Abuses against Human Rights Defenders in
Arauca Continue
Luz Perly Cordoba, President of the Arauca
Campesino Association, who accompanied members of the Colombia Solidarity
Campaign on a human rights mission to Arauca in February 2003, has
been detained by state forces. The organisation’s office has
been raided by police, leading to further detentions.
The "Joel Sierra Regional Human Rights
Committee" denounce the following facts that constitute a continuation
of the grave violation of human rights that is taking place in Arauca.
1. On the 18 February, LUZ PERLY CORDOBA,
President of the Arauca Campesino Association (ACA) was arrested
in Bogotá. At the same time, the office of this organisation
in the municipality of Arauquita in Arauca department, was raided
by personnel from the SJIN, CTI, DAS and the police. Unable to gain
access to the building, the "security forces" went to
the house of NUBIA VEGA, also a leader of the Arauca Campesino Association"
raiding her house, photographing everyone they found there, and
arresting VICTOR ENRIQUE AMARILLO, the organisation’s body
guard. They then returned to the office, where a secretary was forced
to let them in, and confiscated computer equipment and discs, telephone
bills, photographs and other information.
2. The Arauca Campesino Association is a
legitimate social organisation that is legally constituted. Through
their human rights department, they have developed an arduous defence
of the campesino sector, and are known for their defence of Life,
Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
3. According to information received from
ACA, two of the bodyguards assigned to Luz Perly by the Ministry
of the Interior protection programme have been disappeared.
4. We urgently call on all national and
international human rights organisations and on the office of the
UNHCHR in Colombia to carry out an urgent evaluation and investigation
into the Human Rights situation and the infringements of International
Humanitarian Law in the region. We also call on the Colombian government
immediately to release Luz Perly from custody, and to stop all further
attacks against the social movement in Arauca.
We call on all individuals and organisations
to express their deep dismay and disgust at the continued persecution
of the social movement in Arauca, and call on the Colombian state
to release Luz Perly Cordoba from detention immediately.
Department of Arauca, 19 February 2004.
Please send letters to/Enviar mensajes a
:
Presidente de la República de Colombia:
Dr. Alvaro Uribe Velez Palacio de Nariño Carrera 8 No.7-26
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA Fax: 00 57 1 286 74 34/286, 68
42/284 21 86
[Salutation: Excelentisimo Sr. Presidente/Dear President ]
E-mail: to send e-mail to Uribe login tohttp://www.presidencia.gov.co
and click on ESCRIBALE AL PRESIDENTE at the bottom of the page
Para enviar correo al Sr Presidente, dirmjase a la pagina Web:
http://www.presidencia.gov.co y haga clic en ESCRIBALE AL PRESIDENTE
ubicado en la parte inferior, al final de la pagina.]
Vicepresidente de la Republica de Colombia
Francisco Santos
Consejeria Presidential de Derechos Humanos Calle 7, No 654, Piso
3 Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 00 57 1 337 1351 E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co
Presidential Human Rights Programme
Programa Derechos Humanos Presidencia de la Republica ppdh@presidencia.gov.co
Ministro del Interior y Justicia, Sabas
Pretelt de la Vega
Ministerio del Interior y Justicia, Palacio Echeverri, Carrera 8a,
No 8-09, piso 2o Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
e-mail: ministro@minjusticia.gov.co
E-mail: ministro@minjusticia.gov.co; minisint@col1.telecom.com.co;
Fiscal General de la Nacion/Public Prosecutor
Dr Luis Camilo Osorio
E-mail:contacto@fiscalia.gov.co; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co; webmaster@fiscalia.gov.co
Procurador General de la Nacion/Attorney General
Dr Edgardo Josi Maya Villazon Carrera 5 N0 15-80 F, Santafe de Bogota,
Colombia
Fax: 3429723 E-mail:anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co
Defensor del Pueblo / Public Defender Dr Luis Eduardo Cifuentes
E-mail:secretaria_privada@hotmail.com; defensoria@defensoria.org.co
And, in the UK, to
Colombian Embassy (UK):mail@colombianembassy.co.uk
Bill Rammell MP Under Secretary of State Foreign Officejames.morrison@fco.gov.uk
With a copy to the Colombia Solidarity Campaign atcolombia_sc@hotmail.com
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