Letter encouraging action on Bejarano murder

Dear colleagues:

Yesterday evening Professor Jesus Bejarano was murdered at the campus of the Universidad Nacional de Colombia in Bogota.

Professor Bejarano had been involved in the peace talks with the guerrilla movements during the Gaviria administration (1990-1994). Even before this official involvement, he had been engaged in the promotion of a political solution to the internal war that ravages the country. From the academia, he also contributed to a better understanding of the economical and political roots of Colombian violence, and suggested the best scenarios for its successful negotiation.

With this assassination the academia and Thought in general are under siege. Unarmed opinion has very little leverage over the armed groups. This is why international pressure on the government and on both left-wing guerrillas and right-wing paramilitary groups is so crucial at the moment.

First of all, as colleagues of Prof. Bejarano, we invite you all to join us in an act of repudiation of political violence of any kind by lighting candles at 7 pm, and to spread this initiative as widely as you can.

Second, any initiative you could undertake to strengthen a democratic political solution to the Colombian armed conflict is more than welcomed.

Sincerely,

Instituto de Estudios Politicos y Relaciones Internacionales (IEPRI)
Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Bogota
Colombia