Newsletters

Date: December 16th 2007

IN THE MIDST OF PRONOUNCEMENTS BY THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT AGAINST DEFENDORS OF HUMAN RIGHTS, PARAMILITARY GROUPS THREATEN WITH DEATH NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS AND SOCIAL LEADERS.

For the seventh time this year, the YIRA CASTRO JURIDICIAL CORPORATION issued a public accusation, and then on November 19, 2007, the office of the National Coordination of the Displaced (CND) received a new death threat from the paramilitary group Black Eagles of Bogotá against the CND's leader and the lawyers of the Yira Castro Juridical Corporation.

The threat stated that all those people who took part in the "International Tribunal of Opinion: Forced Displacement, a State Crime" will be declared military targets. The tribunal took place in Bogotá November 21, 22, and 23, hoping to count on the participation of hundreds of victims of displacement, who, before recognized authorities on human rights at the international level, put forward the facts about forced displacement in Colombia as a crime for which the State is responsible.

In the document it is clear that the development of the Tribunal will not be permitted, "our having said to not go forward with this Tribunal about displacement because we know that they are going to speak about the government and the democratic security of the president."

This is not the first message in which that paramilitary group justifies the threat as a defense of democratic security and the current president, in the face of the legitimate actions that the human rights organizations and social leaders undertake which are perceived as related to armed insurgency. These statements concur with the public declarations that highly ranked government members, including the President of the Republic, have made. They consider the work of the defense of human rights to be the work of political opposition, and the environment of polarity which exists now justifies persecution and threats. In a letter directed to the President of the Republic, Democratic senators said, "Such comments are not only inappropriate, but, in the context of the Colombian internal conflict where many of these persons are threatened with death, such comments could bring physical risk."

On the other hand, we have requested protection because of the possibility of an assault on our main office, but the Colombian government has not offered effective protection, and hasn't made any advance in criminal investigations of the hostile acts of which we have been victims. Also, the government has refused repeatedly to make a general public announcement about how they denounce these aggressive acts against us and about recognizing the legitimate work developed by the Yira Castro Juridical Corporation, the CND, and the group of social and human rights organizations. If an attack to any of these groups occurs, we would hold the government responsible.

November 20, 2007
Yiro Castro Juridical Corporation
Bogotá, Colombia