Assassination of Mrs. Judith Vergara Correa

The International Secretariat of the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) requests your URGENT intervention in the following situation in Colombia.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of the OMCT is greatly concerned with the information received from reliable sources regarding the assassination of Ms. Judith Adriana Vergara Correa, which took place in the city of Medellin. Ms. Vergara Correa was the President of the Board of Communal Action (Junta de Acción Comunal) of the district el Pesebre. She was also the Alternative Democratic Pole’s (Polo Democrático Alternativo, PDA) candidate to the Local Administrative Board of the 13th Commune (Junta Administradora Local de la Comuna 13) in Medellin, capital city of Antioquia. Furthermore, Ms. Vergara Correa, 33 years old, was the mother of 4 minors.

According to the information received, around 9:30 am on 23 April 2007, Ms. Judith Adriana Vergara Correa was shot at by unknown gunmen while commuting to work in a bus. According to the reports, the murder took place in the San Germán district, at the West end of the city of Medellín only a block away from the IV Military Brigade’s headquarters.

Ms. Vergara Correa worked at the Corporation for Peace and Social Development (CORPADES - Corporación para la Paz y el Desarrollo Social) and was a member of the Antioquia section of the National Network of Initiatives in favour of Peace and Against War (REDEPAZ-Red Nacional de Iniciativas por la Paz y contra la Guerra). Furthermore, she was a member of the Antioquia section of the Permanent Assembly of the Civil Association for Peace (Asapaz - Asamblea Permanente de la Sociedad Civil por la Paz), and she participated in the activities organised by the organisation know as Madres de La Candelaria[1].

Based on the reports, it is feared that this crime may have been the work of paramilitary groups operating in a large sector of the west end of Medellin, which includes, amongst others, the districts of Pesebre, La Iguaná, Las Independencias I, II and III, Veite de Julio y El Salado and San Germán. According to the information received, the presence of unauthorised armed people in the area had already been denounced by the Human Rights group Defensoría del Pueblo. On 21 March 2007, this Human Rights group presented a report on some of the districts in the 13th Commune. In its report, the Defensoría del Pueblo asked the Comité Interinstitucional de Alertas Tempranas (CIAT)[2] to declare an early alert so that the measures necessary to protect the lives of district leaders be taken. Their request has not been fulfilled to this day.

According to the Defensoría del Pueblo’s report, “the mechanisms for the participation and autonomy of organisations have become vulnerable in the face of the hegemony of unauthorised armed groups. It is mainly community leaders and representatives who are at risk, for they are being targeted as a result of their refusal to submit to the districts’ new powers”.(OMCT Translation).

Furthermore, it should be mentioned that Mr. Fernando Quijano, president of the CORPADES, has recently been the subject of serious threats. On this subject it is worth recalling that on 23 August 2006 Mr. Haider Ramírez, one of the most charismatic representatives of the 13th Commune, was killed by 2 unknown people.

The International Secretariat of the OMCT firmly condemns the assassination of Ms. Judith Adriana Vergara Correa. OMCT is gravely distressed by this serious Human Rights violation and kindly requests the Colombian authorities to immediately take the most adequate measures to guarantee the physical and psychological safety and integrity of all of the 13th Commune’s representatives, members of the COPRADES, members of Redepaz, members of Asapaz Antioquia, members of the Madres de la Candelaria and their respective families.

Action requested

Please write to the Colombian authorities urging them to:

1. Immediately take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological safety and integrity of the family members of Ms. Judith Adriana Vergara Correa, Mr. Fernando Quijano and Mr. Haider Ramírez. Likewise take all necessary measures for the representatives of Medellin’s 13th Commune, members of the COPRADES, members of Redepaz, members of Asapaz Antioquia, members of the Madres de la Candelaria and their respective families.
2. Order an immediate, independent, thorough and impartial investigation into the assassination of Ms. Judith Adriana Vergara Correa, and into the threats against Mr. Fernando Quijano, in order to identify all those responsible, provide them with a competent, independent and fair trial and apply the civil, penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
3. Immediately apply the recommendations of regional and international Human Right’s organisations, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights;
4. Ensure in all circumstances the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country, in accordance with international human rights standards, particularly the Convention Against Torture which has been ratified by Colombia.

Addresses

• Permanent Mission of Colombia to the United Nations in Geneva.Chemin du Champ d’Anier, 17-19, 1209 Geneva, Switzerland. FAX: + 41.22.791.07.87; TEL.:+ 41.22.798.45.55. E-mail: mission.colombia@ties.itu.int
• Mr. Carlos Holmes Trujillo, Diplomatic Mission in Brussels: FAX: +32.2.646.54.91, E-mail: colombia@emcolbru.be
• H.E. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, President of the Republic, Cra. 8 # 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá.Fax:+57.1.566.20.71 : auribe@presidencia.gov.co
• Mr. Francisco Santos, Vice-president of the Republic, Téls.: +571334.45.07, +573.7720130, E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co ; buzon1@presidencia.gov.co
• Dr. Carlos Franco, Director of the Human Rights and Internacional Humanitarian Law Presidential Programme. E-mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co ; ppdh@presidencia.gov.co
• Observatorio DDHH de Vicepresidencia: obserdh@presidencia.gov.co;
• Dr. Fernando Ibarra, Asesor del Programa Presidencial de dd.hh y de DIH. Tel.: +57.1.336.03.11, FAX: +57.1.337.46.67, E-mail: fibarra@presidencia.gov.co
• Dr. Volmar Antonio Pérez Ortiz, Defensor del Pueblo, Calle 55 # 10-32, Bogotá. Fax: + 57.1.640.04.91 E-mail: secretaria_privada@hotmail.com ; agenda@agenda.gov.co
• Doctor Mario Hernán Iguarán Arana, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22-B # 52-01, Bogotá. Fax: +57.1.570.20.00; +57.1.414.90.00, E-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co
• Dr. Edgardo José Maya Villazón, Procurador General de la Nación, Cra. 5 #. 15-80, Bogotá. Fax: +57.1.342.97.23; +571.284.79.49 Fax: +57.1.342.97.23; E-mail: cap@procuraduria.gov.co, E-mail: quejas@procuraduria.gov.co; webmaster@procuraduria.gov.co; cap@procuraduria.gov.co; reygon@procuraduria.gov.co; anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co
• Dr. Juan Manuel Santos Calderón, Minister of Defense, Avenida El Dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Bogotá. Fax: +57.1.222.18.74; E-mail: siden@mindefensa.gov.co; mdn@cable.net.co infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co

Please also write to the diplomatic representations of Colombia in your countries.

Geneva, 3 May 2007

Please let us know of any action undertaken quoting this appeal’s number.

[1] Madres de la Candelaria is an organisation composed of mothers whose children have gone missing. They get together and carry out different activities denouncing the disappearance of their next of kin. In Medellin they get together on a weekly basis in the courtyard of the traditional Candelaria Church. At their meetings they urge captors to release their victims.

[2] In November 2002, the Colombian government appointed the Inter-institutional Committee for Early Alerts (CIAT - Comité Interinstitucional de Alertas Tempranas). This committee was created in an attempt to achieve the implementation of the governmental policy of defence and promotion of Human Rights. The CIAT is made up of representatives of the Minstries of Defence, Interior and Justice, as well as representatives of the Republic’s Vice-Presidency. It is in charge of processing the risk alerts generated by the “System of Early Alerts” of the Human Rights group Defensoría del Pueblo. The CIAT was created to anticipate such alerts and take the necessary measures to prevent violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.