URGENT ACTION APPEAL
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28 August 2002
UA 268/02 Fear for Safety
COLOMBIA
Diego Osorio, (m) President of the Central Unitaria de Trabajadores,
CUT, Colombian Trade Union Confederation Risaralda section;
Carlos Valencia (m), board treasurer, CUT Risaralda section;
Aide Trujillo (f), Presidente of the Sindicato de Educadores de
Risaralda, SER, Risaralda Teachers Union;
Rodrigo Lopez (m), Vice-President, SER;
Vicente Villada (m), board treasurer, SER;
Gerardo Santibanez (m), Secretary General,Sindicato de
Trabajadores de Las Empresas Publicas, SINTRAEMSDES, Public
Sector Trade Union;
Guillermo Cardona (m), President, Comite Permanente por la
Defensa de los Derechos Humanos Seccional Risaralda, CPDH,
Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights, Risaralda
Section;
Domingo Taborda (m), Vice-President, CPDH Risaralda Section;
Adriana Gonzalez (f), Secretary General, CPDH Risaralda Section;
Maria Teresa Henao (f), member CPDH, Risaralda Section;
Gustavo Marin (m), member CPDH, Risaralda Section;
Dover Hoyos (m), member CPDH, Risaralda Section;
Hernando Aguirre (m), member CPDH, Risaralda Section
and other activists with the CUT, SER, SINTRAEMSDES and CPDH
Amnesty International is seriously concerned for members of trade
unions and non-governmental human rights organizations operating
in the central coffee-producing Risaralda Department, following death
threats against the 13 people named above.
On 21 August, a leaflet was reportedly sent by fax to the offices of the
Sindicato de Educadores de Risaralda, SER, Risaralda Teacher's
Union. It was signed by the Bloque Cacique Calarca, Calarca
Cacique Bloc of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC, United
Self-Defence Forces of Colombia, an army-backed paramilitary
organization. The leaflet urged all those named above, all activists
with the CUT, SER, SINTRAEMSDES or CPDH to leave the region in
no more than 15 days, or the units of the Calarca Bloc would be
forced to take action against them.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Trade unionists and human rights defenders have frequently been
harassed, tortured and killed by paramilitaries who, together with the
security and armed forces, have often accused them of being
guerrilla sympathizers. According to reports from the CUT, so far this
year some 89 trade unionists have been killed, the majority by army-
backed paramilitaries.
Members of SINTRAEMSDES have been threatened in the past.
According to information from SINTRAEMSDES, last year two of its
members were killed in suspicious circumstances. The body of one
showed signs of torture.
The threats against such a large number of human rights defenders
and trade unionists come at a time when their organizations are
campaigning against the labour and social security reforms of the
new government and when the CPDH, Risaralda Section, continues
to denounce the increase of paramilitary activity in the department
and the entire coffee-producing region.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly
as possible:
- expressing concern for the safety of the people named above and
other activists of the CUT, SER, SINTRAEMSDES and CPDH in the
Department of Risaralda following the recent threats;
- asking the authorities what action they will take to guarantee the
safety of those at risk, and calling for the Ministry of Interior's
protection program for trade unionists and human rights defenders to
be adequately resourced in order to take effective measures;
- urging for an independent, impartial and conclusive investigation to
be carried out into the threats with those responsible brought to
justice;
- urging that the authorities take immediate action to dismantle
paramilitary groups, in line with stated government commitments and
recommendations made by the UN and other intergovernmental
organizations.
APPEALS TO:
President of the Republic:
Senor Presidente Alvaro Uribe Velez
Presidente de la Republica
Palacio de Narino
Carrera 8 No.7-26
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Telegram: Presidente de la Republica, Bogota, Colombia
Fax: 011 57 1 566 2071 / 571 3420592
Salutation: Dear President Uribe / Excmo. Sr. Presidente Uribe
Minister of the Interior and Justice:
Dr. Fernando Londono Hoyos
Ministro del Interior y Justicia, Ministerio del Interior y Justicia
Palacio Echeverry, Carrera 8a, No.8-09, piso 2o.
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Telegram: Ministro del Interior, Bogota, Colombia
Fax: 011 57 1 599 8404/ 571 5664573
Salutation: Dear Sir / Sr. Ministro
Human Rights Ombudsman:
Dr. Eduardo Cifuentes Munoz, Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoria del
Pueblo
Calle 55, No. 10-32/46 office 301
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Telegram: Defensor del Pueblo, Bogota, Colombia
Fax: 011 57 1 640 0491
Salutation: Dear Dr. Cifuentes Munoz / Estimado Dr. Cifuentes
Munoz
COPIES TO:
Non-governmental Human Rights Organization:
Comite Permanente por los Derechos Humanos - CPDH
A.A. 12817
Santafe de Bogata
COLOMBIA
Ambassador Luis Alberto Moreno
Embassy of Colombia
2118 Leroy Pl. NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 232 8643
Please send appeals immediately. Check with the Colorado office
between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, Mountain Time, weekdays only, if
sending appeals after October 9, 2002.
Go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
to read this month's newsletter.
Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement
that promotes and defends human rights.
Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
PO Box 1270
Nederland CO 80466-1270
Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 303 258 1170
Fax: 303 258 7881