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Colombia: Threats are a cause for special concern
Peace Brigades International -PBI- / Wednesday 21 July 2010
 

«Now it is time for social cleansing», «we’ve identified you»(1) and «we are not responsible for innocent people in the street, parks, or on the corners after eleven at night»(2). These are just a few of the messages included in pamphlets and emails sent to journalists, lawyers, women, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) activists, indigenous people, and members of organisations of displaced persons. In several cases threats were also sent to family members of the victims. According to local organisations, some of these pamphlets have lists of names and in other cases warnings to stay out of some neighbourhoods after a certain hour.

According to the Centre for Investigation and Popular Education (CINEP), overall threats and harassment have drastically increased. In fact in 2009, threatening pamphlets were distributed in at least 20 cities(3) and at least 24 of the 32 departments of the country(4). In just the first six months of 2009, 82 collective threats were registered against people who live or work with marginalised sectors of Colombian society(5).

In its annual report, UNHCHR also registered «an increase in the acts of intimidation and death threats through pamphlets and emails against human rights defenders»(6) and several organisations accompanied by PBI have been victims of these kinds of attacks(7). According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), the threats have also been directed against international observers and at least eight foreign embassies in Bogotá received threats signed by the «Black Eagles» in March 2008(8).

Furthermore, people who represent and support victims within the framework of Law 975 of 2005 —especially if they encourage the restitution of seized land— have been threatened and even murdered. This situation has also been faced by peace activists, community representatives, and public officials who promote the defence of human rights (such as local human rights liaisons and analysts at the Early Warning System of the Human Rights Ombudsman’s Office)(9).

The affected persons perceive a political strategy behind the threats and intimidation which attempt to silence members of alternative grassroots and political organisations. According to HRW, «Such threats often have a chilling effect on, or otherwise impair the legitimate work of their targets». The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders confirmed that they continued to carry out their work in a «non-conducive environment of hostility and fear».

In most cases, the threats are made by groups that the New Rainbow Corporation (CNAI) considers to be neo-paramilitaries(10) —making reference to the continuity of the structures and activities attributed to paramilitary groups before their official demobilisation— and in «some cases have even been fatal»(11). The national police estimate that these groups have more than 4,000 members, but NGOs indicate the figure could reach 10,200(12).

According to the U.S. State Department report, the Inspector General’s Office opened 193 investigations into threats in 2009(13). The UN recognises that in some cases the investigations have made progress; however, it highlights that «most of the threats remain unaccounted for and, at times, authorities were quick to dismiss them without prior investigation»(14).

Murders

«In recent months, the paramilitary groups have intensified their actions against human rights defenders in various regions of the country»(15). In many cases, the murder victims are people who participate in organising processes with civil society associations or local political groups like the Neighbourhood Actions Boards. As demonstrated in a report by the Central Union of Workers (CUT), trade unionists are among those individuals most often targeted by physical attacks. In 2009, 39 trade union activists were murdered, a figure which indicates that every year more than 60% of the trade unionists murdered in the world are from Colombia(16). Moreover, one of the most affected populations are indigenous groups, who have seen 1,464 of their members murdered, many of whom were active in the indigenous governing councils, between 2002 and 2009(17).

1 «Alerta en la USCA por panfletos amenazantes», Ministry of Education, 24 June 2009.

2 «Alarma en Ocaña por circulación de panfletos amenazantes», 17 February 2010.

3 «Boletín humanitario», Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, United Nations, No. 5, 25-31, January 2010.

4 «Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the situation of Human Rights in Colombia», 4 March 2010.

5 «Informe especial. De los ‘falsos positivos’ a la intolerancia social», CINEP, October 2009.

6 Ibid. 5

7 «Grave threats against human rights defenders», PBI Colombia, ColomPBIa No. 13, December 2009.

8 «Paramilitaries’ heirs. The new face of violence in Colombia», Human Rights Watch, February 2010.

9 Ibid. 5

10 The Colombian government classifies these later groups as «emerging criminal gangs to the service of drug trafficking» (BACRIM), according to the HRW report.

11 «Sobre paramilitares, neoparamilitares y afines. Crecen sus acciones criminales ¿qué dice el Gobierno?», CNAI, November 2009.

12 Ibid.9

13 «2009 Human Rights Reports: Colombia», U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour, 11 March 2010.

14 Ibid.5

15 «Grave attacks on the work of human rights defenders in Colombia. Written report for the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders on the occasion of her visit to Colombia (7-18 September 2009)», National and International Campaign for the right to defend human rights.

16 «Informe de la CUT para la misión de verificación para la situación de derechos humanos en Colombia», Central Union of Workers (CUT), 26 January 2010.

17 According to records at the Information System on Indigenous Peoples, Colombia.