Please read the monthly Urgent Action Network Newsletter posted 
on the web at: http://www.amnesty-USA.org/urgact/newslett.html 

Urgent Action Network
Amnesty International USA
PO Box 1270
Nederland CO 80466-1270
Email: sharriso@aiusa.org
http://www.amnesty-usa.org/urgact/
Phone: 303 440 0913
Fax: 303 258 7881
--------------------------------------------------- 
Safety/Possible Extrajudicial Executions     13 July 1998
COLOMBIA  

Alex SANDOVAL
Gentil SANDOVAL
Myriam MARTINEZ
Carlos MARTINEZ SANCHEZ, 14 years old
Candida MARTINEZ SANCHEZ, 15 years old, 
15 years old;
Oscar CORTES
Tiberio LOPEZ
Felipe Avila
Three people who were known as Vaquero, Chucho and El Palillo
And at least 17 unidentified people.

Fear for safety of the inhabitants of the municipalities of:
 Puerto Gaitan (department of Meta), 
Puerto  Principe (department of Vichada).

Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of the civilian 
population in the departments of Vichada and Meta after receiving 
reports of a paramilitary attack on several communities between 2 
and 5 July 1998, in which upwards of 11 civilians were killed.

Approximately 200 heavily armed men reportedly entered the 
Piapocos Indian community of Tiyaba, situated between the 
departments of Meta and Vichada in the municipality of Puerto Gaitan 
(Meta Department). The paramilitary group forced the community to 
flee their homes. 

The paramilitary group, which was allegedly travelling in nine vehicles,  
destroyed the villages of La Picota and La Loma in the municipality of 
Gaitan, department of Meta. Two indigenous people were killed in La 
Loma and two others were abducted in La Picota. 

Two paramilitary vehicles subsequently travelled to the community of 
Puerto Oriente, municipality of Puerto Principe, department of 
Vichada. In Puerto Oriente the paramilitary group shot dead the 11 
people listed above whose names were included in a lista negra, a 
`black list' reportedly in their possession. `Black lists' include the 
names of civilians considered by paramilitary forces to be guerrilla 
sympathizers or collaborators. Those whose names are included in 
such lists are frequently killed.
  
Reports also indicate that approximately 12 people were killed in the 
community of Puerto Trujillo, municipality of Puerto Gaitan, 
department of Meta where the paramilitary group destroyed between 
ten and 15 homes.

The paramilitary offensive has heightened concerns for the safety of 
the inhabitants of the municipalities of Puerto Gaitan and Puerto 
Principe. Many inhabitants have fled their homes in the wake of the 
killings in Puerto Oriente and Puerto Principe. Local inhabitants have 
reportedly previously denounced the presence of paramilitary forces 
in the region and expressed concern for their safety. 

Despite these denunciations no effective action has been taken by the 
authorities to dismantle the paramilitary groups in the area. Civilians 
in the region are also threatened by guerrilla forces, who in recent 
months have reportedly killed local inhabitants they accused of being 
paramilitary informants. 

BACKGROUND INFORMATION
Peasant communities have frequently suffered attacks in disputed 
zones of Colombia's long running civil conflict. Neither the left wing 
armed opposition groups nor the armed forces and their paramilitary 
allies recognize the civilian population's neutrality in the conflict. 
Members of the Colombian army and security forces and their 
paramilitary allies continue to commit serious human rights violations 
with virtual impunity. Over the past five years several thousand 
civilians have been killed by paramilitary groups throughout the 
country. In 1989 the Colombian government suspended the 
constitutional legal base for the formation of paramilitary organizations 

and issued directives to the armed forces to combat and disband 
such groups, yet they continue to work with the support of the security 
forces in many areas of the country.

President Ernesto Samper Pizano has repeatedly promised to 
improve the human rights situation and to dismantle paramilitary 
forces, but no steps have been taken to control their actions and to 
hold members accountable for serious and widespread human rights 
violations. The Attorney General recently stated that over 200 
outstanding arrest warrants issued against alleged paramilitary 
members have still not been acted upon by the security forces

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send 
telegrams/telexes/faxes/express/airmail letters:
-expressing deep concern for the safety of inhabitants of the 
municipality of Gaitan, Meta Department and Puerto Principe, Vichada 
Department in light of reported attacks by paramilitary forces;
- calling for all appropriate measures to be taken to guarantee the 
safety of the civilian inhabitants of these municipalities;
- calling on the government to act and take adequate steps to protect 
all the communities mentioned in this Urgent Action who face a 
serious risk of attack by paramilitary forces;
- calling for a full and impartial investigation into links between the 
security forces and paramilitary groups operating in the area and 
urging that those found responsible for supporting and participating in 
such groups be brought to justice;
- urging that the authorities take immediate action to dismantle 
paramilitary groups, in line with stated government commitments. 

APPEALS TO:                                 (Salutations)
President of Colombia: (Dear President Samper)

Senor Presidente Ernesto Samper Pizano, Presidente de la Republica
Palacio de Narino, carrera 8 No. 7-26
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
[Telegrams: President Samper Pizano, Bogota, Colombia ]
 [Telex:        396 44281 PALP CO]
[Fax: 011 57 1 284 2186 / 286 7434}

Minister of the Interior                  (Dear Minister)
Dr. Alfonso Lopez Caballero,Ministro del Interior
Ministerio del Interior, Carrera 8, No.8-09, Piso 2
Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
[Telegrams:     Ministro del Interior, Bogota, Colombia]
[Telexes:  396 45406 MINGO CO]
[Fax:  011 57 1 281 5884 / 286 6524 / 286 0405]

Minister of Defence                      (Dear Minister)
Dr.Gilberto Echeverri Mejia, Ministro de Defensa Nacional
Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, Avenida Eldorado CAN - Carrera 52
Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
[Telegrams:  Ministro de Defensa, Bogota, Colombia]
[Telexes: 396 42411 INPRE CO / 44561 CFAC CO]
[Faxes: 011 57 1 222 1874]

COPIES:

Ambassador Juan Carlos Esguerra 
Embassy of Colombia
2118 Leroy Pl. NW
Washington DC 20008


Please send appeals immediately. Check with the Colorado office 
between 9:00 am and 6:00 pm, Mountain Time, weekdays only, if 
sending appeals after 24 August 1998.