítez. Misael Durango Benítez and Hiber Padierna never reached Medellín and as of this moment there has been no information on their whereabouts. It is important to recall that in 1998, the Benítez family was displaced from the municipality of Dabeiba to Urabá Antioqueño, and some time later Mrs. María Iris Benitez Guzmán, Mr Misael Durango Benítez’s aunt was found murdered.
- César Tulio Gutiérrez Daza, of 30 years of age from Almeida, Boyacá, construction worker, is reported missing since the 1st of February 2002 when he left his home in Vereda “El Yabir” for work at the Vereda “El Rosal” in the municipality of Almeida, on a borrowed motorcycle, which he returned to his boss the same day. He left work at 6 p.m. in the company of Anderson Calderón Daza and Rodrigo Peralta. César Tulio Gutiérrez Daza took a different way while Anderson Calderón Daza and Rodrigo Peralta arrived at San Judas where they parted, César Tulio Gutiérrez Daza headed home and this was his last sighting. According to his mother, Bertha Daza, he had never expressed fearing for his life. Prior to this, in events of the 19th of January 2001 in the municipality of Almeida, César Tulio Gutiérrez Daza, was involved in a penal investigation, when Vaca Gutiérrez family accused him of being responsible for the death of Gumercinda Vaca.
- Fredy Enrique Durán Rangel, has been reported missing since the 12th of April 2002, when he left home in the Urbanización los Pinos de Bucaramanga at 9 a.m. directed towards the townhall of Rionegro, Santander, in his red van UV model 86 with plates IWF-258, to buy leather skins, for the work he had been doing for some time. Freddy Enrique Durán Rangel phoned his wife Clara Blanco from Rionegro and told her he was fine and that he would be home at 3 p.m. that same day, but nothing has been heard of him since. Later, on Saturday the 20th of April 2002, an unknown man paid a visit to Freddy Enrique Durán Rangel’s house, to ask if it was for sale, and if she had sent the advert for the sale, when she told she hadn’t he said that he had been sent by an estate agent to see the house.Subsequently, on Monday the 22nd of April 2002, at 11:00 a.m.a woman came to the same house asking whether it was for sale and, following Durán Rangel’s father, Carlos Durán’s negative answer, she looked all around the house’s surroundings for about 4 hours and was joined by two people in a black van LUV with plates BUY-791; since the house is near a military command it was alerted and soldiers detained the van but having no reason to keep the people in custody they were released.
- Alvaro Sánchez Rojas, of 55 years of age, married, from Cabrera, Cundinamarca, was reported missing since the 22nd of April 2002 when he left his home located at 59 A No 80 c– 10 of the Bosa neighbohood in the city of Bogotá on his way to the municipality of Nimaima to the rural community of el Cerro, in a black, Samurai vehicle with plates MQA 701; he was going to this destination to pick up material for his trade as a salesman in Corabastos providing objects for supermarkets. On his way home at about 4.30 p.m. that same day he was accosted by unknown men who took him with them, where to we know not. His family are very worried since Alvaro Sánchez Rojas suffers from diabetes and from Pancreatitis, as well as having had two strokes. Subsequent to these events, on April 24th information had been given concerning the fact that certain land workers had seen Alvaro Sanchez Rojas seemingly in the hands of members of paramilitary groups in a place called El Cruce de las Mercedes, located between the municipalities of Nimaima and Nocaima, Cundinamarca inhabited by several families and where the Army often is encamped. It is important to remember that in this region fighting between outlawed armed groups and the Batallón Rincón Quiñónez of the Army had taken place.
The Secretariat of OMCT reiterates that forced disappearances are considered a crime against humanity and condemns these acts of violence, persecution against civilian populations and the apparent impunity of the authors and the lack of of means put forward by municipal, governmental and national authorities towards preventing these acts.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. Take all necessary measures to locate the whereabouts of the missing persons mentioned above and guarantee their security as well as their physical and psychological integrity;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the reports of the forced disappearances, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. Comply immediately to the recommendations made by the international and national Human Rights organisations including the High Commission for Human Rights and Interamerican Commission for Human Rights;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
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
Geneva, 29th of April 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply
Various forced disappearances
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief description of the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed of forced disappearances which occurred in the Departments of Antioquia, Boyacá, Santander and Cundinamarca.
According to information received from the Asociación de familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos de Colombia (ASFADDES), in the past few days the following cases of forced disappearances have been reported in Colombia :
- Misael Durango Benítez and Hiber Padierna, banana freighters who had been working for a period of four months, disappeared since the 20 December of the year 2000 when they left the city of Chigorodó directed to Medellín, Antioquia, in a truck with plates VSC 809, belonging to Mr. Durango Benítez. Misael Durango Benítez and Hiber Padierna never reached Medellín and as of this moment there has been no information on their whereabouts. It is important to recall that in 1998, the Benítez family was displaced from the municipality of Dabeiba to Urabá Antioqueño, and some time later Mrs. María Iris Benitez Guzmán, Mr Misael Durango Benítez’s aunt was found murdered.
- César Tulio Gutiérrez Daza, of 30 years of age from Almeida, Boyacá, construction worker, is reported missing since the 1st of February 2002 when he left his home in Vereda “El Yabir” for work at the Vereda “El Rosal” in the municipality of Almeida, on a borrowed motorcycle, which he returned to his boss the same day. He left work at 6 p.m. in the company of Anderson Calderón Daza and Rodrigo Peralta. César Tulio Gutiérrez Daza took a different way while Anderson Calderón Daza and Rodrigo Peralta arrived at San Judas where they parted, César Tulio Gutiérrez Daza headed home and this was his last sighting. According to his mother, Bertha Daza, he had never expressed fearing for his life. Prior to this, in events of the 19th of January 2001 in the municipality of Almeida, César Tulio Gutiérrez Daza, was involved in a penal investigation, when Vaca Gutiérrez family accused him of being responsible for the death of Gumercinda Vaca.
- Fredy Enrique Durán Rangel, has been reported missing since the 12th of April 2002, when he left home in the Urbanización los Pinos de Bucaramanga at 9 a.m. directed towards the townhall of Rionegro, Santander, in his red van UV model 86 with plates IWF-258, to buy leather skins, for the work he had been doing for some time. Freddy Enrique Durán Rangel phoned his wife Clara Blanco from Rionegro and told her he was fine and that he would be home at 3 p.m. that same day, but nothing has been heard of him since. Later, on Saturday the 20th of April 2002, an unknown man paid a visit to Freddy Enrique Durán Rangel’s house, to ask if it was for sale, and if she had sent the advert for the sale, when she told she hadn’t he said that he had been sent by an estate agent to see the house.Subsequently, on Monday the 22nd of April 2002, at 11:00 a.m.a woman came to the same house asking whether it was for sale and, following Durán Rangel’s father, Carlos Durán’s negative answer, she looked all around the house’s surroundings for about 4 hours and was joined by two people in a black van LUV with plates BUY-791; since the house is near a military command it was alerted and soldiers detained the van but having no reason to keep the people in custody they were released.
- Alvaro Sánchez Rojas, of 55 years of age, married, from Cabrera, Cundinamarca, was reported missing since the 22nd of April 2002 when he left his home located at 59 A No 80 c– 10 of the Bosa neighbohood in the city of Bogotá on his way to the municipality of Nimaima to the rural community of el Cerro, in a black, Samurai vehicle with plates MQA 701; he was going to this destination to pick up material for his trade as a salesman in Corabastos providing objects for supermarkets. On his way home at about 4.30 p.m. that same day he was accosted by unknown men who took him with them, where to we know not. His family are very worried since Alvaro Sánchez Rojas suffers from diabetes and from Pancreatitis, as well as having had two strokes. Subsequent to these events, on April 24th information had been given concerning the fact that certain land workers had seen Alvaro Sanchez Rojas seemingly in the hands of members of paramilitary groups in a place called El Cruce de las Mercedes, located between the municipalities of Nimaima and Nocaima, Cundinamarca inhabited by several families and where the Army often is encamped. It is important to remember that in this region fighting between outlawed armed groups and the Batallón Rincón Quiñónez of the Army had taken place.
The Secretariat of OMCT reiterates that forced disappearances are considered a crime against humanity and condemns these acts of violence, persecution against civilian populations and the apparent impunity of the authors and the lack of of means put forward by municipal, governmental and national authorities towards preventing these acts.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. Take all necessary measures to locate the whereabouts of the missing persons mentioned above and guarantee their security as well as their physical and psychological integrity;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the reports of the forced disappearances, in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
iii. Comply immediately to the recommendations made by the international and national Human Rights organisations including the High Commission for Human Rights and Interamerican Commission for Human Rights;
iv. guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
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
Geneva, 29th of April 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply