Colombia
19.04.00
Urgent Interventions
Columbia: grave human rights violations by paramilitary groups
Columbia: grave human rights violations by paramilitary groups
Case COL 190400
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 grave violations of human rights attributed to paramilitary groups. An outstanding example is the summary execution of 13 persons, still not identified, in the Poblado de Hato Nuevo, municipality of Carmen de Bolivar and the summary execution of Sr. Francisco Contreras in Córdoba, Department of Bolívar.
According to the National Association of Solidarity Aid (ANDAS) on Friday April 14th 2000 in the early hours of the morning armed men came to Hato Nuevo, burgled some residences, brought out 13 persons (whose names are not known) and murdered them, according to witnesses with a great deal of violence, accusing them of having alleged contacts with guerrilla groups. During the same attack the authors of these actions, who identified themselves as paramilitary, captured, insulted, ill-treated and abducted various persons whose whereabouts are unknown to this day.
Reports recall that recently in the village of El Salado, also in the municipality of Carmen de Bolivar, the paramilitary murdered 30 persons, several of whom bore obvious signs of torture and mutilation. This led to complaints to the municipal, departmental and national authorities, warning of the risk of possible future incursions of paramilitary groups in the region.
The same reports mention the death of Sr. Francisco Contreras on April 3rd 2000 in Cordoba, department of Bolivar, attributing it to alleged paramilitary groups, apparently in the presence of the local police authorities.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT deeply regrets and condemns these events. It wishes to express its concern at the apparent indifference of the Colombian authorities which, in spite of having been warned of the imminent risk of such actions failed to adopt appropriate measures to prevent them.
The information also adds that paramilitary groups have given the families still living in the municipality of Ovejas, Department of Sucre, a peremptory deadline for leaving the region. These facts and the helpless situation of the population have caused a massive exodus to various municipalities as well as the cities of Cartagena, Barranquilla and Sincelejo.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT shares the serious concern for the physical and psychological integrity of all the inhabitants of the region concerned and those displaced, in view of the increasing deterioration in the human rights situation in Colombia.
Action requested
Please write to the Colombian authorities urging them to:
iii. adopt effective measures to fight the actions of paramilitary groups;
iii. guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the inhabitants of the areas mentioned in the departments of Bolivar and Sucre as well as of those who have become displaced.
iii. order an immediate and impartial investigation into the facts mentioned above in order to identify those responsible, bring them to justice and impose upon them the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iv. ensure that the families of the victims are able to obtain adequate compensation and appropriate assistance for their rehabilitation;
v. put immediately into effect the recommendations of international and regional human rights organizations including the office of the High Commissioner for human Rights and the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights as well as non-governmental human rights organizations.
vi. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international standards on human rights.
Addresses
S.E. Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República, Presidencia de la República, Carrera 8 n°. 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Tel: 571 562 93 00 ext. 3550 - 571 284 33 00 - Fax:571 286 74 34 - 286 68 42 -284 21 86 - Mailto: pastrana@presidencia.gov.co
- Doctor Nestor Humberto Martínez, Ministro del Interior,
Ministerio de Gobierno, Cra. 8 n°. 8-09 SantaFe de Bogotá, Palacio de Nariño.Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Tel-fax:(571)2868025,3343960ext.0630 Mailto:prensamini@anticorrupcion.gov.co
- Doctor Luis Fernando Ramírez, Ministro de la Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, Avenida El Dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Tel-fax (571 ) 222 18 74 E-mail de la Secretaría General: infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co
- Doctor Jaime Bernal Cuellar, Procurador General de la Nación, Procuraduría General de la Nación, Carrera 5 n°. 15-80, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Tel-fax: (571 ) 342 97 23, 2817531 - Mailto: pgnpre@col1.telecom.com.co
- Doctor Alfonso Gómez Méndez, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22 B n°. 52-01, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Tel. fax: (571 ) 570 20 22 Mailto: fiscal@colonsat.net.co
- Doctor José Fernando Castro Caycedo, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (571 ) 346 12 25 -
Mailto: oprensa@col1.telecom.com.co
- Doctor Gustavo Bell, Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos,
Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santa Fe de Bogotá, D. C. Telefax: (571 ) 3371351
- General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado - Cra. 52, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Telefax:571-2222935, Mailto: pilaque@cgm.mil.co
Colombian diplomatic respresentations in your respective countries.
Geneva, 19th April 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
Case COL 190400
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 grave violations of human rights attributed to paramilitary groups. An outstanding example is the summary execution of 13 persons, still not identified, in the Poblado de Hato Nuevo, municipality of Carmen de Bolivar and the summary execution of Sr. Francisco Contreras in Córdoba, Department of Bolívar.
According to the National Association of Solidarity Aid (ANDAS) on Friday April 14th 2000 in the early hours of the morning armed men came to Hato Nuevo, burgled some residences, brought out 13 persons (whose names are not known) and murdered them, according to witnesses with a great deal of violence, accusing them of having alleged contacts with guerrilla groups. During the same attack the authors of these actions, who identified themselves as paramilitary, captured, insulted, ill-treated and abducted various persons whose whereabouts are unknown to this day.
Reports recall that recently in the village of El Salado, also in the municipality of Carmen de Bolivar, the paramilitary murdered 30 persons, several of whom bore obvious signs of torture and mutilation. This led to complaints to the municipal, departmental and national authorities, warning of the risk of possible future incursions of paramilitary groups in the region.
The same reports mention the death of Sr. Francisco Contreras on April 3rd 2000 in Cordoba, department of Bolivar, attributing it to alleged paramilitary groups, apparently in the presence of the local police authorities.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT deeply regrets and condemns these events. It wishes to express its concern at the apparent indifference of the Colombian authorities which, in spite of having been warned of the imminent risk of such actions failed to adopt appropriate measures to prevent them.
The information also adds that paramilitary groups have given the families still living in the municipality of Ovejas, Department of Sucre, a peremptory deadline for leaving the region. These facts and the helpless situation of the population have caused a massive exodus to various municipalities as well as the cities of Cartagena, Barranquilla and Sincelejo.
The International Secretariat of the OMCT shares the serious concern for the physical and psychological integrity of all the inhabitants of the region concerned and those displaced, in view of the increasing deterioration in the human rights situation in Colombia.
Action requested
Please write to the Colombian authorities urging them to:
iii. adopt effective measures to fight the actions of paramilitary groups;
iii. guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the inhabitants of the areas mentioned in the departments of Bolivar and Sucre as well as of those who have become displaced.
iii. order an immediate and impartial investigation into the facts mentioned above in order to identify those responsible, bring them to justice and impose upon them the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law;
iv. ensure that the families of the victims are able to obtain adequate compensation and appropriate assistance for their rehabilitation;
v. put immediately into effect the recommendations of international and regional human rights organizations including the office of the High Commissioner for human Rights and the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights as well as non-governmental human rights organizations.
vi. guarantee the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international standards on human rights.
Addresses
S.E. Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República, Presidencia de la República, Carrera 8 n°. 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Tel: 571 562 93 00 ext. 3550 - 571 284 33 00 - Fax:571 286 74 34 - 286 68 42 -284 21 86 - Mailto: pastrana@presidencia.gov.co
- Doctor Nestor Humberto Martínez, Ministro del Interior,
Ministerio de Gobierno, Cra. 8 n°. 8-09 SantaFe de Bogotá, Palacio de Nariño.Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Tel-fax:(571)2868025,3343960ext.0630 Mailto:prensamini@anticorrupcion.gov.co
- Doctor Luis Fernando Ramírez, Ministro de la Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, Avenida El Dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Tel-fax (571 ) 222 18 74 E-mail de la Secretaría General: infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co
- Doctor Jaime Bernal Cuellar, Procurador General de la Nación, Procuraduría General de la Nación, Carrera 5 n°. 15-80, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Tel-fax: (571 ) 342 97 23, 2817531 - Mailto: pgnpre@col1.telecom.com.co
- Doctor Alfonso Gómez Méndez, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22 B n°. 52-01, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Tel. fax: (571 ) 570 20 22 Mailto: fiscal@colonsat.net.co
- Doctor José Fernando Castro Caycedo, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n°. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá. Fax: (571 ) 346 12 25 -
Mailto: oprensa@col1.telecom.com.co
- Doctor Gustavo Bell, Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos,
Calle 7 n°. 6-54 Piso 3, Santa Fe de Bogotá, D. C. Telefax: (571 ) 3371351
- General Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida el Dorado - Cra. 52, Santa Fe de Bogotá. Telefax:571-2222935, Mailto: pilaque@cgm.mil.co
Colombian diplomatic respresentations in your respective countries.
Geneva, 19th April 2000
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.