URGENT ACTION APPEAL
Go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
to read this month's newsletter.
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25 February 2002
Further information on UA 221/01 issued 5 September 2001 and re-
issued 2 November 2001
Fear for Safety
COLOMBIA
Pablo Javier Arenales (m) ]
Jose Guillermo Larios (m) ] human rights activists
Yaneth Rubio Rodriguez (f) ]
Diana Marcela Gallego (f) and her family
Diana Garcia (f)
Other members of REINICIAR
New name:
Francisco Campo (m), Human Rights Worker
Other members of the non-governmental organization Corporacion
Regional para la Defensa de Derechos Humanos, (CREDHOS),
Regional Human Rights Corporation in Barrancabermeja,
department of Santander
Amnesty International is seriously concerned for the safety of human
rights worker Francisco Campo, a leading member of the
Corporacion Regional para la Defensa de Derechos Humanos,
(CREDHOS), Regional Human Rights Corporation, after receiving
information that he has been declared a 'military target' ('objetivo
militar') by army-backed paramilitary forces operating in the city of
Barrancabermeja, department of Santander. Amnesty International is
also concerned for the safety of other human rights workers, trade
unionists and popular activists in the city.
According to information received, paramilitary forces belonging to
the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), United Self-Defence
Forces of Colombia, forced inhabitants of the La Esperanza district of
Barrancabermeja to attend a public meeting on 20 February. At the
meeting the AUC reportedly announced that they were soon to attack
community leaders and trade union activists and that they had
declared Francisco Campo to be a 'military target'. They reportedly
stated that they had done this to silence the public denunciations
CREDHOS issues constantly on human rights violations carried out
by paramilitary forces in Barrancabermeja and surrounding areas.
CREDHOS, other human rights activists, trade unionists and popular
activists in Barrancabermeja have been repeatedly threatened by
paramilitary forces allied to the security forces, who have often
labelled them guerrilla collaborators. These accusations have
frequently been followed by serious human rights violations.
Amnesty International's concerns are further heightened because the
AUC have been able to maintain a large presence in
Barrancabermeja since the end of 2000 despite the fact that the city
and surrounding region is heavily militarized. Secondly, despite
repeated international alerts and denunciations, no decisive
measures have been taken to guarantee the safety of human rights
defenders or other activists. The authorities have also failed to
ensure that threats and human rights violations against these activists
in Barrancabermeja are fully investigated and those responsible are
brought to justice.
There is no further information on Pablo Javier Arenales, Jose
Guillermo Larios, Yaneth Rubio Rodriguez, Diana Marcela Gallego
and her family and
Diana Garcia at this time.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly
as possible:
- expressing concern for the safety of Francisco Campo, other
CREDHOS workers and human rights activists, trade unionists and
popular activists in Barrancabermeja following reports of paramilitary
threats against them;
- urging that all measures, deemed appropriate by those under threat
themselves, are taken to guarantee their safety;
- urging that full and impartial investigations into these threats are
undertaken, that the results are made public and that those
responsible are brought to justice;
- urging full and impartial investigations into links between the
security forces and paramilitary forces in Barrancabermeja and
surrounding areas are undertaken, that the results are made public
and that those members of the security forces responsible for
supporting and operating in unison with paramilitary forces are
brought to justice;
- expressing concern at the continued large-scale presence of AUC
forces in Barrancabermeja despite the heavy military presence in the
city and urging immediate decisive action to confront and dismantle
these groups in line with repeated UN recommendations and
governmental commitments
APPEALS TO:
President of the Republic of Colombia:
Presidente de la Republica de Colombia
Dr. Andres Pastrana Arango
Palacio de Narino
Carrera 8 No.7-26
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Telegrams: President Pastrana, Bogota, Colombia
Fax: 011 57 1 566 2071 / 562 8930
Salutation: Excelentisimo Sr. Presidente/Dear President
Vice-President of the Republic of Colombia:
Vicepresidente de la Republica de Colombia
Dr. Gustavo Bell Lemus
Vicepresidencia
Carrera 8A No 5-57
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Telegrams: Vice-Presidente Bell, Bogota, Colombia
Fax: 011 57 1 334 1138
Salutation : Excelentisimo Sr. Vicepresidente/ Dear Vice-President
Minister of the Interior:
Dr. Armando Estrada Villa,
Ministro del Interior
Ministerio del Interior,
Palacio Echeverry
Carrera 8a, No.8-09, piso 2o.,
Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
Telegram: Ministro Interior, Bogota, Colombia
Fax: 011 57 1 562 5298 (if someone answers say 'me da
tono de fax por favor')
COPIES TO:
CREDHOS
AA 505
Barrancabermeja
Santander, 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 April 8, 2002.
Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement
that promotes and defends human rights.
Please do not repost this appeal to any part of the Internet
without prior permission from Amnesty International. Thank you for
your help with this appeal.
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