Plan to assassinate a human rights defender and continued fueling of trials against Afro-Colombians

Wednesday, December 1st, 2010

New evidence was discovered indicating that businesses that benefit from actions of paramilitaries and former and active members of the public security forces continue to mount a judicial strategy to deprive the recognized Lower Council leaders that inhabit the Humanitarian Zones and Biodiversity Zones of Curvaradó and Jiguamiandó of their freedom and rights

A criminal plan has been discovered that seeks to assassinate the Interchurch Commission of Justice and Peace’s human rights defender Fabio Ariza, using the paramilitary strategy, in which members of the police force would participate. One attempt to carry out the plan failed because of a confusion on the assassins’ part. The human rights defender was forced to leave the region that he served.

Numerous members of the Humanitarian Zones appear in legal procedural documents, which lack sound judgment and due process, accusing them of being members of the FARC guerrillas, and seeking to prosecute for the murder of Manuel Moya, Graciano Blandon and his son.

Appearing in the procedural documents, without sound judgment and due process, are the names of Ligia Chaverra -the former legal representative of the Upper Council of Curvaradó and member of the Lower Council of Camelias-, Manuel Denis Blandón -legal representative of the Upper Council of Jiguamiandó-, Martha Cecilia Vargas, and the settlers Wilson Mena Romana, Himber Aurelio Barrios Puentes –unjustly detained in the Modelo Prison in Bogotá-, Jaime Romaña Palomeque, Alejandro Martínez Piedrahita, Francisco Mena Murillo, Jerónimo Vergara Vergara, Nelsón de Jesus Gómez Manco –unjustly detained in the prison El Reposo in Apartadó-, Ovidio González Cabrera, Juan Bautista Díaz Agamez –deceased-, Jhon Jaime Romana Denis, Roberto Antonio Delgado Murillo, Willington Cuesta Córdoba, accused as being members of the FARC EP guerrilla group and linked to the triple murder of Manuel Moya, Graciano Blandon and his son.

We found out that there are also plans to indict Father Javier Giraldo, Alberto Franco, Abilio Peña and Danilio Rueda for the triple homicide, an indictment that would lack factual basis.

Furthermore, Leydis Tuirán and Zulinda Polo are recognized as having also received threats and intimidations from the bad-faith occupiers.
Instead of fulfilling their constitutional duty to protect life, property and honor, they construct devices to plan and conduct attacks on citizens. They continue to see the communities, human rights organizations and defenders as domestic enemies when the communities rightfully demand the restitution of the property that was seized by means of blood and fire.

For the Interchurch Commission of Justice and Peace, it is not surprising that business sectors that benefit from paramilitary activity and that proclaim “progress,” are behind the support and funding of the national and international smear campaign and the legal actions against the rights of the community leaders of the Humanitarian and Biodiversity Zones, who in their persistence have been able to reveal the criminal network that is hidden behind the palm oil, cattle ranchers and other agribusiness.

This revelation has created an atmosphere of judicial prosecution against the leaders of the Humanitarian and Biodiversity Zones and the human rights organizations. This prosecution has been calculated, orchestrated and designed by the victimizers and the business sectors that have been affected by the demands for truth, justice and reparation of the community leaders.

For more detailed information, please visit: http://bit.ly/eK2f2Y

Bogotá, D.C December 1st, 2010

Interchurch Commission of Justice and Peace