1. That our Commission has, since 1992, presented before the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights (CIDH) the serious, systematic, and persistent human rights violations that have taken place in the Municipality of Trujillo, where more than 300 people suffered torture, extrajudicial executions, and forced disappearances in a joint and coordinated action at the hands of members of the public forces, hitmen and narcotraffickers.
2. That in September, 1994, with the mediation of the CIDH an accord was established about an agreement of understanding in order to foster an amicable solution with the Colombian government, due to which the "Commission to Investigate the Violent Events at Trujillo" was formed. This commission formulated detailed recommendations to overcome the absolute impunity in which the events were being lost, as well as the payment of reparations to the victims and to society, recommendations that the CIDH appraised and appropriated during its 88th, period of sessions completed in February, 1995.
Upon receiving such report, President Ernesto Samper expressed that "Facts, not declarations, are and will be my government's norms about the issue of human rights protection." He also said that "we are and we want a different country from that which appears in these apocalyptic visions of anguish due to the events in Trujillo. A country where those events will never be repeated....Moreover, we go on with a strong desire to amend our history so that God willing this history, the sad history of Trujillo, will never be repeated again."
3. That once and again several governments, including the current administration of Dr. Andrés Pastrana Arango, have made repeated declarations, announced various directives, resolutions, and pronouncements, expressing supposed compromises to guarantee the validity of human rights, as well as the free exercise of their activities by non-governmental organizations that have promoted respect for such rights. Declarations and expressions all very far from the reality and the drama undergone by thousands of Colombians.
4. That the recommendations formulated by the CIDH, for the last three years, continue falling on deaf ears. That the impunity of such horrifying crimes continue being rampant, while the measures of social reparation have not reached the victims' relatives. On the contrary, today again paramilitary groups are regrouping in the area, and establish roadblocks on country lanes, and at the same time, not only there is no obstacle to bringing weaponry into the area, but in the main town public meeting are held and a series of murders are committed, under the cover of "social cleansing", in an unimpeded modus operandi, public and overt, that counts on the authorities' indifference or complicity.
5. That while the friendly solution stage is maintained at the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights, members of the Association of Trujillo Victims' Relatives -AFAVIT-, as well as the members of the Justice and Peace's Working Team for in the region, have been the targets of repeated threats and harrassement aimed at impeding their demands for justice, and social and individual reparations.
6. That although these events have been brought to the attention of the authorities since 1998, demanding from them respect and guarantees for the free exercise of our activities in the region, up to now we have not been aware of any action taken to address such events. On the contrary, the level of threats has increased significantly, stating that the members of Justice and Peace will suffer the same fate as the victims of the events that took place between 1988 and 1994.
7. That even though the Interamerican Commission for Human Rights decreed preventive measures in favor of the member of AFAVIT and of the Justice and Peace's Working Team, summoning the government to respond within the peremptory period of 8 days, given the seriousness of the situation, the Colombian government, once again, has not met its obligations.
8. That all of the above makes clear the total lack of guarantees for the defense of human rights and for the exercise of our activities in the area of Trujillo, and reveals the existence of a policy against those of us who have assumed the defense of human rights, not only in our institution, but also in other social, human rights, and union organizations, policy that betrays the lack of will of the Colombian State to combat criminal groups.
And in view of all of the above and beginning today
WE RESOLVE
1. To close down indefinitely our offices in the Municipality of Trujillo, Valle, until the Colombian State generates serious, real and efficient guarantees and conditions for the free exercise of our activities in that region.
2. Continue to support the decision to shut down the offices of the Committee of Solidarity with Political Prisoners in Bogotá, Cali, Medellín, Cúcuta, Ibagué and Barranquilla, and of the other organizations that are forced to make the same decision, demanding that the Colombian State create positive guarantees and conditions for the restart of their work.
Santafé de Bogotá, February 19, 1999
Executive Committe of the Intercongregational Commission for Justice and Peace
From: Never Again Project Memory for the Crimes Against Humanity in Colombia Telefax (571) 340-19-43 E-mail: comintjp@colomsat.net.co Santafé de Bogotá D.C., Colombia, South AmericaThis month's news | CSN Home