Colombia: Murder in Cimitarra valley
by Weekly News Update on the Americas
March 5, 2006
The Campesino Association of the Cimitarra River Valley
(ACVC) has reported a recent increase in paramilitary murders, threats
and other activities in the Cimitarra valley of Colombia's Magdalena
Medio region, where the departments of Bolivar, Santander and Antioquia
intersect.
On Feb. 18, Colombian paramilitaries murdered Guido Romero, vice president
of the Communal Action Board, in the rural community of La Victoria
in Cantagallo municipality in the Cimitarra river valley in the south
of Bolivar department. The paramilitaries, presumed to be from the urban
center of Cantagallo, came to La Victoria asking for Romero. They detained
him and took him to the community's soccer field, where they murdered
him in front of other community members. Romero's murder came two days
after he met with ACVC leaders to plan a series of community actions.
[Corporacion Regional para la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos (CREDHOS)
2/22/06 via Colombia Indymedia; ACVC 2/23/06]
At a subsequent meeting in Cantagallo, a paramilitary member from Barrancabermeja
in Santander department announced that the legalized paramilitary groups
known as Convivir must be reestablished in the town. On Feb. 22, in
nearby San Pablo, a "demobilized" paramilitary commander called
a meeting where he announced that the Convivir groups would be reestablished,
and that the community must finance them. The Convivir "security
cooperatives" were first established in neighboring Antioquia department
by then-governor Alvaro Uribe Velez, now president of Colombia seeking
a second term in elections in May. [ACVC 2/23/06; CREDHOS 2/24/06]
On Feb. 22, the body of Robinson Alberto Gonzalez was found with five
bullet wounds--two in the head--between the rural communities of Campo
Bijao and Cano Tigre, at a site known as Cano Panela, in the northeastern
area of Antioquia, near the borders with Bolivar and Santander departments.
Gonzalez worked as a traveling vendor; he had disappeared on Feb. 6
between the rural communities of Puerto Nuevo Ite and Dosquebradas in
Remedios municipality.
No one has claimed responsibility for murdering Gonzalez. The Calibio
Battalion of the army's 14th Brigade operates in the area, and is said
to collaborate with rightwing paramilitary groups which supposedly demobilized
in Remedios several weeks ago. Leftist rebels from the Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN)
are also active in the area. [ACVC 2/23/06]
Jose Gustavo Castaneda disappeared on Feb. 15 between the Estrella farm
and Puerto Nuevo Ite; as of Feb. 22 he remained missing. On Feb. 13
campesino Albeiro Meza was disappeared in Cantagallo municipality. He
remained missing as of Feb. 16. Julio Cesar Aparicio Diaz, a member
of the Communal Action Board in Puerto Matilde, was detained in Campo
Bijao, Remedios municipality, by six hooded armed men dressed in camouflage.
He was tortured for two hours and threatened with death. He was reportedly
released, but his whereabouts were unknown as of Feb. 16. [ACVC 2/16/06,
2/23/06]
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