Colombia
29.01.02
Urgent Interventions
Colombia:other human rights violations by paramilitaries in the region of Catatumbo
Case COL 170102.1
Follow-up case to COL 170102
Killing/ Enforced or involuntary disappearance/ Forced exile
Geneva, January 29, 2002
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information from a reliable source surrounding recent human rights violations by paramilitaries in the region of Catatumbo, North Santander.
According to the information received, despite multiple appeals at the end of December, 2001 on behalf of local authorities and NGOs directed at the government and military forces asking that they take control of this zone and protect the local population, grave acts of violence continue to occur. The following incidents are the most recent acts of human rights violence inflicted upon the civil population:
· On January 12, 2002, Mr. Johonny Gutiérrez and José Noé Gutiérrez were killed by paramilitaries in the rural zone (el corregimiento) of Cartagenita in the district of Teorama. Both Messrs. Gutiérrez worked in the rural area (el corregimiento) of San Juancito, in Teorama;
· On January 16, 2002, Mr. Daniel Pallares was stopped in his truck in the rural area of Convención by paramilitaries who subsequently abducted him. He was travelling from his home to the rural communities of La Trinidad and Guasiles, also in Convención;
· On January 20, 2002, the same group of above mentioned paramilitaries murdered Mr. David Quintero, along with his three children, Hugo Quintero, Daniel Quintero and Dairo Quintero, in the rural community of Trinidad, in Convención;
· Also on January 20, 2002, the paramilitaries abducted Eliceo Canónigo Contreras (20 yrs. Old), José Noé Ballena (18 yrs. Old), and another two youths whose names are not known. They were detained in the small community (la vereda) of La Campana, in El Tarra. To this date nothing is known of their whereabouts.
· On the same day, according to reports, 11 people were arbitrarily detained in the small community (la vereda) of El 77, in El Tarra. They were taken for the purpose of providing a human shield for the paramilitaries. These arbitrary detentions took place 8 kilometers from Filo Gringo in El Tarra where the National Army is located. To date, no further information is known about these 11 persons.
According to the information received, all these acts of violence have generated numerous cases of forced exile of families residing in the rural areas of Teorama, Convención and El Tarra, all concentrated largely in the districts of Ocaña and Convención, and these families remain in precarious conditions of malnourishment, inadequate housing, and poor health.
The International Secretariat of OMCT shares its concern with local human rights organisations for both the security as well as the physical and psychological integrity of all inhabitants in the region of Catatumbo, in the North Santander. Furthermore, OMCT condemns the persecution of the civil population, along with the apparent impunity these perpetrators enjoy. More generally, OMCT is also concerned by the lack of effective protection measures by municipal, state, and national authorities to prevent this pattern of threats and acts of violence.
Brief reminder of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT received information regarding a raid by paramilitary groups in the region of Catatumbo following December 22, 2002, as a result of which the rural and urban populations in the various districts of El Tarra, Teorama, San Calixto and Convención, who had asked for government protection, have been placed into forced exile and ongoing insecurity.
According to the information received, the local population was faced with the following acts of violence:
· The killing of roughly 19 rural inhabitants, whose names have not been published; the arbitrary detention of various civilians, the destruction of several bridges in the rural communities of Puerto Catatumbo and Buenos Aires; the burning of various local dwellings; the robbery of 800 head of cattle and an indeterminate number of work animals; and the fear of a massacre in El Tarra as paramilitaries had advanced and were located in the areas of Bella Vista, El Paso, and el Acerrío.
Furthermore, on January 11, 2002, paramilitaries had located themselves in the rural area (el corregimiento) of El Acerrío, in Teorama. Threats og paramilitary action caused this small town to be abandoned by the community, due to the violence inflicted on homes and local shops. The community of the rural area of San Pablo, in Teorama, also completely abandoned its village, and on January 10, 2002 in the community (vereda) of Filo Real, Mr. Wilder Torres, Mayor de Hacarí was murdered. This town is situated near the communities of El Tarra, San Calixto, Teorama and Ocaña.
Action requested
We request you kindly to write to the authorities in Colombia, urging them to:
· take all necessary measures to locate the whereabouts of the above mentioned disappeared persons and guarantee their physical and psychological integrity, along with all inhabitants of the region of Catatumbo, District of North Santander;
· take the necessary measure such that the pertinent bodies of government deliberately attend to the displaced populations that are taking shelter in the Municipalities of Convención, Ocaña, and El Tarra in North Santander;
· order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
· to immediately carry out the recommendations given by both regional and international human rights organisations, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United National Commission for Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights.
· guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Adresses:
· 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 ; 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 ; 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 also write to the diplomatic representatives of Colombia in your country.
Geneva, January 29, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action you may take, mentioning the code number of this appeal in your response.
Follow-up case to COL 170102
Killing/ Enforced or involuntary disappearance/ Forced exile
Geneva, January 29, 2002
The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Colombia.
New information
The International Secretariat of OMCT has received new information from a reliable source surrounding recent human rights violations by paramilitaries in the region of Catatumbo, North Santander.
According to the information received, despite multiple appeals at the end of December, 2001 on behalf of local authorities and NGOs directed at the government and military forces asking that they take control of this zone and protect the local population, grave acts of violence continue to occur. The following incidents are the most recent acts of human rights violence inflicted upon the civil population:
· On January 12, 2002, Mr. Johonny Gutiérrez and José Noé Gutiérrez were killed by paramilitaries in the rural zone (el corregimiento) of Cartagenita in the district of Teorama. Both Messrs. Gutiérrez worked in the rural area (el corregimiento) of San Juancito, in Teorama;
· On January 16, 2002, Mr. Daniel Pallares was stopped in his truck in the rural area of Convención by paramilitaries who subsequently abducted him. He was travelling from his home to the rural communities of La Trinidad and Guasiles, also in Convención;
· On January 20, 2002, the same group of above mentioned paramilitaries murdered Mr. David Quintero, along with his three children, Hugo Quintero, Daniel Quintero and Dairo Quintero, in the rural community of Trinidad, in Convención;
· Also on January 20, 2002, the paramilitaries abducted Eliceo Canónigo Contreras (20 yrs. Old), José Noé Ballena (18 yrs. Old), and another two youths whose names are not known. They were detained in the small community (la vereda) of La Campana, in El Tarra. To this date nothing is known of their whereabouts.
· On the same day, according to reports, 11 people were arbitrarily detained in the small community (la vereda) of El 77, in El Tarra. They were taken for the purpose of providing a human shield for the paramilitaries. These arbitrary detentions took place 8 kilometers from Filo Gringo in El Tarra where the National Army is located. To date, no further information is known about these 11 persons.
According to the information received, all these acts of violence have generated numerous cases of forced exile of families residing in the rural areas of Teorama, Convención and El Tarra, all concentrated largely in the districts of Ocaña and Convención, and these families remain in precarious conditions of malnourishment, inadequate housing, and poor health.
The International Secretariat of OMCT shares its concern with local human rights organisations for both the security as well as the physical and psychological integrity of all inhabitants in the region of Catatumbo, in the North Santander. Furthermore, OMCT condemns the persecution of the civil population, along with the apparent impunity these perpetrators enjoy. More generally, OMCT is also concerned by the lack of effective protection measures by municipal, state, and national authorities to prevent this pattern of threats and acts of violence.
Brief reminder of the situation
The International Secretariat of OMCT received information regarding a raid by paramilitary groups in the region of Catatumbo following December 22, 2002, as a result of which the rural and urban populations in the various districts of El Tarra, Teorama, San Calixto and Convención, who had asked for government protection, have been placed into forced exile and ongoing insecurity.
According to the information received, the local population was faced with the following acts of violence:
· The killing of roughly 19 rural inhabitants, whose names have not been published; the arbitrary detention of various civilians, the destruction of several bridges in the rural communities of Puerto Catatumbo and Buenos Aires; the burning of various local dwellings; the robbery of 800 head of cattle and an indeterminate number of work animals; and the fear of a massacre in El Tarra as paramilitaries had advanced and were located in the areas of Bella Vista, El Paso, and el Acerrío.
Furthermore, on January 11, 2002, paramilitaries had located themselves in the rural area (el corregimiento) of El Acerrío, in Teorama. Threats og paramilitary action caused this small town to be abandoned by the community, due to the violence inflicted on homes and local shops. The community of the rural area of San Pablo, in Teorama, also completely abandoned its village, and on January 10, 2002 in the community (vereda) of Filo Real, Mr. Wilder Torres, Mayor de Hacarí was murdered. This town is situated near the communities of El Tarra, San Calixto, Teorama and Ocaña.
Action requested
We request you kindly to write to the authorities in Colombia, urging them to:
· take all necessary measures to locate the whereabouts of the above mentioned disappeared persons and guarantee their physical and psychological integrity, along with all inhabitants of the region of Catatumbo, District of North Santander;
· take the necessary measure such that the pertinent bodies of government deliberately attend to the displaced populations that are taking shelter in the Municipalities of Convención, Ocaña, and El Tarra in North Santander;
· order a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances of these events in order to identify those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
· to immediately carry out the recommendations given by both regional and international human rights organisations, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United National Commission for Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights.
· guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.
Adresses:
· 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 ; 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 ; 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 also write to the diplomatic representatives of Colombia in your country.
Geneva, January 29, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action you may take, mentioning the code number of this appeal in your response.