Colombia
31.05.02
Urgent Interventions
Colombia: several forced disappearances that occurred in La Sierra, Monterrey and Puerto Asís
Case COL 310502
Forced or involuntary disappearances
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief descriptionsof the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received information from the Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos de Colombia (ASFADDES), about several forced disappearances that occurred in La Sierra (Departamento del Cauca) ; Monterrey (Casanare); and Puerto Asís (Putumayo).
According to the information received, during the last few weeks several cases of forced disappearances have been reported in Colombia:
I. On May 10th, 2001, 31-year old Jorge Alirio Varona, a farmer from Rosas, Cauca and Henry Alfredo Rivera Paz, for whom no other details are available, disappeared while in the municipality of La Sierra (Cauca) on 10 May 2001. Mr. Alirio Varona reportedly left his home, in Vereda El Sapongo, on 9 May 2001 together with Mr. Acisar Ausecha and Mr. Henry Alfredo Rivera Paz, to go to the municipality of La Sierra where he was involved in a football tournament that was taking place there.
On arrival in the municipality of La Sierra, Mr. Ancisar Ausecha, went to the Mayor’s office; several minutes later, according to the reports, two plainclothes men approached Jorge Alirio Varona and Henry Alfredo Rivera Paz, proceeded to tie their hands and drag them out of the town, forcing them to walk along the road leading to Vereda El Salero.
According to the information received, they remained there throughout the afternoon, and the next day, they were driven in a metallic van, reportedly driven by the Commander of the guerrilla group “Frente Arturo Medina” of the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia). To date, nothing is known of the two men’s whereabouts or of their physical and psychological integrity. Their families reportedly filed a complaint with the Prosecutor of La Sierra, with the Defensoría of Popayán and with the International Red Cross (ICRC).
II. On 14 July 2001, 41-year old Renato de Jesús Echavarria Vidales, from Gómez Plata, Antioquia, and his brother 24-year old Harlen Alberto Echavarria Vidales from Sabana de Torres, Santander, both publicists by profession, disappeared by force.
According to the report, on 14 July 2001 at about 6.00a.m., Renato de Jesús Echavarría Vidales left his house in the Barrio los Helechos en Yopal, Casanare, together with his brother Harlen Alberto Echavarria Vidales, to go by motorcycle to Villavicencio, where they were going to buy merchandise for work. Around 12.10 p.m., Mr. Renato de Jesús called his wife from Orqueta (Casanare), to inform her that they were on their way home. Later, he called home again from Villa Carola, in the municipality of Monterrey, Casanare, at around 5.15 p.m. saying: “they could not go home, and not to worry since they were surrounded by very humanitarian people; that he loved her very much and to take care of the girls.” His family reportedly filed a complaint in the Defensoría del Pueblo de Yopal, Casanare.
III. Mr. José Heriberto Taborda Gómez, 45, a sales consultant born in Caldas in Antioquia, disappeared on 12 October 2001. He was staying at the Hotel Edificio de la 25 in Puerto Asís, Putumayo; during the morning of 12 October he left the hotel for Vereda Piñon Negro in order to collect money earned through the sale of raffle tickets for the raffle “La FIFA California” held in December. Mr. Taborda Gómez travelled to Vereda Piñon Negro in a motorboat and never returned to Puerto Asís.
Mr. Taborda Gómez was reportedly held by a group of men belonging to Front 43 of the FARC, in a camp set up in Piñon Negro, near Puerto Asís. These men supposedly took him to an unknown location with his hands and legs tied. Eight days later a man, whose name is still unknown, visited Mr. Taborda Gómez’s family, saying that he was well, and that he needed some toilet articles, which his family proceeded to provide. Since this day nothing has been heard from him.
The reports state that his partner moved to the city of Popayán for fear of her life, and there announced his disappearance to the office of the Defensoria del Pueblo and to the Red Cross (ICRC). These authorities sent various officials to the municipality of Putumayo where they took the relevant steps in order to find his whereabouts, but have so far been unsuccessful.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT condemns these new examples of extreme violence in Colombia, the persecution of civilians, the apparent impunity enjoyed by their authors and the lack of effective protection measures taken by the municipal, governmental and national authorities to prevent these events.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. immediately locate the whereabouts of the aforementioned persons, and take all necessary measures to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events and guarantee that those responsible are brought to trial and that the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions are applied as provided by law;
iii. carry out immediately the given recommendations by international and regional human rights organisations , including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Commission for Human Rights of the United Nations, and the Inter-American 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 laws and 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) 566 20 71 e-mail : apastra@presidencia.gov.co
· 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 : siden@mindefensa.gov.co ; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co ; mdn@cable.net.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 ; e-mail: mininterior@myrealbox.com ; 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)342 97 23;(+57 1)281 75 31 ; e-mail : reygon@procuraduria.gov.co ; anticorrupcion@presidencia.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 00 ; contacto@fiscalia.gov.co ; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co
· Doctor Eduardo Cifuentes, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+ 57 1) 640 04 91 e-mail : secretaria_privada@hotmail.com
· 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 also write to the embassies of Colombia in your respective country.
Geneva, May 31st, 2002
Please inform us of any action undertaken in connection with this case, quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Forced or involuntary disappearances
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
Brief descriptionsof the situation:
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received information from the Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos de Colombia (ASFADDES), about several forced disappearances that occurred in La Sierra (Departamento del Cauca) ; Monterrey (Casanare); and Puerto Asís (Putumayo).
According to the information received, during the last few weeks several cases of forced disappearances have been reported in Colombia:
I. On May 10th, 2001, 31-year old Jorge Alirio Varona, a farmer from Rosas, Cauca and Henry Alfredo Rivera Paz, for whom no other details are available, disappeared while in the municipality of La Sierra (Cauca) on 10 May 2001. Mr. Alirio Varona reportedly left his home, in Vereda El Sapongo, on 9 May 2001 together with Mr. Acisar Ausecha and Mr. Henry Alfredo Rivera Paz, to go to the municipality of La Sierra where he was involved in a football tournament that was taking place there.
On arrival in the municipality of La Sierra, Mr. Ancisar Ausecha, went to the Mayor’s office; several minutes later, according to the reports, two plainclothes men approached Jorge Alirio Varona and Henry Alfredo Rivera Paz, proceeded to tie their hands and drag them out of the town, forcing them to walk along the road leading to Vereda El Salero.
According to the information received, they remained there throughout the afternoon, and the next day, they were driven in a metallic van, reportedly driven by the Commander of the guerrilla group “Frente Arturo Medina” of the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia). To date, nothing is known of the two men’s whereabouts or of their physical and psychological integrity. Their families reportedly filed a complaint with the Prosecutor of La Sierra, with the Defensoría of Popayán and with the International Red Cross (ICRC).
II. On 14 July 2001, 41-year old Renato de Jesús Echavarria Vidales, from Gómez Plata, Antioquia, and his brother 24-year old Harlen Alberto Echavarria Vidales from Sabana de Torres, Santander, both publicists by profession, disappeared by force.
According to the report, on 14 July 2001 at about 6.00a.m., Renato de Jesús Echavarría Vidales left his house in the Barrio los Helechos en Yopal, Casanare, together with his brother Harlen Alberto Echavarria Vidales, to go by motorcycle to Villavicencio, where they were going to buy merchandise for work. Around 12.10 p.m., Mr. Renato de Jesús called his wife from Orqueta (Casanare), to inform her that they were on their way home. Later, he called home again from Villa Carola, in the municipality of Monterrey, Casanare, at around 5.15 p.m. saying: “they could not go home, and not to worry since they were surrounded by very humanitarian people; that he loved her very much and to take care of the girls.” His family reportedly filed a complaint in the Defensoría del Pueblo de Yopal, Casanare.
III. Mr. José Heriberto Taborda Gómez, 45, a sales consultant born in Caldas in Antioquia, disappeared on 12 October 2001. He was staying at the Hotel Edificio de la 25 in Puerto Asís, Putumayo; during the morning of 12 October he left the hotel for Vereda Piñon Negro in order to collect money earned through the sale of raffle tickets for the raffle “La FIFA California” held in December. Mr. Taborda Gómez travelled to Vereda Piñon Negro in a motorboat and never returned to Puerto Asís.
Mr. Taborda Gómez was reportedly held by a group of men belonging to Front 43 of the FARC, in a camp set up in Piñon Negro, near Puerto Asís. These men supposedly took him to an unknown location with his hands and legs tied. Eight days later a man, whose name is still unknown, visited Mr. Taborda Gómez’s family, saying that he was well, and that he needed some toilet articles, which his family proceeded to provide. Since this day nothing has been heard from him.
The reports state that his partner moved to the city of Popayán for fear of her life, and there announced his disappearance to the office of the Defensoria del Pueblo and to the Red Cross (ICRC). These authorities sent various officials to the municipality of Putumayo where they took the relevant steps in order to find his whereabouts, but have so far been unsuccessful.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT condemns these new examples of extreme violence in Colombia, the persecution of civilians, the apparent impunity enjoyed by their authors and the lack of effective protection measures taken by the municipal, governmental and national authorities to prevent these events.
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. immediately locate the whereabouts of the aforementioned persons, and take all necessary measures to guarantee their physical and psychological integrity;
ii. order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events and guarantee that those responsible are brought to trial and that the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions are applied as provided by law;
iii. carry out immediately the given recommendations by international and regional human rights organisations , including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Commission for Human Rights of the United Nations, and the Inter-American 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 laws and 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) 566 20 71 e-mail : apastra@presidencia.gov.co
· 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 : siden@mindefensa.gov.co ; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co ; mdn@cable.net.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 ; e-mail: mininterior@myrealbox.com ; 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)342 97 23;(+57 1)281 75 31 ; e-mail : reygon@procuraduria.gov.co ; anticorrupcion@presidencia.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 00 ; contacto@fiscalia.gov.co ; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co
· Doctor Eduardo Cifuentes, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+ 57 1) 640 04 91 e-mail : secretaria_privada@hotmail.com
· 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 also write to the embassies of Colombia in your respective country.
Geneva, May 31st, 2002
Please inform us of any action undertaken in connection with this case, quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.