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Archived Urgent Action
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KAIROS is deeply concerned about death threats made against our colleagues in Colombia working with the Inter-Congregational Commission for Justice and Peace (known in Spanish as "Justicia y Paz"), one of the most highly respected human rights organizations in Colombia. |
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Background Information |
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KAIROS is deeply concerned about death threats made against our colleagues in Colombia working with the Inter-Congregational Commission for Justice and Peace (known in Spanish as Justicia y Paz), one of the most highly respected human rights organizations in Colombia.
The Canadian churches have worked closely with Justicia y Paz for more than a decade, supporting its courageous denunciation of human rights violations, its support for the victims, and its accompaniment of civilian communities under threat. Justicia y Paz was founded by the Colombian Religious Conference in 1988. Its former director, Father Javier Giraldo, sj, is a recipient of the prestigious John Humphrey Freedom Award, given by the Montreal-based human rights organization Rights and Democracy.
According to information we have received, members of Justicia y Paz have reported being followed in recent weeks, and army-backed paramilitaries have threatened to kill them. Among the most disturbing reports are the following:
- On March 5, two men in a car kept watch over the Justicia y Paz headquarters in the capital, Bogota, taking note of people going in and out of the offices. The men were seen by several Justicia y Paz members before they drove away.
- Army-backed paramilitary groups, with bases in Cacarica, Choco Department, have reportedly threatened to kill Justicia y Paz members working with displaced communities in the area. During a paramilitary incursion into Cacarica at the beginning of February, the paramilitaries told people in the communities that they were going to kill one of the members of Justicia y Paz.
- Individual members of Justicia y Paz have been followed. On February 13, Danilo Rueda was reportedly followed for more than eight city blocks, two men in a van driving on one side of his car and a man on a motorcycle on the other. The van and the motorcycle reportedly forced him to stop, and the man on the motorcycle showed Danilo a sub-machine gun and then sped away.
- A man in civilian clothes followed Maritze Trigos on foot for several blocks on February 27, then approached her and said, "I have a heart, but I'm a soldier", implying that he was prepared to kill her. These threats have raised concerns for the safety of all Justicia y Paz workers, including Clemencia Correa who was followed by unidentified individuals in a car for several city blocks on October 21, 2001.
Colombian security forces and their paramilitary allies have a policy of labelling human rights organizations as guerrilla collaborators or supporters, making them into legitimate targets in the counter-insurgency war. Over 25 human rights defenders have been killed or "disappeared" in the last three years. To better understand attacks against human rights organizations in Colombia, order KAIROS' latest video, The Hidden Story: Confronting Colombia's Dirty War.
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Recommended Action |
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1. Please send a message to Colombian President Andres Pastrana (Presidente de la Republica, Palacio de Narino, Carrera 8, No. 7-26, Santafe de Bogota, Colombia; Fax: 011 57 1 566 20 71; E-mail: apastra@presidencia.gov.co) denouncing the threats against Justicia y Paz and urgently calling on the Colombian government to:
- take immediate and effective action to protect Maritze Trigos, Danilo Rueda, Clemencia Correa and other members of Justicia y Paz, ensuring that they can carry out their legitimate and important work for the defence of human rights in safety
- carry out a full and impartial investigation into the threats against these and other members of Justicia y Paz, with the results made public and those responsible brought to justice
- take immediate action to dismantle paramilitary groups, in line with stated government commitments and UN recommendations
2. Send a letter to Canada's Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham (Minister of Foreign Affairs, 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, ON; Fax: 613-996-3443; E-mail: GrahaB@parl.gc.ca) also denouncing the threats. Urge the Canadian government to call on its Colombian counterpart to launch a thorough investigation and to provide real guarantees for the safety of the members of Justicia y Paz. (See the letter that KAIROS sent here below.)
Send Copies to:
- Guillermo Rishchynski, Canadian Ambassador to Colombia (Fax: 011-571-657-9915; E-mail: guill.rishchynski@dfait-maeci.gc.ca)
- Fanny Kertzman Yankelevitch, Colombian Ambassador in Canada (Fax: 613-230- 4416; E-mail: embajador@embajadacolombia.ca)
Please send your messages immediately to protect the lives of our colleagues at Justicia y Paz.
For more information, contact KAIROS at 416-463-5312. (Toll free number: 1 877 403 8933).
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Sample Letter to Hon. Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs |
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April 11, 2002
Hon. Bill Graham
Minister of Foreign Affairs
125 Sussex Drive
Ottawa, Ontario
Dear Mr. Graham:
I am writing to you on behalf of the member churches of KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives to express our deep concern over the recent wave of death threats directed against members of a long time partner organization of the Canadian churches, the Inter-Congregational Commission on Justice and Peace (Justicia y Paz). Justicia y Paz is a highly respected Colombian human rights organization established by the Colombian Religious Conference in 1988.
According to information we have received, members of Justicia y Paz have reported being followed in recent weeks while army-backed paramilitaries have threatened to kill them. Among the most disturbing reports are the following:
- On March 5, two men in a car kept watch over the Justicia y Paz headquarters in the capital, Bogota, taking note of people going in and out of the offices. The men were seen by several Justicia y Paz members before they drove away.
- Army-backed paramilitary groups, with bases in Cacarica, Choco Department, have reportedly threatened to kill Justicia y Paz members working with displaced communities in the area. During a paramilitary incursion into Cacarica at the beginning of February, the paramilitaries told people in the communities that they were going to kill one of the members of Justicia y Paz.
- Individual members of Justicia y Paz have been followed. On February 13, Danilo Rueda was reportedly followed for more than eight city blocks, two men in a van driving on one side of his car and a man on a motorcycle on the other. The van and the motorcycle reportedly forced him to stop, and the man on the motorcycle showed Danilo a sub-machine gun and then sped away.
- A man in civilian clothes followed Maritze Trigos on foot for several blocks on February 27, and then approached her and said, "I have a heart, but I'm a soldier", implying that he was prepared to kill her. These threats have raised concerns for the safety of all Justicia y Paz workers, including Clemencia Correa who was followed by unidentified individuals in a car for several city blocks on October 21, 2001.
Given the horrendous record of attacks against human rights defenders in Colombia - a subject which is being discussed in Geneva at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights - we urge the Canadian government to call on the Colombian authorities to launch a thorough investigation into these threats and to provide real guarantees for the safety of the members of Justicia y Paz.
We will anxiously await your response,
Pat Steenberg Executive Director
cc: Ambassador Guillermo Rishchynski
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