Threatening pamphlets against MOVICE
On 15 October 2015, a new pamphlet threatening members of the human rights organisation Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) was near human rights defender Ms Ingrid Vergara Chávez in Sucre's home. Named in the pamphlet were Ingrid Vergara, Mr Juan David Díaz Chamorro, and Ms Candelaria Barrios Acosta and Ms Rosario Montoya.
MOVICE is a human rights organisation which monitors human rights violations committed by the state in the context of the armed conflict and calls for state agents and paramilitaries to be brought to justice.
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- 15 October 2015 : Threatening pamphlets against MOVICE
- 6 October 2015 : Renewed threats against human rights defenders and members of MOVICE
- 16 March 2015 : Renewed threats against human rights defenders and continuation of pattern of threatening pamphlets
- 21 January 2015 : Renewed threats against members of MOVICE in the Departments of Atlántico, Sucre and Magdalena Medio
- 9 December 2014 : Renewed threats against members of MOVICE and other human rights defenders
On 15 October 2015, a new pamphlet threatening members of the human rights organisation Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) was near human rights defender Ms Ingrid Vergara Chávez in Sucre's home.
Named in the pamphlet were Ingrid Vergara, Mr Juan David Díaz Chamorro, and Ms Candelaria Barrios Acosta and Ms Rosario Montoya.
MOVICE is a human rights organisation which monitors human rights violations committed by the state in the context of the armed conflict and calls for state agents and paramilitaries to be brought to justice. Ingrid Vergara, Juan David Díaz and Candelaria Barrios are members of the Sucre chapter, whilst Rosario Montoya is a member of the Atlantic chapter.
The new pamphlet, which is signed by the paramilitary group “Las Águilas Negras”, names the above-mentioned human rights defenders, amongst others. Candelaria Barrios appears with the surname Verrio, however, the human rights defenders have analysed that it must be in reference to her. This pamphlet immediately follows a pamphlet which first appeared on 20 September 2015, threatening other members of MOVICE, as well as other human rights organisations and defenders.
Ingrid Vergara is the technical secretary of the Sucre chapter of MOVICE and is supposedly receiving protection measures from the governmental Unidad Nacional de Protección– UNP (National Protection Unit) due to her risk. However, this protection has never been properly implemented, leaving the human rights defender in a vulnerable situation to threats such as these.
Ingrid Vergara and Juan David Díaz have been particularly targeted in 2015. On 5 June 2015, a statement signed by the self-declared group for social cleansing, “Los Urabeños”, was sent to various email accounts. The statement signalled many human rights defenders, including Ingrid Vergara and Juan David Diaz, as military targets. It further declared that “leftist political indoctrination of civil society” would not be permitted. The pamphlet which was found on 15 October 2015 has a similar message.
On 6 October 2014 the Movimiento de Victimas de Crimenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) denounced a series of death threats made against members of the organisation.
Over a period of two weeks, the offices of the organisation in Nariño, Caldas, Sucre, Meta and Bogotá have been targeted by threats from paramilitary groups. MOVICE is a human rights organisation monitoring human rights violations committed by the state in the context of the armed conflict.
Most recently, on 5 October 2014 human rights defender Ms Martha Lucía Giraldo of MOVICE received a text message in which she was informed that she had 24 hours to leave the city of Cali and issuing a death threat against herself, Mr Walter Agredo Muñoz(Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos – FCSPP - Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee), Ms Milena Olave (Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos – CPDH (Permanent Committee for the Defence of Human Rights), and Mr José Milciades Sánchez Ortiz (Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia – CUT - Colombian Confederation of Workers). The message was signed by a group who identified themselves as “Comandos Urbanos Los Rastrojos” (the Rastrojos Urban Command). FCSPP, CPDH and CUT are all members of MOVICE.
Previously, on 1 October, a pamphlet was distributed in Sucre in which the “Rastrojos” threatened Ms Ingrid Vergara Chávez, and a number of other individuals, giving them 72 hours to leave the department. Ingrid Vergara Chávez, Spokesperson for the Sucre branch of MOVICE, reported that following the distribution of the first pamphlet, a second one was found that included threats against a number of judges in the Department. It is believed that the aforementioned threats have been directed at persons who have been participating in the peace initiatives currently under way in Colombia. Members of MOVICE have made a formal complaint to the police about the most recent threats but, as of yet, there has been no official response.
Furthermore, on 27 September 2014 an active member of the Caldas branch of MOVICE, Ms Alejandra Ramírez Morales, was reportedly harassed and threatened by two men on a motorbike, having previously made an official complaint about similar threats on 16 September. Mr Darío Eccehomo Díaz and Ms María Cardona Mejía, who are also members of the Caldas branch, have also made complaints about harassment and threats from the paramilitary group “Rastrojos Eje Cafetero”.
On 8 September 2014 hundreds of recipients, including human rights organisations and trade unions, as well as international bodies such as the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights in Colombia, received a threatening email declaring 88 named human rights defenders as military objectives and stating that they would not be permitted to continue with their “cuento de la paz” (version of peace) and that they would pay with their lives as well as the lives of their families.
Since 2010, Front Line has issued numerous urgent appeals regarding violations perpetrated against human rights defenders in Colombia, including Martha Lucía Giraldo and Ingrid Vergara Chávez and their colleagues at MOVICE. However, to date, those responsible for such crimes have not been brought to justice.
Throughout the month of March multiple threats have been made against members of a number of human rights organisations in Colombia, including the Movimiento de Victimas de Crimenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) and the Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos – CSPP (Political Prisoner's Solidarity Committee).
The threats have been presented in the form of pamphlets, an increasingly common practice throughout the country, and either hand delivered or emailed to various different individuals and groups. The most common format for these threats to take is a typed up page, signed and marked with the stamp of a paramilitary group, most frequently “Las Aguilas Negras”, and threatening a group of named individuals and human rights defenders that they have a certain period of time within which they must leave the area they are in and they must cease all of their human rights activities, otherwise they will be further targeted.
Those targeted include Mr José Humberto Torres, Mr Deivis Flórez and Ms María Cedeño (members of CSPP); Ms Rosario Montoya, Ms Ingrid Vergara Chavéz and Ms Martha Díaz (members of MOVICE); Mr Mauricio Aviles, member of the Corporación de Centros de Estudios y Desarrollo de los Derechos Humanos – CEDERHNOS (Corporation of Study and Development Centres for Human Rights); Ms Soraya Bayuelo, Director of the Colectivo de Comunicaciones Montes de María (Communications Collective of Montes de María); Mr Fabian Oyaga, Director of the Unidad de Restitución de Tierra del Magdalena (Magdalena Unit for Land Restitution); Mr Jerry Garavito, member of the Centro de Investigación y Educación Popular (Centre for Investigation and Popular Education); Mr Juan David Ortega Jiménez, a lawyer of the Fundación Infancia Feliz (Happy Childhood Foundation); Mr Jairo Barreto López, community leader and human rights defender in Montes de María; Mr Gary Martínez Gordon, human rights defender and student leader; as well as human rights defenders Ms Sandra Manjarrés and Mr Agustín Jiménez.
On 16 March 2015, at approximately 8:30 pm, a black Twingo car (the registration plate of which is known) was observed outside the home of Ingrid Vergara Chavéz. Moments later a black high performance cylinder motorcycle, carrying two unidentified men, was noticed passing by the human rights defender's home a number of times. Ingrid Vergara Chavéz phoned the national police, as the telephone provided to her as part of her security scheme by the National Unit of Protection was going straight to voice-mail. She also phoned her security guards, who arrived immediately. The black car drove off at high speed, the security guards gave chase but were unable to reach them. Ingrid Vergara Chavéz phoned the police again, with officers arriving 45 minutes after the first call had been made. On 17 March 2015, the human rights defender was informed by members of her community that the previous day some men in the same type of car as described above had been asking for her whereabouts and had identified themselves as being members of the Seccional de Investigación Criminal – SIJIN (Criminal Investigation Section) of the National Police and were looking to speak with her.
The use of threatening pamphlets declaring human rights defenders to be members of guerilla groups and identifying them as military objectives is a tactic commonly employed in Colombia to intimidate human rights defenders. Those threatened face grave risks to their physical and psychological integrity and security. Most recently, Mr Carlos Alberto Pedraza Salcedo, a member of MOVICE and the Proyecto Colombia Nunca Más (Never Again Project of Colombia) was killed in the department of Cudinamarca.
Front Line Defenders continues to be gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of human rights defenders in Colombia. Moreover, given the fact that Colombia continues to record some of the highest levels of attacks on human rights defenders, including 55 documented killings in 2014, Front Line Defenders reiterates that the Government is responsible for ensuring immediate and effective measures to protect those who have been threatened, regardless of budget issues within the National Protection Unit.
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Colombia to:
1. Take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of the human rights defenders named in the threatening pamphlets, and members of the organisations targeted;
2. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the threats, with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;
3. 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.
Human rights defenders and members of Movimiento de Victimas de Crimenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes) and its partner organisations in the Departments of Atlántico, Sucre and Magdalena Medio have received a number of death threats throughout the month of January in the form of pamphlets, phone calls and comments to members of their community.
MOVICE is a human rights organisation which monitors human rights violations committed by the state in the context of the armed conflict and calls for state agents and paramilitaries to be brought to justice. Asociación Regional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado en el Magdalena Medio – ASORVIMM (Regional Association of Victims of State Crimes in Magdalena Medio), is a partner organisation of MOVICE. The Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos – CSPP (Political Prisoner's Solidarity Committee) promotes the rights of political prisoners and campaigns for improved conditions of their detention.
On 21 January 2015, the latest in a series of three threatening pamphlets was delivered to human rights defenders and organisations in the Departments of Atlántico and Magdalena Medio. The pamphlet, which claims to be from the paramilitary group identifying itself as theAutodefensas Gaitanistas De Colombia AGC (Gaitan Self-Defense Groups of Colombia), named a long list of persons, including Messrs José Humberto Torres and Franklin Castañeda – both members of CSPP – and Ms Martha Díaz – a member of MOVICE in Atlántico. The pamphlet states that the paramilitary group was at war with the persons named and declares that the human rights defenders were falsely claiming to represent victims of the armed conflict at the peace talks currently taking place in Havana. José Humberto Torres and Martha Díaz attended Front Line Defender's Dublin Platform in 2007 and 2013, respectively, and they, as well as Franklin Castañeda, have been the victim of death threats over many years.
Previously, on 12 January 2015, Ms Carmen Mendoza, a member of MOVICE in Sucre, was informed that two unknown men on motorcycles without number plates had been inquiring after her and making threats, stating that the human rights defender must leave the area. The men continued to drive around the community throughout the day. Allegedly, the Criminal Investigation Unit of the police were contacted, but did not take any action to investigate the threats.
One day before, a pamphlet signed by the Águilas Negras paramilitary group was delivered to the homes and offices of human rights defenders in the Departments of Atlántico and the Caribbean region declaring the members of MOVICE in Sucre and Atlántico, including Mr Rosario Montoya, Mr José Humberto Torres, Ms Martha Díaz and Ms Ingrid Vergara Chávez, amongst others, to be military objectives. The same day, at approximately 5:30pm, Ms Lilia Peña Silva, President of ASORVIMM, received a threatening phone call attacking her for her human rights work.
On 18 December 2014, a pamphlet was distributed in the Caribbean region containing threats against various members of MOVICE and CSPP, again including Mr Rosario Montoya, Mr José Humberto Torres and Ms Martha Díaz.
These threats come in the context of long-term targeting of members of MOVICE throughout Colombia. According to sources, the protection measures allocated by the Unidad Nacional de Protección (National Protection Unit) to some of the above-mentioned human rights defenders have not been implemented. For more information on the threats faced by members of MOVICE and its partners, please see previous urgent appeals issued by Front Line Defenders.
On the morning of 9 December 2014, a pamphlet containing death threats against a number of human rights defenders, including members of Movimiento de Victimas de Crimenes de Estado – MOVICE (Movement of Victims of State Crimes), was handed to a human rights defender at the Centro de Memoria Paz y Reconciliación (Centre for Memory Peace and Reconciliation) in the city of Bogotá. The pamphlet was signed by the Águilas Negras paramilitary group, and as well as members of MOVICE, it also targeted other human rights defenders, victims of state crimes, employees of the High Council for Victims in Bogotá and independent media outlets.
The pamphlet was entitled “Comunicado de comando superior - plan desalojo punpunpun” (High Command Statement - Eviction Plan bang bang bang), and those named include: Mr Alfonso Castillo, the director of the Asociación Nacional de Ayuda Solidaria- ANDAS (National Association of Solidarity Help); Mr Camilo Álvarez of Hijos e Hijas por la Memoria y contra la Impunidad (Sons and Daughters for the Preservation of Memory and Against Impunity); Ms Adriana Cuellar, a member of the legislative team of Alirio Uribe, member of the House of Representatives, and Ms Ana Jimena Bautista, member of the legislative team of Senator Iván Cepeda. The CAJAR human rights lawyers collective, a member organization of Movice, was also named.
This pamphlet is the latest in a series of threats made since September against human rights defenders, independent media outlets, victims of state crimes and public figures that have openly supported peace and the peace talks currently under way in Havana, Cuba. Many of these threats were also signed by the Águilas Negras. This latest pamphlet states that previous threats have not been taken seriously, those declared military targets have not left the city and that a partir de hoy no estamos jugando (from today we are not playing).
On 30 November and 1 December 2014, the Águilas Negras made death threats against a number of independent human rights focused news networks, amongst them Canal Capital and Telesur. On 23 October 2014, the Corporación Nuevo Arcoíris reported that the Águilas Negras also sent death threats to 99 people belonging to political, social, ethnic organisations as well as victims' groups. This was believed to have been a reiteration of the threats made against numerous human rights defenders in September 2014.
On 6 October 2014 MOVICE denounced a series of death threats made against members of the organisation. Previously, on 1 October, a pamphlet was distributed in Sucre in which a group identifying themselves as the “Rastrojos” threatened Ms Ingrid Vergara Chávez, Spokesperson for the Sucre state chapter of MOVICE, and a number of other individuals, giving them 72 hours to leave the department. It is believed that the threats were directed at persons who have been participating in the peace initiatives currently under way in Cuba. Members of MOVICE made a formal complaint to the police about the threats but, as of yet, there has been no official response.
On 8 September 2014 hundreds of recipients, including human rights organisations and trade unions, as well as international bodies such as the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights in Colombia, received a threatening email declaring 88 named human rights defenders as military objectives and stating that they would not be permitted to continue with their “cuento de la paz” (version of peace) and that they would pay with their lives as well as the lives of their families.
Since 2010, Front Line Defenders has issued numerous urgent appeals regarding violations perpetrated against human rights defenders in Colombia, including members of MOVICE. However, to date, those responsible for such crimes have not been brought to justice. The various threats that have been received since September 2014 have named many of the same people, have made reference to the peace process, and have each been released around key moments of participation and protest in support of the process.
Front Line Defenders is gravely concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of the aforementioned human rights defenders and, given the fact that Colombia continues to record some of the highest levels of attacks on human rights defenders, including 30 killings in the first six months of this year, Front Line Defenders reiterates that the Government is responsible for ensuring immediate measures to protect those who have been threatened, regardless of budget issues within the Unidad Nacional de Protección (National Protection Unit).
Front Line Defenders urges the authorities in Colombia to:
1. Carry out an immediate, thorough and impartial investigation into the death threats and other threats made against members of MOVICE with a view to publishing the results and bringing those responsible to justice in accordance with international standards;
2. Promptly take all necessary measures to guarantee the physical and psychological integrity and security of members of MOVICE;
3. 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.
