URGENT ACTION APPEAL
Go to http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
to read this month's newsletter.
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7 October 2002
UA 302/02 Fear for safety
COLOMBIA
Martha Lucia Renteria, (f), Human Rights Defender in Valle del Cauca
Department
Amnesty International is seriously concerned for the safety of Martha
Lucia Renteria a human rights defender in the municipality of Jamundi,
Valle del Cauca Department, after recent threats against her.
On 26 September 2002 at 1:00 pm two unidentified men entered the
office of the Regional Human Rights Ombudsman, Defensoria del
Pueblo Regional, in Valle del Cauca, and insisted on knowing the
whereabouts of Martha Lucia Renteria. When they did not receive an
answer from people in reception, they went to the desk of one of the
employees and said in a threatening tone:'Don't worry, we will find
where she is today' ('no se preocupen que nosotros la encontraremos
donde este en el dia de hoy').
Martha Lucia Renteria is a member of the regional office of the non-
governmental human rights organization Sembrar. As part of her work
she usually accompanies displaced people to the Regional Human
Rights Ombudsman Office in Valle del Cauca to report their situation.
As a human rights defender Martha Lucia Renteria has publicly
denounced important cases of killings, 'disappearances' and
displacement. Because of her public declarations an attempt against
Martha Lucia Renteria's life was made on 29 September 2000 when
she was shot at after attending a meeting.
The seriousness of these threats has forced Sembrar to consider
asking the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights for the same
protection measures for the members of its regional office as those of
the national office in Bogota.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The displaced communities and organizations that work with them are
regularly victims of intimidation, abduction and murder, generally by
army-backed paramilitary groups, but also by soldiers or the armed
opposition group Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia
(FARC), Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
Sembrar is a non-governmental human rights organization that has
specialized in defending the legal rights of victims of human rights
violations in various regions of Colombia documenting human rights
violations in the regions, and supporting national and international
solidarity initiatives with local communities.
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly
as possible:
- expressing concern for the safety of Martha Lucia Renteria and urging
the Colombian authorities to take immediate and effective action to
guarantee her safety, in accordance with her wishes;
- asking them also to take immediate and effective action to ensure that
Martha Lucia Renteria, other members of Sembrar and other human
rights defenders in the Valle del Cauca Department can carry out their
legitimate and important work for the defence of human rights in safety;
- reminding the authorities of their obligations to human rights
defenders, as laid out in the United Nations Declaration on the Right
and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to
Promote and Protect Universally Recognised Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms, the Human Rights Defenders in the Americas
resolution of the Organization of American States and in repeated
recommendations made to them by the United Nations;
- urging the government to issue a public statement recognizing the
legitimacy of work for respect of the human rights of the civilian
population affected by the armed conflict;
- urging the authorities to take immediate action to dismantle
paramilitary groups, in line with repeated United Nations
recommendations.
APPEALS TO:
President of Colombia:
Senor Presidente Alvaro Uribe Velez
Presidente de la Republica
Palacio de Narino
Carrera 8 No. 7-26
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Telegrams: President Uribe, Bogota, Colombia
Telex: 44281 PALP CO
Fax: 011 57 1 566 20 71/ 576 20 78
Salutation: Excelentisimo Sr. Presidente/Dear President
Minister of the Interior and Justice:
Sr. Fernando Londono Hoyos
Ministro del Interior y de Justicia
Ministerio del Interior
Palacio Echeverry
Carrera 8a, No.8-09, piso 2o.
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Telegram: Ministro Interior, Bogota, Colombia
Fax: 011 57 1 566 4573
Salutation: Dear Sir / Sr. Ministro
Attorney General:
Dr. Luis Camilo Osorio
Fiscal General de la Nacion, Fiscalia General de la Nacion
Diagonal 22B 52-01 (Ciudad Salite)
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Telegram: Fiscal General, Bogota, Colombia
Fax: 011 57 1 570 2022 / 2017 (if someone answers say
'me da tono de fax por favor')
Salutation: Dear Dr. Osorio / Estimado Dr. Osorio
COPIES TO:
Sembrar
Non-governmental Human Rights Organization
Apartado Aereo 18621
Santafe de Bogota, 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 17 November 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