Attack against a member of the Junta Comunal de la Floresta in El Castillo

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

Description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has been informed by the Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners Foundation (Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con Presos Políticos, FCSPP), organisation member of the SOS-Torture network, about the armed attack against and attempt to kill of Mr. Isaías López, farmer and member of the Committee of communal action (Junta de Acción Comuna, JAC) of the lane la Floresta of the municipality of El Castillo, in events taking place in the area of Medellín del Ariari, in the Department of Meta.

According to the information received, on 19 August 2007 around 9:15 p.m., Mr. Isaías López, 50 years old, was shot by unknown men, allegedly members of paramilitary groups, who hid their faces with handkerchiefs and hid themselves in the surroundings of the Coliseum, waiting for Mr. López to pass by a pool place in the hamlet of Medellín del Ariari, located in the exit of the country house, on the way that leads to the municipal government in El Castillo. The assailants shot him at least eights times.

According to the information, Mr. Isaías López is in a critical state in a hospital in the municipality of Granada, Meta, and there is fear for his security and his life, as well as that of all members of his family taking into account the record of a strong military presence and alleged strong paramilitary presence in the municipality of El Castillo.

OMCT recalls with preoccupation that, according to denunciations made by social and human rights organisations, the area of Alto Ariari river is characterised by a high military and paramilitary presence, where they generated massive relocations in recent years due to permanent human rights violations against the villagers, like threats, harassment, assassinations, forced disappearances and blockade of food transportation, among other things. As a result of this situation, numerous families of the municipality of El Castillo had no choice but to move, leaving the countryside devastated.[1]

Recently, OMCT reported the assassination on 26 May 2007 of Mr. Genaro Potes, a former displaced man due to the violence in El Castillo, which resulted in a profound commotion among the rural population of the region[2].

The International Secretariat of OMCT expresses its deep disapproval of these extremely violent events, the persecution of the civil population, the apparent impunity of the assailants and the absence of effective means of protection by the municipal authorities, governmental and national to prevent these types of events.

Actions requested

Please write to the authorities in Colombia, urging them to:

1. Take immediate measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of Mr. Isaías López, including free and adequate medical care when needed, and also guarantee the security of the members of JAC and their neighbours in la Vereda “La Floresta” and all inhabitants of the rural and urban zones of El Castillo, Meta;
2. Order a thorough and impartial investigation into these events, especially the attempt to kill Mr. Isaías López, in order to identify all those responsible, bring them to trial and apply the penal and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;
3. Grant an adequate compensation to all members of Mr. Isaías López’s family;
4. Follow up on the recommendations provided by regional and international human rights organizations, including the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights;
5. Ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national laws and international human rights standards.

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
• Doctor 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, Vicepresident of the Republic, buzon1@presidencia.gov.coTéls.: +571334.45.07, +573.7720130, E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co ;
• Dr. Carlos Franco, Director of the presidential human rights and humanitarian international law programme. E-mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co ; ppdh@presidencia.gov.co
• Vicepresidential human rights Observatory: obserdh@presidencia.gov.co;
• Dr. Fernando Ibarra, Advisor for the presidential human rights and humanitarian international law programme. Tel.: +57.1.336.03.11, FAX: +57.1.337.46.67, E-mail: fibarra@presidencia.gov.co
• Dr. Volmar Antonio Pérez Ortiz, People Counsel, 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, District Attorney, 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, National General Attorney, 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; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co; mdn@cable.net.co

Please also write to the embassies of Colombia in your respective country.

Geneva, 23 August 2007

Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code of this appeal in your reply.

[1] OMCT recalls that the police and military presence in the extinct free zone increased significantly in the Alto Ariari area since Januray 2002 and extended the contra strategy and the paramilitary repression in the municipality of El Castillo. (OMCT translation of the following quote : “(…) Entre la presencia policial y militar en los límites de la extinta Zona de Distensión, aumentada significativamente en el Alto Ariari, desde enero del 2002 se consolida y extiende la estrategia de control y de represión de tipo paramilitar en el municipio de El Castillo. (…)” (ver Informe Ejecutivo 13-Meta, de mayo de 2003, de la Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz).

[2] On 26 May 2007, around 4 p.m., a known farmer of the region, Mr. Genaro Potes, 51 years old, was detained in la Vereda “Campo Alegre” of the municipality of El Castillo, by troups of the Batallón “21 Vargas”. Later, on the morning of 28 May 2007, the radio station Colombia Stereo announced that in Campo Alegre, in the municipality of El Castillo, the Army, in the middle of confrontations with the guerilla, released a guerillero. (OMCT translation of the following quote: “(…) que en la vereda Campo Alegre, del municipio de El Castillo, el Ejército Nacional, en medio de enfrentamientos con la guerrilla, había dado de baja un guerrillero (…)” (ver Llamado OMCT COL 010607).