New spate of death threats in Colombia‏

A group of Colombian organizations have alerted the international and national communities to repeated death threats against social and human rights organizations in the Cauca Valley region. The threats, stigmatizing the work of human rights defenders, are systematic. Between 22 October 2009 and 14 December 2010, eleven death threats have been received, one as a fax, the rest as text messages sent simultaneously to all the organizations via mobile phone.
FACTS:

1.- On 11 December 2010 various text messaged threats arrived to human rights defenders, MARTHA GIRALDO, CRISTINA CASTRO, AYDA QUILCUE and BERENICE CELEYTA, all originating from the same mobile phone number 3158063805. When phoning the number it rings three times before going to answer machine.

The first threat arrived at 6.39pm on the personal phone of MARTHA GIRALDO, a member of the Movement of Victims of State Crime, Cauca Valley Section, with the following text:

“you are the ones who do not let this country progress helping guerilla families and those who have stupid ideas of freedom are therefore declared as our objects of death. nomadesc. the committee of prisoners.ecate.movice.all the cabildos and indigenous leaders...death to you and we will start now aguilas negras new generation"

The next message arrived at 9.05 pm to CRISTINA CASTRO's mobile, Human Rights Defender and part of the Committee of Solidarity with Political Prisoners - Cauca Valley Section – CSPP and the Cauca Valley Network of Sisterhood and Solidarity with Colombia.

“we do not care about lesbian and gay campaigns and neither do we want you to help or benefit dead guerrillas death to Nomadesc movice ecate fcspp pcn the informant guerrillas who constitute the network in the valley the data bank of cinep directed by another guerilla priest death aguilas negras new generation”.

Between 8:00 and 8:04 pm. Two other text messages arrived at the mobiles of BERENICE CELEYTA, director of the NOMADESC Association and AYDA QUILCUÉ; ex main adviser of the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca and previously the spokesperson for the Minga of Social and Community Resistance.

Extracts from the text messages:

“we do not care about lesbian and gay campaigns and neither do we want you to help or benefit dead guerrillas death to Nomadesc movice ecate fcspp pcn the informant guerrillas who constitute the network in the valley the data bank of cinep directed by another guerilla priest death black eagles new generation”.

“those who benefit the guerilla will die guerrilla dogs we will finish with their families death to nomadesc. Indigenous leaders of Cauca. ecate. fcspp. movice. pcn. lesbian and gay groups. moviestudiantil. sintrasunicol death to you black eagles new generation will now begin... ”

On 14 December 2010, two new text messages arrived at the mobile of MARTHA GIRALDO, part of the Movement of Victims of State Cimes -MOVICE, Cauca Valley Section. The first of these arrived at 10:17 pm, saying:

“your subversive proposals do not affect democratic policies

extermination to fspp nomadesc pcn indigenous leaders ecate movice sintraunicol the ex. (SIC)”

The second text message sent at 10:26 pm, said:

*some text missing* in this campaign of annihilation against pcn nómades indigenous leaders sintraunicol ecate fcspp movice death for a real reconstruction of a new colombia *some text missing* (SIC)”

Cristina Castro, member of the Committee of Solidarity with Political Prisoners – Cauca Valley Section –CSPP and the Cauca Valley Network of sisterhood and solidarity with Colombia received a new threat at 10:28 pm:

“benefactors of the guerilla will die guerilla dogs we will finish with their families death to nomadesc indigenous leaders of cauca. ecate. fcspp movice pcn lesbian and gay groups movi estudiantil sintraunicol death to you all black eagles new generation we already began …”

For the above reasons we express deep concern for the safety of the human rights defenders MARTHA GIRALDO, CRISTINA CASTRO, AYDA QUILCUE y BERENICE CELEYTA and other members of the MOVICE- Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos- Seccional Valle del Cauca –CSPP- Asociación para la Investigación y Acción Social –NOMADESC- SINTRAUNICOL Subdirectiva Cali and the Red de Hermandad y Solidaridad con Colombia-Nodo Valle del Cauca.

We call for the government to investigate the threats against the above mentioned human rights defenders and urge the Colombian authorities to take effective action to protect members of the mentioned organizations in line with measures requested by those at risk, thus allowing them to safely continue their legitimate and important work on the defence of human rights.

REQUESTS

· We request that the pertinent measures be taken to protect the life of those threatened and we will do the paperwork in the necessary instances to start investigations and sanctions against those responsible.

· We request that all of you as soon as possible demand the Colombian state to provide a clear response to stop whatever attempt may be made against the members of the threatened organizations.

· We request all of you to demand that the Colombian government will take measures to prevent further human rights violations in this area.

· We request respect for the right to life and guarantees for exercising the defence of human rights; those which the threatened colleagues fundamentally respect and those contained within the Colombian Constitution.

[COLOMBIA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN ADDS: the Christmas and New Year break is an especially dangerous time for human rights defenders. These paramilitary death threats have to be taken with the utmost seriousness.

Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible

Please send your urgent actions to the relevant Colombian Embassy, in the UK this is: MAURICIO RODRIGUEZ Embassy of Colombia at email: londres@cancilleria.gov.co

with a copy to info@colombiasolidarity.org.uk ]

Send to:

JUAN MANUEL SANTOS CALDERÓN
Presidente de la República
Carrera 8 No. 7 -26 Palacio de Nariño Bogotá
Fax. 5662071

ANGELINO GARZÓN
Vicepresidente de la República
Carrera 8 No.7-57 Bogotá D.C.

RODRIGO RIVERA
Ministro de la Defensa
Avenida El dorado con carrera 52 CAN Bogotá D.C.
siden@mindefensa.gov.co
infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co
mdn@cable.net.co

GERMÁN VARGAS LLERAS
Ministro del Interior y de Justicia
Avenida El dorado con carrera 52 CAN Bogotá D.C.
Fax. 2221874
ministro@minjusticia.gov.co

VIVIÁN MORALES
Fiscal General de la Nación
Diagonal 22B No. 52-01 Bogotá D.C.
Fax. 570 20 00
contacto@fiscalia.gov.co
denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co

WOLMAR ANTONIO PEREZ ORTIZ
Defensor del Pueblo
Calle 55 No. 10 – 32 Bogotá D.C.
Fax. 640 04 91
defensoria@defensoria.org.co
secretaria_privada@hotmail.com

ALEJANDRO ORDÓÑEZ
Procurador General de la Nación
Cra. 5 No.15 – 80F Bogotá D.C.

anticorrupción@presidencia.gov.co
reygon@procuraduría.gov.co

Signed:

Movement of Victims of State Crime, Cauca Valley Section, - MOVICE

MOVICE- Capitulo Valle del Cauca

Foundation Committee of Solidarity with Political Prisoners – Cauca Valley Section – CSPP

Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos- Seccional Valle del Cauca –CSPP

Association for Research and Social Action – Nomadesc

Asociación para la Investigación y Acción Social –NOMADESC

SINTRAUNICOL Subdirectiva Cali

Network of Sisterhood and solidarity with Colombia – Cauca Valley Section

Red de Hermandad y Solidaridad con Colombia-Nodo Valle del Cauca

Network of Brother/Sisterhood and Solidarity - Valle del Cauca