Forced displacements in Jiguamiandó

Today in the morning, because of paramilitary operations in the work areas of members of the community council of Bella Flor Remacho, members of the Agámez family were forcibly displaced to the Nueva Esperanza Humanitarian Zone in Jiguamiandó.

Less than 12 days ago, Edwin and Eduard Agámez were assassinated by paramilitaries. The armed men did not use their firearms, so as not to alert the inhabitants of the Jiguamiandó Basin. They preferred to beat them to death.

Afterwards, they intimidated and threatened to kill the family members and community council members who could testify about their responsibility for these assassinations. They pressured them to say that they drowned or were killed by guerrillas.

Days later, the 17th Brigade declared that those two council members of Jiguamiandó had drowned, following the paramilitary version.

In addition, when families of Santa Fe de Churima observed operations of soldiers along with people wearing hoods, some of those families displaced themselves to the hamlet of Caño Seco.

It was unofficially made known that there will be a judicial procedure to disinter the remains of the leader, Alfonso Ibáñez, who was killed by the FARC in Jiguamiandó in 2006. This murder, denounced and repudiated by the communities who live in the Humanitarian Zones, and that caused the displacement of some of their relatives, now seems to be in an important active process of clarification.

There are also reports that the mobilization of paramilitaries under the command of the one called “El Mono” continues in Curvaradó and Jiguamiandó, guaranteeing the transport of materials for processing cocaine.

Last Friday and Saturday, the military did not exercise control at their checkpoints when people in automobiles transported the materials for processing cocaine. These are checkpoints that the 17th Brigade usually has in Andalucía Caño Claro to control the members of the community councils.
The situation in Curvaradó and Jiguamiandó continues to lack full guaranties.

Bogotá, D.C., September 6, 2011

Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz

Interchurch Justice and Peace Commission