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Colompbia - August 2007

Quarterly Newsletter from PBI Colombia

by PBI Colombia Project
Colompbia - August 2007

Lawyers and communities continue to be vulnerable groups [extract]

O ver the last few months in several regions of the country, a climate of harassment and threats against accompanied human rights defenders and communities has continued to persist. Furthermore, this situation has worsened with the assassination of people involved in peace initiatives.

In Urabá, the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, whose leaders, members of the Internal Council are accompanied by PBI, faced new acts of aggression with the aim of to isolating, stigmatising, and harming the Peace Community’s nonviolent proposal of staying out of the armed conflict. On May 14th, at seven o’clock in the morning, PBI learned that Francisco Puerta, peasant farmer leader and former coordinator of the Miramar Humanitarian Zone (a Peace Community project), was murdered in the municipality of Apartadó. According to reports, two armed civilians approached and then shot him. According to the same reports, on the same day a group of six armed civilians were seen in a place known as El Mangolo, where normally but not on this occasion- there is a police checkpoint.

Contents

Human Rights

  • Steadfast in protest
  • Trade unionism in Colombia

Organisations / Human Rights Defenders

  • Lawyers and communities continue to be vulnerable groups
  • Criminal Investigations: An instrument employed to persecute human rights organisations in Colombia?

Communities in Resistance

  • In Germany, the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó was presented with an award for ten years of non-violent resistance

Impunity

  • The voluntary confessions provided by paramilitary leaders shed little light on the demands for truth, justice, and reparation

Human rights violations by economic interests

  • The issue of land and natural resources in the Magdalena Medio region

Current Events

  • The death of the 11 Colombian local councillors draws attention back to the drama of the kidnapped persons in Colombia

Colombia

  • Iván Cepeda awarded for his commitment to human rights in Colombia
  • From the Sierra to the city: a trip along the Caribbean coast
  • The victims of the murders committed against the Patriotic Union do not forget
  • Members of the Blanquicet Cooperative recover their land
  • Pilgrimage to Miramar in honour of Francisco Puerta
  • The victims’ voices during the voluntary confession by Ramón Isaza
  • “Cloth should be cut, not labour rights”
  • Asfaddes speaks out against “double forced disappearance”
  • International observers in Eastern Antioquia
  • Anniversary of the massacre on May 16 1998
  • The Popular Women’s Organisation celebrates its 35th anniversary in Barrancabermeja

Internationall

  • International Conference on Human Rights in Colombia warns Colombian democracy is in danger
  • Country groups: PBI Germany, PBI Netherlands, and PBI Switzerland
  • PBI projects in Guatemala, Indonesia, Mexico, Nepal, and European Office

Personal

  • Voluntarios comparan sus experiencias en dos períodos distintos en Colombia



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