LAND ACTIVISTS RECEIVE DEATH THREATS in Colombia
LAND ACTIVISTS RECEIVE DEATH THREATS in Colombia
UA 77/13 2 April 2013 URGENT ACTION AMR 23/015/2013
LAND ACTIVISTS RECEIVE DEATH THREATS
COLOMBIA
Mariluz Vásquez Fernández (f), Ingrid Vergara (f), Iván Cepeda (m), Marivel Vásquez Fernández (f), Gustavo Enrique Arrieta Pérez (m), Edgardo Rafael Flores Martinez (m), Ronal Yesid Castilla Vásquez (m), Robinson Castilla Cadavid (m)
A member of the Victims’ Roundtable of El Carmen del Bolívar – a group of victims seeking the return of misappropriated land – in northern Colombia has received death threats on behalf of both herself and other land activists.
On 11 March human rights defender Mariluz Vásquez – a member of the Victims’ Roundtable of El Carmen del Bolívar (Mesa de Víctimas del Carmen del Bolívar) – received death threats via text message. Threats were made against herself; Ingrid Vergara and Iván Cepeda from the NGO National Movement of Victims of State Crimes (Movimiento Nacional de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado, MOVICE); several other members of the Victims’ Roundtable of El Carmen del Bolívar; and the local ombudsman. Those mentioned were accused of being guerrilla fighters.
Mariluz Vásquez received another death threat via text message on 14 March. It read: “Guerrillas you have not paid attention to us, but you will not survive fourteen March … blood in El Carmen” (Malparidos guerrilleros no han hecho caso pero no pasaran [sic] del catorce de marso [sic] … sangre en El Carmen). Like the death threat made on 11 March, this threat also named several other members of the Victims’ Roundtable of El Carmen del Bolívar.
More:
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1304/S00059/string-of-killings-leaves-five-guatemalan-activists-dead.htm
