From: Kelly MacCready
Subject: URGENT SIGN-ON LETTER - PBI COLOMBIA
X-Attachments: F:\KELLY\ATTACH\LETTER.DOC;
Dear PBI Friends,
Attached is a sign-on letter regarding the attack and threats to human
rights promoter, Mario Calixto and PBI volunteers on December 23rd. Please
consider signing on with us, and let me know by next week, Monday, February
3rd - providing name of organization and contact person.
Thank you for your support of and collaboration with PBI.
Kelly MacCready
North American Representative to the Colombia Project Committee
***************************************************************
PEACE BRIGADES INTERNATIONAL
Incorporated in Walla Walla, Washington, USA, 1982
PBI-Colombia Project
1b Waterlow Road Tel/Fax: 44-171-272-4448
London e-mail: pbicolombia@gn.apc.org
N19 5NJ U.K.
22nd January 1998
Dear Friend
The Colombia Project of Peace Brigades International (PBI Colombia) would
like to inform you of the deeply preoccupying incidents which occurred on
December 23rd 1997, against both a human rights defender in Sabana de Torres
and PBI members, and furthermore, ask for your support. PBI feels that the
incidents described below are intolerable in a nation state such as
Colombia. We thereby feel it necessary to internationally condemn these
events before the Colombian government, the Armed Forces and other Colombian
institutions. For these reasons, we ask you to support and sign the attached
letter.
On behalf of PBI Colombia, we thank you in advance.
sincerely,
Francesc Riera
President of the Executive Committee
of the PBI Colombia Project Committee
***************************************************
PEACE BRIGADES INTERNATIONAL
Incorporated in Walla Walla, Washington, USA, 1982
PBI-Colombia Project
1b Waterlow Road Tel/Fax: 44-171-272-4448
London e-mail: pbicolombia@gn.apc.org
N19 5NJ U.K.
22nd January 1998
On December 23rd 1997, two members of PBI Colombia and Mario Humberto
Calixto, a human rights defender, were attacked by two armed men.
Thankfully, the attack resulted in no personal injury. Peace Brigades
International (PBI Colombia) is an international NGO which provides
international presence and protective accompaniment to organizations and
individuals working for human rights. This work includes constant and close
communication with the Colombian authorities, the diplomatic corps and
international institutions.
On December 23rd, two PBI Colombia volunteers, Francisco Román and Hendrik
Vaneeckhaute, were with Mario Humberto Calixto, president of the Regional
Committee for Human Rights in Sabana de Torres, Santander, carrying out
their work of protective accompaniment. The PBI Colombia team in
Barrancabermeja had intensified protection to Mario Calixto due to a series
of threats he had received in November 1997 by presumed paramilitary groups
which decreed “We’ll kill Mario; if not now, in December”. These threats
were made after the publication of the Regional Committee on Human Rights’
report entitled “The Violence Continues” on November 6th 1997, extracts of
which appeared in the Vanguardia Liberal newspaper on December 17th 1997.
PBI Colombia took these threats very seriously and communicated their
concern to the Colombian authorities, Armed Forces, embassies and other
institutions, along with demonstrating its concern for the situation in its
publications.
On the same day, December 23rd, the members of the PBI Colombia team and
Mario Calixto had an interview with the Commander of the Ricaurte Batallion
in Sabana de Torres, in which they expressed their concern about Mario
Calixto’s situation and let it be known that PBI Colombia was intensifying
their accompaniment in Sabana de Torres. On December 15th a similar
interview took place with the National Police of Sabana de Torres.
At 6pm on December 23rd, when PBI Colombia volunteers were in Mario
Calixto’s house, two armed men, in civilian clothes, barged into the house,
threatening all present and demonstrating their intention of taking Mario
Calixto with them. The PBI Colombia volunteers identified themselves and
stated their nationalities while Mario Calixto took advantage of the moment
to flee out the back of the house. The two armed men continued to threaten
both PBI Colombia volunteers verbally and physically. Finally, the rest of
the family, together with PBI Colombia volunteers managed to convince the
men to leave the house.
After staying with the Calixto family in Sabana de Torres on December 23rd
and 24th, PBI Colombia accompanied the entire family to Bogotá. The PBI
Colombia team at present is accompanying them permanently while they proceed
with the necessary steps to resolve their new situation as displaced people.
We are deeply concerned that two armed men, not pertaining to the Armed
Forces, can operate in broad daylight in the centre of Sabana de Torres, a
municipality under strict military control. Mario Calixto had received
numerous death threats from presumed paramilitaries and the recent reports
of the Regional Human Rights Committee had repeatedly denounced the presence
of presumed paramilitaries in the centre of Sabana de Torres.
For this reason and the gravity of the threats which were made against Mario
Calixto and PBI Colombia volunteers, we ask that the Colombian government,
in light of their declarations on the protection of Human Rights defenders,
do everything necessary so that the continuous threats and attacks against
said defenders cease. Should these attacks against Human Rights defenders or
members of PBI Colombia continue, we assure that energetic measures will be
taken at an international level to study the lack of obligation by the
authorities and the Security Forces to assure the security of citizens in
general, and Human Rights defenders in particular in Colombia.
We thank you in advance for your collaboration.
Sincerely
SIGNED:
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