Colombia Solidarity Campaign

Santiago de Cali, Colombia, 5 October 2006 (ENGLISH/ESPA?OL)

The Colombia Solidarity Campaign is very sad to have to report the murder of another student at the University of Valle - Julian Andres Hurtado Castillo.

As you may remember, a Colombia Solidarity Campaign delegation of students and academics was present in the University of Valle on 22 Sept last year and witnessed police violence against the student community prior to the killing of the student Jhonny Silva by police later that day.

On 22 Sept this year, the Truth Commission that was convened by human rights organisations to investigate Jhonny?s murder presented its preliminary report in an event at which representatives of Colombia Solidarity also presented the findings of the delegation.

Now, a few weeks later, Julian, one of the student members of the Truth Commission, has been shot dead by paramilitary sicarios near his home. Here follows the report from local human rights defenders:

The Foundation Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners (FCSPP), Valle del Cauca Branch denounce before national and international public opinion and governmental and non-governmental human rights organizations, the vile and cowardly murder of University of Valle Student ANDRES JULIAN HURTADO CASTILLO.

This event occurred shortly before the publication of the final report of the interinstitutional truth commission into the events of 22 September 2005, when the student JHONNY SILVA ARANGUREN was killed at the hands of ESMAD (the Colombian riot police). A month ago the student community commemorated his murder in a dignified way.

FACTS

At midnight on 4 October 2005, when Julian was entering his home in the Las Granjas district of Cali, two sicarios (hired killers) - one man and one woman - fired a fatal shot at the young man?s head. The killers were on foot but used a public car for their escape. The taxi driver who had just dropped Julian in front of his house took him to the Carlos Carmona hospital in the Mariano Ramos barrio. From there he was moved to the University of Valle Hospital, where he was declared brain dead. This morning, 5 October 2006, the doctors and his family announced his death.

JULIAN ANDRES HURTADO CASTILLO was 29 years old and was two weeks away from graduating in Prehospital Attention. He worked as a paramedic in the University Hospital and was an active member of the University of Valle?s student council, as well as being an activist with the Polo Democratico Alternativo. In the context of his activities as a representative of the Student Council, he participated actively in the investigation of the case of the murder of the student Jhonny Silva on 22 Sept 2005 and in the denouncement of the impunity in which this case remains.

The FCSPP condemns this murder, as well as the persecution and stigmatization of those men and women who struggle for truth, justice and integral reparation for victims in a country where the social and collective life of communities and public universities has been increasingly penetrated by paramilitaries.

We demand that the organs under State control investigate this murder and devote themselves to finding the material and intellectual authors of this crime.

We reiterate our call for Truth and Justice for the murders of students in the University of Valle and to continue in the struggle against the systematic impunity in the region.

We urge the national and international community, institutions, governmental and non-governmental human rights organizations to embrace the University of Valle student community with solidarity and accompaniment in their pursuit of Truth, Justice and Integral Reparation. We also urge the respect of life, physical integrity and human dignity be guaranteed to those who participate in the construction of a new country.

Fundaci?n Comit? de Solidaridad con los Presos Pol?tica Seccional Valle del Cauca.

ASESINADO OTRO ESTUDIANTE DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE COMUNICADO URGENTE A LA OPINION PUBLICA

La Fundaci?n Comit? de Solidaridad con los Presos Pol?ticos seccional Valle del Cauca, denuncia a la opini?n publica nacional e internacional, instituciones, organismos gubernamentales y no gubernamentales de derechos humanos, el vil y cobarde asesinato del estudiante de la Universidad del Valle ANDRES JULIAN HURTADO CASTILLO. Este hecho sucede a poco tiempo de publicarse el ?ltimo informe por parte de la comisi?n interinstitucional de la verdad de los hechos acontecidos el 22 de Septiembre de 2005, donde hace cae asesinado a manos del ESMAD el estudiante JHONNY SILVA ARANJUREN. Hace un mes la comunidad estudiantil conmemor? dignamente su asesinato.

HECHOS

El d?a 4 de octubre de 2006 siendo las 12 de la noche, cuando ingresaba a su casa ubicada en el Barrio Las Granjas frente a la bomba de Terpel de la ciudad de Cali-Valle del Cauca; dos sicarios un hombre y una mujer que se movilizaban a pie y que al momento de la huida utilizaron un carro de servicio publico, dispararon discriminadamente un tiro en la cabeza del joven, quien cayo herido de muerte y fue trasladado por el solidario taxista que momentos antes lo hab?a dejado al frente de su casa, al hospital Carlos Carmona en el barrio Mariano Ramos. De all? fue trasladado al Hospital Universitario del Valle y fue declarado con muerte cerebral. En la ma?ana de hoy 5 de octubre de 2006 los m?dicos y su familia anunciaron su muerte.

JULIAN ANDRES HURTADO CASTILLO ten?a 29 a?os y estaba a dos semanas de graduarse de Atenci?n Prehospitalaria. Trabajaba como paramedico en el Hospital Universitario y se caracteriz? por ser un miembro activo y prop?sitivo del Consejo Estudiantil de la Universidad del Valle, era adem?s activista del Polo Democr?tico Alternativo. En el marco de sus actividades como representante del Consejo Estudiantil Universitario particip? activamente en la investigaci?n y denuncia contra la impunidad existente en el caso del asesinato del estudiante JHONNY SILVA ARANJUREN el 22 de septiembre de 2005.

La FCSPP RECHAZA este asesinato, al igual que la persecuci?n y estigmatizaci?n de los hombres y mujeres que luchan por la verdad, la justicia y la reparaci?n integral en un pa?s donde se agudiz? la paramilitarizaci?n de la vida social y colectiva de las comunidades y las universidades publicas en el pa?s.

EXIGIMOS a los organismos de control del Estado se investigue este asesinato y se d? con el paradero de los asesinos materiales e intelectuales del hecho.

REITEREAMOS nuestro llamado a la Verdad y Justicia por los asesinatos cometidos contra estudiantes de la Universidad el Valle. Y a no continuar en la lucha contra la sistem?tica impunidad existente en la regi?n.

SOLICITAMOS a la comunidad nacional e internacional, instituciones, organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales de derechos humanos a rodear de solidaridad y acompa?amiento a la comunidad estudiantil de la Universidad del Valle en su b?squeda de la Verdad, la Justicia y la Reparaci?n Integral. Igualmente se brinde la garant?a de respeto a la vida, la integridad y la dignidad humana de quienes participan en la construcci?n de un nuevo pa?s.

Fundaci?n Comit? de Solidaridad con los Presos Pol?tica Seccional Valle del Cauca.

Santiago de Cali, 5 de Octubre de 2006