Paramilitary operations in Cacarica

With two armed groups, the paramilitaries are executing their plan to gain territorial control in the north and south-east of this collective territory, without any actions taken on the part of the state to prevent the incursion that had already been foreseen two weeks ago.

A few minutes ago the black communities gave note about a significant number of paramilitaries that entered at Travesía up to Bijao Cacarica and from there they moved on to the humanitarian zone Nueva Esperanza en Dios. The paramilitaries have confirmed that they will clean the area from the guerilla.

Another paramilitary group is located next to the farm de la Balsa in the territory de Cacarica.

Since two weeks it is well known that the paramilitaries realized an armed operation inside the territory to besiege the inhabitants of the black and indigenous communities. The paramilitaries accuse the communities to be allied with the guerrillas.

Since last April, after the presentation of the Audience before the Interamerican Court of Human Rights in relation to the case of the murder of Marino López and the operation Génesis, in February 1997, the paramilitary operations against the inhabitants with death threats, economic embargos, restrictions on free movement, have increased.

The organization of families of the community councils of Cacarica(La organización de familias de los consejos comunitarios de Cacarica, CAVIDA) find themselves covered by Precautionary Measures of the CIDH.

The paramilitary operations in the region of bajo Atrato continue to develop in complicity with the units of the 17th brigade as witnessed by the victims and the national and international Human Rights organizations.

All over the collective territory mayor business projects are being planned unwisely, most of them of extractive nature, some of them mining projects and some infrastructure works.

Report in development

Bogotá, D.C. September 9th, 2013

Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz