URGENT ACTION COLOMBIA

URGENT ACTION APPEAL
- From Amnesty International USA

To read the current Urgent Action newsletter, go to
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/newslett.html
----------------------------------
For a print-friendly version of this Urgent Action (PDF):
http://www.amnestyusa.org/actioncenter/actions/uaa09708.pdf

15 April 2008

UA 97/08 Fear for safety/ Death threats

COLOMBIA Members of the Magdelena Medio Peace and Development Programme ‘Programa de Desarrollo y Paz del Magdalena Medio'
Members of the human rights organization, Corporacion SEMBRAR
Members of the trade union organization, The Agro- mining Federation of the South of Bolivar department, FEDEAGROMISBOL (La Federacion Agrominera del Sur de Bolivar)
Catholic priests working in the municipalities of Tiquisio, Arenal and Regidor, department of Bolivar

On 10 April, an e-mailed death threat signed by the
paramilitary group ‘Black Eagles' (Aguilas Negras) was
received by those mentioned above. They were informed that
they were considered to be military targets and so would be
killed.

The death threat stated that their names are on a list of
undesirables who must be eliminated, "su nombre esta (sic.)
en la lista de personas no deseadas ...que deben ser
eliminados". It accuses those under threat of being
guerrilla auxiliaries or guerrilla members and informs them
that the aforementioned organizations and their members have
been kept under surveillance in the municipalities of
Tiquisio, Arenal, La Gloria and Regidor in the department of
Bolivar as well as in Aguachica in the department of Cesar.

The e-mail continues by saying "Going down the list, you
will be killed one by one for each criminal act that you
organize against the ‘democratic security' in these towns",
(Por cada acto delincuencial en contra de la seguridad
democratica (sic.) que ustedes organicen dentro de estos
pueblos, seran exterminados uno a uno por orden de lista).
It concludes by saying "We won't hesitate to kill you;
start getting your loved ones ready so that they can bury
you, (No vamos en vacilar en asesinarlos y vallan preparando
a sus allegados para que empiecen a enterrarlos)."

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
The ‘Programa de Desarrollo y Paz del Magdalena Medio'
promotes economic, social, cultural and institutional
development in the region, focusing on vulnerable and
displaced communities. Corporacion SEMBRAR is a human
rights organization which in recent years has been
monitoring the human rights situation in the region and
which has repeatedly denounced human rights abuses.

FEDEAGROMISBOL is an organization which represents peasant
farmers and the interests of artisanal gold miners in the
South of Bolivar department. It has campaigned against the
arrival of multinational gold mining companies in the area
and in recent years, its members have regularly been
threatened and labeled as subversive. On 19 September 2006,
Alejandro Uribe, a FEDEAGROMISBOL leader was killed by
members of the Batallon Nueva Granada of the Colombian army.
He was presented by the security forces as a guerrilla
killed in combat.

Human rights organizations, trade unions and other social
organizations have often been labeled as guerrilla
collaborators or supporters by government officials, as well
as by the security forces and paramilitaries. Such
accusations have often been followed by threats or attacks
against human rights activists. The conflict provides a
useful cover for those seeking to expand and protect
economic interests and human rights violations are often
committed in areas of economic interest.

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
-expressing concern for the safety of members of
FEDEAGROMISBOL, SEMBRAR, the ‘Programa de Desarrollo y Paz
del Magdalena Medio' and Catholic priests working in the
municipalities of Tiquisio, Arenal and Regidor in the
department of Bolivar.
-urging the authorities to ensure that all measures deemed
appropriate by the individuals and organizations named in
the threat received on 10 April, are taken to guarantee
their safety;
-calling for full and impartial investigations into the
death threat received on 10 April, the results of which
should be made public and those responsible brought to
justice;
-calling for decisive action to confront and dismantle
paramilitary groups and investigate and break their links
with the security forces, in line with repeated UN
recommendations;
- calling on the authorities to produce policy and plans, in
conjunction with human rights defenders, to guarantee their
safety according to the principles of the United Nations
Declaration on the Rights and Responsibilities of
Individuals, Groups and Institutions to Promote and Protect
Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms, and to make these plans public.

APPEALS TO:
President of the Republic
Senor Presidente Alvaro Uribe Velez
Presidente de la Republica, Palacio de Narino,
Carrera 8 No.7-2,
Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 011 57 1 337 5890
Salutation: Dear President Uribe/ Excmo. Sr. Presidente Uribe

Director of the Presidential Programme for Human Rights and
International Humanitarian Law
Dr. Carlos Franco Echevarria
Director del Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos y
Derecho Internacional Humanitario
Vicepresidencia De La Republica De Colombia,
Calle 7 No 6-54,
Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 011 57 1 565 9797
Salutation: Dear Dr. Franco Echevarria / Estimado Dr. Franco Echevarria

Attorney General
Dr. Mario German Iguaran Arana
Fiscal General de la Nacion,
Fiscalia General de la Nacion
Diagonal 22B (Av. Luis Carlos Galan No. 52-01) Bloque C,
Piso 4,
Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 011 57 1 570 2000
(a message in Spanish will ask you to enter extension 2017)
Salutation: Estimado Sr. Fiscal / Dear Mr Iguaran

COPIES TO:
Corporacion SEMBRAR
Calle 2 Sur No. 31B-28
Bogota, COLOMBIA

Ambassador Maria Carolina Barco Isakson
Embassy of Colombia
2118 Leroy Pl. NW
Washington DC 20008
Fax: 1 202 232 8643
Email: emwas@colombiaemb.org

PLEASE SEND APPEALS IMMEDIATELY.
Check with the AIUSA Urgent Action office if sending appeals after 27 May 2008.

----------------------------------
Tip of the Month:
Use shortcuts: Do whatever is necessary to make your
letter writing as quick and easy as possible. This way,
letters will not be put off and they can be sent out sooner.
Start by making a generic file for each type of concern;
paragraphs on torture, the death penalty, disappearances,
denial of medical care and so on, can be copied into your
working file and edited as needed.

** POSTAGE RATES **
Within the United States:
$0.26 - Postcards
$0.41 - Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To Mexico and Canada:
$0.69 - Postcards
$0.69 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)
To all other destination countries:
$0.90 - Postcards
$0.90 - Airmail Letters and Cards (up to 1 oz.)

Amnesty International is a worldwide grassroots movement
that promotes and defends human rights.

This Urgent Action may be reposted if kept intact, including
contact information and stop action date (if applicable).
Thank you for your help with this appeal.

Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
600 Pennsylvania Ave SE 5th fl
Washington DC 20003
Email: uan@aiusa.org
http://www.amnestyusa.org/urgent/
Phone: 202.544.0200
Fax: 202.675.8566

----------------------------------
END OF URGENT ACTION APPEAL
----------------------------------