Colombia: Death threats against Movimiento Rios Vivos Antioquia

On 26 October 2018, a member of Movimiento Ríos Vivos Antioquia in Ituango received a threatening message directed to human rights defenders Genaro de Jesus Graciano and Isabel Cristina Zuleta. In addition, members of the Movement have become aware of a threatening pamphlet distributed by the paramilitary group Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia- AGC (Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia), which declares members of Movimiento Rios Vivos as a “military target”.

Movimiento Ríos Vivos Antioquia (MRVA) is a human rights movement composed of 15 associations and families in the West, North and Lower-Cauca sub-region in Antioquia, affected by the negative environmental and human rights impact of the hydroelectric project “Hidroituango”. The project under construction in the Cauca river is one of the largest embankment dams in Latin America. It is carried out by Empresa Públicas de Medellin (Public Enterprises of Medellin – EPM) and affects more than 26, 000 hectares of land in 19 municipalities in the region. The region in question has historically been affected by violence and armed conflict. For the past 10 years, MRVA has denounced the negative impacts of the “Hidroituango” project and as a result, its members and their families have suffered multiple violations of their rights, including death threats, smear campaigns, criminalisation, intimidation and killings. MRVA was one of the winners of National Human Rights Prize 2018 in Colombia.

On 25 October 2018, an unidentified man, wearing a motorcycle taxi vest, approached a young member of Movimiento Rios Vivos Antioquia in Ituango to deliver a threatening message directed to Genaro de Jesus Graciano and Isabel Cristina Zuleta. The human rights defenders are co-founders and active members of the movement. The man said that all members should refrain from their activism and that no one should join the movement anymore. The man also used expressions such as “people who do not mess with the dam don’t get in trouble” (personas que no se meten con la represa no se meten en problemas) and said that the protection scheme of woman human rights defender Isabel Zuleta was well known and would not suffice should she come back to Ituango. The man was referring to protection measures in place from the Unidad Nacional de Protección - UNP (National Protection Unit). On 26 October 2018, members of the movement became aware of the existence of a new pamphlet distributed by Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia – AGC in which Movimiento Rios Vivos was named, amongst others, as a “military target”.

Movimiento Rios Vivos Antioquia has raised concerns on numerous occasions at the lack of effective investigations by the Prosecutor's Office of the attacks against their members. The overall situation has become increasingly dangerous for MRVA’s members. Human rights defenders and their relatives have endured attacks, stigmatisation and persecution, including from high-level officials. On 22 September 2018, two relatives of members of the Movimiento Ríos Vivos Antioquia were assassinated. In May 2018, two human rights defenders and two of their relatives were killed: Hugo Albeiro George Pérez was killed alongside his nephew, and Luis Alberto Torres and his brother were murdered. The latest threats take place in a context of stigmatisation of the Movement by officers from Ituango’s administration. The Governor of Antioquia has made a number of public statements against the movement.

It is not the first time Front Line Defenders raises concerns on attacks against MRVA’s members. In September, Front Line Defenders highlighted that the lack of proper investigation of the attacks and the ongoing stigmatisation of the MRVA could lead to a further increase in violence against the movement and effectively encourages the aggressors to continue these actions. Front Line Defenders remains extremely concerned and condemns the threats, the smear campaigns and all the attacks by public officials and non-state actors against members of Movimiento Rios Vivos Antioquia.

Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Colombia to:

1. Immediately take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of the members of MRVA, in coordination with the human rights defenders concerned.

2. Implement the political and material measures agreed in the collective Prevention and Protection Plan of MRVA;

2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the multiple attacks on MRVA members, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;

3. Refrain from stigmatising the work of human rights defenders, particularly the activities carried out by the leaders from the Movimiento Rios Vivos Antioquia;

4. Guarantee in all circumstances that all human rights defenders in Colombia are able to carry out their legitimate human rights activities without fear of reprisals and free of all restrictions.