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Colombia: Peasants in Cimitarra violated in their rights

Beginning of Action: 10-04-2006 - End of Action: 20-05-2006

Strong fighting between the Colombian army and the guerrilla threatens the peasant population in the region of the River Cimitarra Valley, Central Magdalena. Furthermore, peasants from different localities have been tortured and arrested by army members and alleged paramilitaries. About 25 peasant families were forced to leave the place after the army occupied San Francisco village, on the bank of the Cimitarra River. After meetings with 15 active communal councils, a fact finding commission composed of representatives of the Peasant Association of the River Cimitarra Valley (ACVC), NGOs and the Integrated Peace Observatory denounced severe violations of human rights and demanded that the State should fulfil its obligations to protect the men and women peasants which are being used as human shields by the combatant parties.

Background

In December 2002 Incora (Colombian Institute for Agrarian Reform, now called INCODER), created by decree the Peasant Reserve Zone (ZRC) of the Cimitarra Valley which comprises more than 25.000 peasants in an integrated development process and defends the human rights, thus complying with one of the agreements signed with the former President Andrés Pastrana during the peasant exodus from the Central Magdalena region in 1998.

For the peasants of the region the Peasant Reserve Zone of the Cimitarra Valley is an important legal instrument for the protection of their territory, the communal self-administration of the territory, the protection of the peasant economy, the effective realisation of the agrarian reform and the reconstruction of the national agriculture. However, since its creation they have been confronted with a violent campaign of actions against the ZRC, in which Colombian State sectors have been conniving with the interests of paramilitary groups, cattle breeders and big landowners in the Central Magdalena region, who consider the ZRC to be an obstacle in the process of violent land grabbing.

In April 2003 the ZRC was suspended and the ACVC initiated legal steps against this suspension. However, a corresponding court decision is still pending. Since then the ADVC and its leaders are suffering persecution and detentions. The region has been also affected a lot by the fumigations carried out by the government in the context of its politics to fight drugs and has been suffering food and sanitary blockage due to the presence of the fighting forces.

Furthermore, despite the demobilisation process in the framework of the Law for Justice and Peace, in the region of the ZRC in the Cimitarra Valley strong paramilitary structures continue to exist as proven by the murder of the Vice President of the communal action council of the La Victoria community, Guido Romero by paramilitaries on February 18, 2006. In the same month the “demobilised” Rodolfo Triana Rodriguez together with other paramilitaries threatened various peasants from the Notepases community with death and also the President of the ACVC Alvaro Manzano. The other persons threatened are Gildardo Sabas, Ruben Guerrero and Nury Cárcamo (widow of the murdered leader of the ACVC, Orlando Triana Moncada).

The Mandate of the Emergency Network

Colombia is State Party to the International Covenants on Human Rights and is therefore obliged to respect, protect and guarantee these rights for the whole of its population. In the context of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, also signed by Colombia, the Colombian Government must adopt measures to assure that all the peasant women and men enjoy their right to food. The respect and the protection of the peasant communities in the Peasant Reserve Zone of the Cimitarra Valley and of their organisations and the guarantee of their access to and control of their land is an obligation of the State of Colombia.

Call to action

In view of this grave situation it is very important to pressurize the Colombian authorities to take urgent measures to respect, protect and guarantee the rights of about 25.000 peasants of the Peasant Reserve Zone (ZRC) of the Cimitarra River Valley. Please send letters to the President of the Republic, with copy for the Colombian Institute for Agrarian Reform INCODER and to the ACVC.

URGENT ACTION 0606ACOL

Original Letter:

Excelentísimo Señor Presidente,

Recibí informaciones alarmantes sobre los fuertes combates en la región del Valle de Cimitarra, Magdalena Medio. Además hubo asesinato, torturas, detenciones, desplazamientos forzados y amenazas de muerte en la región: El 21 de febrero de 2006 Guido Romero, Vicepresidente de la junta de acción comunal de la vereda La Victoria, fue asesinado por paramilitares. Los hermanos Juan Gabriel y James Pablo Barahona Lombana fueron torturados por militares del Batallón Calibio el 13 de marzo. Ellos son miembros de la junta de acción comunal de Puerto Matilde (su madre es la presidenta). Los campesinos Joan Harley Hoyos y John Jairo Soto  fueron  detenidos ilegalmente  el 12 de marzo  en Hueco Frio. Unas 25 familias del caserío San Francisco, jurisdicción del municipio de Yondó, Cimitarra, se vieron obligadas a desplazarse después de que el  ejército se tomó la población.

Los casos de tortura por parte de militares y de supuestos paramilitares encapuchados han vuelto a ser frecuentes; a pesar del proceso de desmovilización.  En la región de la Zona de Reserva Campesina Valle de Cimitarra siguen las fuertes estructuras paramilitares. Se ha denunciado que el “desmovilizado” Rodolfo Triana Rodríguez junto con otros paramilitares amenazó de muerte a varios campesinos en Notepases y al anterior presidente de la ACVC Alvaro Manzano.  Los otros amenazados son Gildardo Sabas, Rubén Guerrero y Nury Cárcamo (viuda del asesinado dirigente de la ACVC, Orlando Triana Moncada).

Muchas de las  violaciones de derechos humanos se dirigen contra integrantes de la Asociación Campesina del Valle del Río Cimitarra  (ACVC). Tienen por objeto impedir que la ACVC siga su lucha por levantar la suspensión  de 2003 de la Zona de Reserva Campesina (ZRC) del Valle del Cimitarra, que fue creada en diciembre de 2002. Una decisión judicial todavía está pendiente. Sectores del Estado Colombiano siguen siendo responsables de las agresiones, atendiendo a las peticiones de grupos paramilitares, ganaderos y terratenientes del Magdalena Medio, quienes ven en la ZRC un obstáculo al proceso de expropiación violenta de tierras.

Colombia es Estado Parte de los Pactos Internacionales de Derechos Humanos y, por ende, está obligado a respetar, proteger y garantizar estos derechos a toda su población y debe adoptar medidas que aseguren el disfrute pleno de estos derechos.
Como persona que trabaja internacionalmente por el derecho humano a alimentarse, quisiera solicitarle que tome inmediatamente  medidas urgentes para:
- Levantar la suspensión de la ZRC y garantizar que los campesinos de la ZRC y los organizados en la ACVC puedan desarrollar la propuesta de ZRC, basada en el desarrollo integral y en los derechos humanos.
- Respetar y proteger a los derechos de los campesinos de la ZRC y los integrantes de la Asociación Campesina del Valle del  Rio Cimitara – ACVC.
- Identificar a los autores materiales e intelectuales de los asesinatos, de las  torturas y amenazas arriba indicadas para llevarlos a un tribunal para aplicarles las sanciones penales previstas por la ley.

Muy atentamente,

Translated Letter:

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Your Excellency, Mr. President,

I received alarming news about strong fighting in the region of the Cimitarra Valley, Central Magdalena region. Furthermore there have been murder, tortures, detentions and forced evictions and death threats in the area: On February 21st, 2006, Guido Romero, Vice President of the communal action council of the La Victoria community, was assassinated by paramilitaries. The brothers Juan Gabriel and James Pablo Barahona Lombana were tortured by militaries of the Calibio Battalion on March 13. They are members of the communal action council of Puerto Matilde (their mother is the president). The peasants Joan Harly Hoyos and John Jairo Soto were illegally arrested on March 12 in Hueco Frio. About 25 families from the San Francisco village, in the jurisdiction of the town of Yondó, Cimitarra, were forced to leave after the army occupied the village.

The torture cases by militaries and alleged paramilitaries are again happening with frequency, despite the demobilisation process. In the region of the Peasant Reserve Zone of the Cimitarra Valley the strong paramilitary structures continue to exist. It was denounced that the “demobilised” Rodolfo Triana Rodriguez together with other paramilitaries expressed death threats against various peasants in Notepases and the former president of the ACVC Alvaro Manzano. The other threatened are Gildardo Sabsas, Rubén Guerrero and Nury Cárcamo (widow of the murdered leader of the ACVC, Orlando Triana Moncada).

Many of the violations of human rights are directed against members of the Peasant Association of the River Cimitarra Valley (ACVC). Their objective is to stop the ACVC from fighting for the reversal of the suspension in 2003 of the Peasant Reserve Zone (ZRC), which was created in 2002. A court decision is still pending.  Sectors of the State of Colombia continue to be responsible for the aggressions, thereby attending to the claims of paramilitaries, cattle breeders and big landowners of the Central Magdalena, who consider the ZRC to be an obstacle in the violent land expropriation process.

Colombia is State Party to the International Covenants on Human Rights and is therefore obliged to respect, protect and guarantee these rights for its whole population and should adopt measures which safeguard the full enjoyment of these rights.

As person working internationally for the human right to food I should like to ask you to take immediate urgent measures to:
- Reverse the suspension of the ZRC and guarantee that the peasants of the ZRC and those organised in the ACVC can carry on with the planned ZRC, which is based on an integrated development and on human rights.
- To respect and protect the rights of the peasants of the ZRC and the members of the Peasant Association of the Cimitarra River Valley – ACVC.
- To identify the material and intellectual authors of the murders, tortures and threats above described in order to have them prosecuted in court as stipulated by law.

Yours sincerely,


Recipients:

Dr. Alvaro Uribe Velez
President of the Republic of Colombia
General Director of INCODER
Econ. Luis Ortiz López
ACVC
(cimitarra@mixmail.com)