Urgent Action: Aggression and Threats against CREDHOS on the Rise Again

19 October 1999
CREDHOS
Barrancabermeja

What you should do

Please contact the authorities below and demand

That the Colombian State, headed by President Dr. ANDREZ PASTRANA ARANGO take all necessary measures to guarantee the life, physical safety and work of CREDHOS and other human rights workers in the Magdalena Medio region, as has been promised to the international community and as established in the Constitution.

That the judicial authorities investigate and clarify these situations, which affect not only the lives of CREDHOS’ members but also human rights work in the region.
Contacts

Madeleine Albright
Secretary of State
+1 (202) 647 1533

William Cohen
Department of Defense
+1 (703) 697 9080

Ambassador Curtis Kamman
+57 1 315 2163

Colonel Diego Gutierrez
XVII Brigade of the National Army Telephone:
  +57 4 823 6844
  +57 4 823-9527
  +57 4 823-9526

General Herrera Verbel
IV Brigade of the National Army
Telephone:
  +57 4 230-4411
  +57 4 230-5127

Gustavo Bell Lemus
Vice-President of the Republic
Fax:
  +57 1 286-3589

Andres Pastrana
President of the Republic
Fax:
  +57 1-5616580

Jaime Bernal Cuellar
Prosecutor General of the Nation
Fax:
  +57 1-2827614

Alfonso Gomez Mendez
Attorney General of the Nation
Fax:
  +57 1-5700200

Fernando Castro Caycedo
Defender of the People
Fax:
  +57 1-345-2300

Brigadier General Gabriel Eduardo Contreras
I Division of the National Army
Telephone:
  +57 5 423-1802
  +57 5 421-0996
  +57 5 421-0482

The Regional Corporation for Human Rights Defense (CREDHOS) denounces to the national and international communities that there have been serious acts against members of its board and its offices.
Last weekend (between the 16th and 18th of October) our office was broken into and searched. The intruders entered through the main door, breaking the locks on the doors and stealing documents, office equipment, papers, and other items that include: the CPU of the computer which contains the last five years of the Corporation's work (denouncements, documents pertaining to legal proceedings against the State, projects, investigations, reports, etc.); a fax machine, paper supplies, files, a camera, and cash, among other things.
It is public knowledge at a regional, national, and international level that human rights workers in the region have been the subject of constant and continuous threats. Six members of CREDHOS have been assassinated, and many have been forced into exile, most recently OSIRIS BAYTHER (former president) and MARCO TULIO TORRES (a CREDHOS promoter in San Pablo) have received death threats from the United Self-Defense Groups of Santander and Sur del Cesar (AUSAC).
On repeated occasions, CREDHOS has been listed as a military target, and the members of its board have been threatened with death. For this reason, we believe that these new and serious acts are part of a demonic strategy to silence the voice that has been lifted up as the “Moral Conscience of Magdalena Medio.
It is especially striking that these last three acts against CREDHOS occurred simultaneously.
On October 5, 1999, in a newspaper article, Colonel JAIME EDUARDO MARTINEZ of the National Police of Barrancabermeja threatened to bring legal action against board member FRANCISCO JOSE CAMPO because of our pronouncement regarding the events of September 27 when eight civilians from the city were massacred. Last weekend (between the 16th and 18th of October), our doors were forced, our office searched, and valuable information was stolen from our office. Then today, October 19, at 7:10 A.M., board member PABLO JAVIER ARENALES received a phone threat which stated “You smell like you are rotting, son of a bitch.” He had previously suffered an attempt against his life a few months ago.
Given these occurrences, we believe that it is impossible to predict what the consequences will be for CREDHOS and other human rights workers in the Magdalena Medio region, since clearly there are no guarantees in place to protect our work. Whatever happens in the immediate future to human rights workers in the region will be the exclusive responsibility of the Colombian State.
We demand

That the Colombian State, headed by President Dr. ANDREZ PASTRANA ARANGO take all necessary measures to guarantee the life, physical safety and work of CREDHOS and other human rights workers in the Magdalena Medio region, as has been promised to the international community and as established in the Constitution.
That the judicial authorities investigate and clarify these situations, which affect not only the lives of CREDHOS’ members but also human rights work in the region.

Call to action

That, in these difficult times, the regional and national communities support human rights workers and members of CREDHOS. CREDHOS is especially vulnerable due to attempts against its work, the lives of its members, and its ability to remain in the region.
That we immediately begain a solidarity campaign that would demand respect and guarantees for human rights organizations in the region, since these have become spaces for ethic and moral conscience that lead along the road to peaceful co-existence. They are an important link in the people’s participation in the creation of a true democracy.
That the international community, which is sensitive to issues of life, human rights, and democracy, create links of brotherhood and solidarity. This is both urgent and necessary at this difficult time when we continue to persist in spite of persecution and aggression against our organizations and human rights workers.
Barrancabermeja, October 19, 1999