Colombia
14.02.02
Intervenciones urgentes
Colombia: desaparicion del Sr. Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago y del Sr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitán
Case COL 140202
Alleged forced disappearances / Fear of “social clean-up”
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 by Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos de Colombia (ASFADDES), of the alleged forced disappearances of Mr. Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago, during events in Popayán, Departament of Cauca, and of Mr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitán, during events between Mocoa and La Hormiga, Departament of Putumayo.
According to the information received, Mr. Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago left his house on February 2nd, 2001, to go to the « Fundación Volver a Vivir », where he was undergoing a rehabilitation for drug addiction. Since that day nothing is known of him.
According to the report, six months before he disappeared, two armed men riding a motorcycle arrived looking for Mr. Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago at his residence in the district Solidaridad. The men reportedly insisted on taking Mr. Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago by force but his sister prevented it.
On December 20th, 2001, a man who called himself “Diego”, called saying he knew where Arbey was. He requested $700.000,oo (seven-hundred thousand pesos) for the information, claiming that the situation was very delicate because Arbey was allegedly held by the Autodefensas, and that therefore he was running a great risk, he added that they should contact him to a mobile phone. According to the information received, this was the last time that anything was heard about Mr. Arbey, and his mother fears that he might have been victim of an operation known as “social cleaning”.
Background
According to the report, since November 2000, a wave of killings and massacres committed by Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) began in the regions of Santander, Quilichao, Cajibio, Caloto and Popayán, and it has not stopped yet; on the contrary, the killings have apparently increased daily in the areas of Timbio, Tambo, El Bordo, Patía and in general in the south west of the department, and in some comunas of the city. According to statistics in the report, between four and five youths are killed daily and this number increases on weekends. There are reportedly no investigations and no measures taken in relation to this problem.
In addition, according to information received by Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos (FCSPP), 35-year-old Mr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitán, left his house, located in the Quintanares district, on December 26th, 2001 to go to the municipality La Hormiga, to deliver merchandise.
According to the reports, Mr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitán called his wife and told her that he was currently in Mocoa (Putumayo), on his way to La Hormiga, his family have not heard from him again. Mr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitan had reportedly been a merchant for over six months, selling various goods from town to town. Mr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitán was reportedly known in the areas where he worked, and had never had any particular problem with anyone.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the security and physical and psychological integrity of Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago and Olegario Carvajal Gaitán..
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to locate the whereabouts of Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago y Olegario Carvajal Gaitán, and guarantee their physical and psychological integrity;
ii. 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;
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 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) 286 74 34; (+57 1) 286 68 42; (+57 1) 284 21 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 : 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 ; 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)342 97 23;(+57 1)281 75 31 ; 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 22 ; 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) 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 embassies of Colombia in your respective country.
Geneva, February 14th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.
Alleged forced disappearances / Fear of “social clean-up”
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 by Asociación de Familiares de Detenidos Desaparecidos de Colombia (ASFADDES), of the alleged forced disappearances of Mr. Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago, during events in Popayán, Departament of Cauca, and of Mr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitán, during events between Mocoa and La Hormiga, Departament of Putumayo.
According to the information received, Mr. Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago left his house on February 2nd, 2001, to go to the « Fundación Volver a Vivir », where he was undergoing a rehabilitation for drug addiction. Since that day nothing is known of him.
According to the report, six months before he disappeared, two armed men riding a motorcycle arrived looking for Mr. Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago at his residence in the district Solidaridad. The men reportedly insisted on taking Mr. Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago by force but his sister prevented it.
On December 20th, 2001, a man who called himself “Diego”, called saying he knew where Arbey was. He requested $700.000,oo (seven-hundred thousand pesos) for the information, claiming that the situation was very delicate because Arbey was allegedly held by the Autodefensas, and that therefore he was running a great risk, he added that they should contact him to a mobile phone. According to the information received, this was the last time that anything was heard about Mr. Arbey, and his mother fears that he might have been victim of an operation known as “social cleaning”.
Background
According to the report, since November 2000, a wave of killings and massacres committed by Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC) began in the regions of Santander, Quilichao, Cajibio, Caloto and Popayán, and it has not stopped yet; on the contrary, the killings have apparently increased daily in the areas of Timbio, Tambo, El Bordo, Patía and in general in the south west of the department, and in some comunas of the city. According to statistics in the report, between four and five youths are killed daily and this number increases on weekends. There are reportedly no investigations and no measures taken in relation to this problem.
In addition, according to information received by Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos (FCSPP), 35-year-old Mr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitán, left his house, located in the Quintanares district, on December 26th, 2001 to go to the municipality La Hormiga, to deliver merchandise.
According to the reports, Mr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitán called his wife and told her that he was currently in Mocoa (Putumayo), on his way to La Hormiga, his family have not heard from him again. Mr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitan had reportedly been a merchant for over six months, selling various goods from town to town. Mr. Olegario Carvajal Gaitán was reportedly known in the areas where he worked, and had never had any particular problem with anyone.
The International Secretariat of OMCT is gravely concerned for the security and physical and psychological integrity of Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago and Olegario Carvajal Gaitán..
Action requested
Please write to the authorities in Colombia urging them to:
i. take all necessary measures to locate the whereabouts of Arvey Gutiérrez Tintinago y Olegario Carvajal Gaitán, and guarantee their physical and psychological integrity;
ii. 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;
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 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) 286 74 34; (+57 1) 286 68 42; (+57 1) 284 21 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 : 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 ; 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)342 97 23;(+57 1)281 75 31 ; 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 22 ; 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) 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 embassies of Colombia in your respective country.
Geneva, February 14th, 2002
Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.