COLOMBIA Urgent appeals

63. On 4 January 2001, the Special Representative sent an urgent appeal concerning the Commander of the Colombian Army who issued a press release on 26 July 2000 attacking

Mr. Gustavo Gallon Giraldo, Director of the NGO Colombian Commission of Jurists, and other members of the organization. According to the information received, the press release has made a reference to their involvement in the judicial proceedings aimed at solving the disappearance of a human rights defender on 4 July 1990. On 31 July 2000, Mr. Gallon asked the President of Colombia and the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of the Republic to order a rectification of that information. It was reported that the answer given by the Commander of the Army was reportedly incomplete since it did not respond to important questions relating to the video made by the members of the National Army showing human rights defenders who had participated in the judicial proceedings.

64. On 19 January 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Ivan Madero Vergel and Jose Guillermo Larios, members of the organization CREDHOS in Barrancabermeja, who were reportedly threatened on 3 January 2001 by army-backed paramilitaries. According to the information received, several people thought to belong to the paramilitary group AUC came to the homes of the above-named persons, threatening them and their families. Since then,

Mr. Madero Vergel has received a number of threatening phone calls at his home, reminding him that he is considered to be a military target and accusing him of being a guerrilla collaborator or supporter. Both men are members of an organization which has played a vital role in drawing international attention to human rights abuses committed by guerrillas, the security forces and their paramilitary allies.

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65. On 6 February 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers regarding Mr. Oscar Rodas Villegas, a lawyer and human rights defender, member of the Jose Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Association (CAJAR), who has reportedly been threatened with death and ordered to put an end to his investigations about human rights violations. According to the information received, on 24 January 2001, his wife, Ms. Olga Iliana Velez, was abducted by three men and a woman thought to belong to a paramilitary group. She was taken to an unknown house and beaten. She was freed at the end of the day and asked to tell Mr. Rodas Villegas that he had to disappear before 17 February or his family would be set upon.

66. On 13 February 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women regarding two men who identified themselves as members of the paramilitary group AUC and who reportedly came on 27 January 2001 to a women's community centre "Casa de la Mujer" run by the Organization Femina Popular (OFP) in the district of Barrancabermeja. According to the information received, these two men announced that they had come to take over the centre and demanded the keys from the activists. One of the men reportedly returned the same day, threatened Jackeline Rojas and stole her mobile phone. He reportedly said that the paramilitaries would take the centre by force and "blow the door and trample over whoever stands in their way". This man was arrested by the police, but it is feared that the AUC will carry out their threats. Furthermore, on 8 February 2001, two armed men, who identified themselves as members of the AUC, approached an international observer from Peace Brigades International (PBI) and ordered him to hand over his papers and mobile phones. When he refused, the men threatened him with a gun, at which point he and his colleague from the OFP gave the men their papers and mobile phones. As the men were leaving the centre, they threatened the international observer from PBI, declaring the organization a military target.

67. On 22 February 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Mr. Omar Vera Luna, President of the Junta de Accion Comunal in Barrancabermeja and collaborator of the Peace and Development Programme in Magdalena Medios, who has reportedly been threatened with death on various occasions since 16 February 2001 by members of the AUC. According to the information received, Mr. Vera Luna has reportedly refused to take part in a demonstration organized by the paramilitaries protesting against the creation of a place, "El Reten", designed to host meetings between the guerrilla members of ELN and the Government. As a result of renewed threats, and despite the presence of the police, Mr. Vera Luna and his family have been forced to leave their house and find shelter in the "Casa de la Mujer" centre run by the OFP in Barrancabermeja. In addition, Mr. Andres Aldana, President of the Junta de Accion Comunal

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reportedly received a visit on 15 February 2001 from two persons who identified themselves as members of the AUC. He was reportedly forced to sign a document requesting the presence of the national army in the city and the expulsion of the OFP. On 16 February 2001, he received two other visits from members of paramilitary groups who forced him to join a demonstration against the creation of "El Reten". Mr. Angel Miguel Solano, received a visit on 7 February 2001 from three men who identified themselves as members of the AUC and who warned him that he had to leave the city of Barrancabermeja. He was also asked to take part in the demonstration.

68. On 9 March 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding activists of the OFP who were reportedly attacked and threatened by paramilitaries as they organized a celebration of International Women's Day on 8 March 2001. According to the information received, on 7 March two OFP members were handing out leaflets to promote the activities they were organizing. A group of men who said they were members of the paramilitary AUC approached them. The men snatched the leaflets and burned them. They also threatened the women and told them to leave the area. Later, the OFP President, Yolanda Becerra, received a call on her mobile phone in which a threatening voice told her she would have to take the consequences.

69. On 2 April 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding professional killers who have reportedly been ordered to murder Mr. Alirio Uribe, a human rights lawyer, President of the Jose Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Association (CAJAR) and Vice-President of the International Federation of Human Rights Leagues (FIDH). According to the information received, the threats came as Mr. Uribe was participating in the session of the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.

70. On 11 June 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on violence against women regarding army-backed paramilitaries who reportedly told OFP worker Ms. Dany Rada Jimenez (22 years of age) on 18 May 2001 that she was a military target. Subsequently, she received further death threats and the paramilitaries reportedly told community members in various districts of Puerto Wilches, in Santander department that they would kill more OFP members. Ms. Rada Jimenez was reportedly kept under constant surveillance by men following her in the street for the past few weeks. She reported all this to the police.

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71. On 11 June 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding three armed gunmen, thought to be army-backed paramilitaries belonging to the AUC, who reportedly abducted Mr. Kimi Domico Pernia in the municipality of Tierralta, department of Cordoba, on the evening of 2 June 2001. According to the information received, he has not been seen since his abduction. Mr. Domico Pernia is a leader of the Embera indigenous people, who live along the rivers Sin and Verde in the department of Cordoba. He has played a leading role in the indigenous communities' campaign against the construction of the Urru dam, which will destroy much of their ancestral lands.

72. On 12 June 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Ms. Bernice Celeyta Alayon, President of the human rights organization NOMADESC, who reportedly found a message on her home answering machine on 18 May 2001 threatening her with death. The next day, a funeral wreath was left on her doorstep. Since 14 May 2001, she has reportedly been kept under constant surveillance by unknown men in cars. In the past few months, NOMADESC has denounced human rights violations by paramilitaries who have threatened and killed trade unionists in Valle del Cauca department, and massacred civilians living along the River Naya in Valle del Cauca.

73. On 15 June 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding the safety of Ms. Islena Rey, the only surviving member of a disbanded human rights organization, Meta Civic Human Rights Committee. On 5 June 2001, Mr. Gonzalo Zarate and his brother were reportedly killed by unidentified gunmen at their home in the Manantial district of Villaviciencio, capital of the department of Meta. Before it was disbanded, the organization played an important role in denouncing human rights violations committed by the security forces and their paramilitary allies in Meta. Since 1991, four leading members have been gunned down and three other members have disappeared. In its second year, the organization faced continuous threats, and three of its members disappeared.

74. On 15 June 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Astrid Manrique Carnaval, a member of the Popayan branch of the ASFADDES, and her family who had reportedly repeatedly been threatened in the previous few weeks. On 3 June 2001, it was reported that two men smashed all the windows at Ms. Manrique Carnaval's house. On

25 May 2001, she and her 14-year-old daughter were followed by six unidentified men in the street. At the end of April 2001, unknown men came to the home of her sister, who saw them keeping it under surveillance.

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75. On 29 June 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Ms. Emma Gomez de Perdono, a member of the trade union ANTHOC in Honda city, department of Tolima, and her daughter Diana de Perdono, who were reportedly victims of an attempted murder by paramilitaries on 13 June 2001. According to the information received, in the previous few weeks, a paramilitary group had threatened with death members of ANTHOC at a hospital in Honda if they refused to take part in the meetings of the paramilitary group. It was reported that paramilitary groups often accuse trade unionists of being members of guerrilla groups and considered them as military targets.

76. On 9 July 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding the disappearance and murder by paramilitaries of Mr. Alirio Pedro Domico Domico, Governor of the Embera indigenous group, which occurred in Cabildo del Rio Esmeralda, department of Cordoba, on 25 June 2001, and of Mr. Alberto Sabugara Velasquez, a leader of the Embera indigenous group, in Quibdo, department of Choco, on 27 June 2001. Concern was also expressed at the enforced disappearance on 2 June 2001 in Cabildo del Rio Verde, department of Cordoba, of Mr. Kimi Domico Pernia, also a leader of the Embera indigenous group.

On 10 July 2001, the Special Representative and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions issued a press release expressing their deep concern over the murder and disappearance of indigenous leaders in Colombia.

77. On 12 July 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers regarding Dr. Alirio Uribe Munoz, a lawyer and human rights defender, and two other members of the Jose Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Association (CAJAR) in Bogota, Luis Guillermo Perez Casas and Maret Cecilia Garcia, who are still facing harassment and intimidation by paramilitary groups in Cundinamarca. Since

Mr. Luis Guillermo Perez Casas started working on the case of massacre committed by members of the army in Mapiripan, he has reportedly been the victim of harassment and regular surveillance.

78. On 24 July 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Mr. Hernando Hernandez Pardo, Vice-President of CUT and President of the Oil Workers' Trade Union (USO), who escaped an assassination attempt on 6 July 2001. According to the information received, he was speaking at a union meeting in Barrancabermeja in Santander department when he was warned that a group of heavily armed paramilitary gunmen had come to the meeting to kill him. The meeting was immediately suspended and Mr. Hernandez Pardo was taken to safety.

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79. On 6 August 2001, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal regarding members of the Bogota-based human rights organization, Corporation Sembrar, who have reportedly been kept under surveillance and threatened. It was alleged that members of the organization, as well as other people who work with Sembrar, have been watched on entering and leaving its office in Bogota. The threats appear to be related to the organization's activities in and around the city of Barrancabermeja, an area for the control of which army-backed paramilitaries are waging a military campaign.

80. On 23 August 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding the situation of threats, murders and harassment faced by trade unionists. According to the information received, on 16 August 2001, three board members of SINTRAELECOL were victims of an attempted murder when they were leaving its offices in Fusagasuga, department of Cundinamarca. As a result, Ms. Doris Lozano Nunez died and Mr. Omar Garcia Angulo was seriously injured. On the same day, Mr. Manuel Pajaro Peinado, treasurer of the Trade Union of Public Services of Barranquilla district was murdered in his home. It was reported that

Mr. Edgar Pua and Mr. Jose Merino, treasurer and attorney respectively of ANTHOC received death threats and were asked to leave the city and to put an end to their activities. It was also alleged that Mr. Gustavo Villanueva, Director of ANTHOC in Polonuevo, received death threats.

81. On 28 August 2001, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal regarding Commandant Enrique Cotes Prado's declarations during a meeting on 27 July 2001 between local civil and military authorities and a national commission in Fusagasuga. This commission comprised the Vice-Presidency, the Ministry of the Interior, the Ombudsman and the Prosecutor's Office, as well as human rights organizations and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights as observer, and aimed at establishing dialogue with local authorities about the human rights situation in the region. One of the key issues in this dialogue was the relationship between members of the Military Base Camps of Las Aguilas and the inhabitants. According to the information received, Commandant Cotes Prado publicly declared that the State institutions and their civil servants, which did not take position regarding the occupation of the area by the guerrilla 20 years ago, were "serving guerrilla members". It has been reported that these declarations violated Presidential Directive 07, which aims to protect human rights defenders, including civil servants who perform human rights work. In that sense, Commandant Cotes's public declarations reportedly did not contribute to promoting dialogue between the different actors in the region and, on the contrary, might create a polarization of the situation.

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82. On 13 September 2001, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal regarding Edgar Pua, Judith Castillo, Argemio Rivaldo, Carlos Bustamente, Ubaldo Galindo, Jose Merino and Arminto Sarmiento, members of ANTHOC in Baranquilla, Atlantico region, who were reportedly threatened with death by paramiliatries who accused them of being guerrilla members. As a result of these threats, they were forced to leave the region. Carmen Pungo and Ricaurte Yanten Pungo, members of ANTHOC, were murdered on 2 September 2001 by paramilitary groups in Tambo, Cauca region.

83. On 26 September 2001, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal jointly with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Mr. Hernando Montoya, a trade union leader of SINTRAMUNICIPIO, Cartago section, department of Valle, who reportedly received anonymous death threats on 7 September 2001. Previously, the Cooperativa de Seguridad (COPROSEG) had reportedly threatened

Mr. Montoya. Although a beneficiary of the Minister of the Interior programme of protection, he is allegedly still facing harassment and threats by paramilitary groups. In addition, it has been reported that the mayor of Cartago has proffered verbal threats against Mr. Montoya on various occasions which have contributed to increasing the risk for his safety.

84. On 25 October 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression regarding Mr. Luis Manuel Anaya Aguas, treasurer of the Sindicato de Conductores y Trabaj adores del Transporte de Santander (SINCONTRAINDER) in Barrancabermeja, and its president, Mr. Luis Lopez, who were reportedly killed on 16 and

19 October 2001. On 17 October 2001, Mr. Julian Rodriguez, a member of the Corporation CREDHOS, was murdered in Barrancabermeja, allegedly in retaliation for his human rights activities. According to the information received, six trade unionist leaders of the Union Sindical Obrera (USO) were reportedly held in detention on 19 October 2001 in various cities around the country and accused of rebellion. Among the detainees were Mr. Jairo Calderon, former president of the USO, held in detention in Bucaramanga, Mr. Alonso Martinez, a USO activist, held in Bogota, Mr. Ramon Rangel, a member of the USO Human Rights Commission, held in Barrancabermeja and Mr. Fernando Acuna, former president of FEDEPETROL, held in Barrancabermeja. Agents of the Technical Body of Investigation of the Public Prosecutor's Office and of the Administrative Department of Security (DAS) were reportedly responsible for the arrests. These acts were connected with a one-day demonstration against ECOPETROL, a petrol company under State control, organized by the USO to protest against continuing harassment, death threats, murders and disappearances reportedly suffered by USO leaders and activists. Various board members of the Comite Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (COMPERDH) as well as one of its lawyers, have been reportedly threatened with

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death. This is the case for Mr. Ernesto Amezquita Camacho, Mr. Luis Jairo Ramirez,

Dr. Jahel Quiroga in relation with her activities in the Corporation Reiniciar and

Dr. Carlos Lozano. On 11 October 2001, Mr. Rigoberto Jimenez, president of the Asociacion de

Ayuda Solidaria (ANDAS) in Cartagena, and an AND AS board member were intimidated by

two unidentified men on a motorbike. On 16 October 2001, Mr. Manuel de la Rosa, treasurer of

ANDAS, was reportedly detained by three armed men in plain clothes and taken away by force

in a van. He was released at the request of other members of the organization.

85. On 30 October 2001, the Special Representative transmitted a joint urgent appeal with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions regarding Ms. Gladys Avila, Secretary-General of ASFADDES, Ms. Gloria Herney, ASFADDES General Coordinator, and other human rights defenders with that association, who were reportedly receiving death threats and being followed on a continuous basis. In recent weeks, it was reported, anonymous telephone calls had been made to ASFADDES. In addition, interference was heard on the office telephones.

86. On 13 November 2001, the Special Representative transmitted an urgent appeal regarding the destruction of the Organization Femenina Popular (OFP) community centre in the Barrio La Virgen, Barrancabermeja, department of Santander. According to the information received, on 10 November 2001, a group of armed men forcibly entered the OFP centre and began to demolish it.

87. On 30 November 2001, the Special Representative sent an urgent appeal regarding continuous threats against members of the Asociacion Campesina del Valle del Rio Cimitarra (ACVC) despite the recommendation made by the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights on 1 November 2001 to the Government of Colombia to implement the protective measures granted in 1999 in order to protect members of ACVC allegedly declared military targets by paramilitary groups. According to the information received, on 7 November 2001, members of the Cuerpo Tecnico de Investigaciones (CTI) of the Attorney-General's Office (Fiscalia) and of the Fifth Brigade of the Army broke into the home of Mr. Cesar Jerez, a member of the board of the Association, in Bucaramanga, and intimidated his family. These threats are allegedly linked to the activities carried out by ACVC in the defence of the human rights of the inhabitants of Valle del Rio Cimitarra in Magdalena Medio Colombiano. The Special Representative was also informed of the existence of a military intelligence report as well as a judicial investigation by the Attorney-General's Office against ACVC and its board.

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Allegation letters

88. On 15 February 2001, the Special Representative expressed her concern at the killing of Mr. Ivan Villamizar, regional ombudsman (defensor del pueblo) in Cucuta City in North Santander, on 12 February 2001. Mr. Villamizar, who had been the Dean of the University of Cucuta, had consistently denounced human rights violations in Catatumbo as well as the massacres, reportedly committed in 1999 by paramilitaries, in La Gabarra and Tibu, all in the department of Northern Santander. It is reported that, because of his work, he had been the object of constant death threats. A press release was issued on the same case by the Special Representative on 16 February 2001.

89. On 17 April 2001, the Special Representative submitted a communication to Mr. Gustavo Bell Lemus, Vice-President of the Republic of Colombia, reminding him of a list of cases she has already sent to the Government. The Special Representative expressed concern over the particularly precarious situation of human rights defenders in the country, especially in the city of Barrancabermeja. Reports indicated that serious human rights abuses are perpetrated by the paramilitary "Self Defence Group" (AUC). The Special Representative acknowledged that the Government of Colombia had taken measures to address the problem, such as the Special Protection Programme for Witnesses and Threatened Persons under the Ministry of the Interior. However, she remained concerned about the slow pace of judicial investigations into crimes against human rights defenders and about the limited administrative, security and financial resources to protect those human rights defenders who found themselves at risk.

90. On 19 October 2001, the Special Representative, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, sent an allegation letter to the Government regarding the case of

Mr. Eduardo Umana Mendoza, a lawyer and human rights defender. According to the information received, Dr. Mendoza was killed on 18 April 1998 by two men and a woman who identified themselves as journalists. Prior to his death, Dr. Mendoza had been threatened on numerous occasions. Complaints had been filed with the competent authorities, but no progress had been made on the investigations into these threats. A number of arrests have been made in connection with the murder, but so far only one person has been formally charged. There is a grave concern that, despite indications of military involvement in the crime, it appears that this line of investigation has not been followed.

91. On 19 October 2001, the Special Representative, jointly with the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, sent an allegation letter regarding the following cases.

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