FARC Assassinates Four Members of the Peace Communities

On Wednesday September 22, 1999, militia of the FARC intercepted, in the environs of the settlement of Villahermosa, three persons of the Peace Community when they returned from their work and made them lie down on the ground. They asked for one of them, Arnulfo Torres, whose nickname was El Pupo, and when he identified himself they shot and killed him.

On the next day, Thursday the 23rd, militia members arrived at the small settlement of Rio Ciego and went to the house of Jose, whose nickname is El Cocho, who was at that time with his 14 year old son. They tied him up and they told the young man that he should go to let the community know that they were going to kill his father. A few persons from the community recovered his cadaver that same afternoon and took it back to the settlement.

On Monday, September 27 in the evening, several armed men of the FARC arrived at the place, near Remacho, where a group of persons of the settlement of Nueva Esperanza were resting after their workday, and they tied up Alejandro Palacio, who they accused of having ties to the paramilitaries, and they killed him.

In these same days members of the FARC militia invaded the small settlement of La Balsa, where they assassinated the peasant Alejandro Mesta and took him to a cattle lot.

These crimes have filled these communities with fear and they are disconcerted. These are communities which work to achieve their autonomy as communities of peace, which seek to remake their lives by means of honest work which will provide them with security for food and the future of their families.

The communities affected by these actions, which we reject energetically, fear that they will generate new conflicts which put at risk their possibilities to return once and for all to their farms.

We ask again for the respect of the work which the communities are carrying forward transparently, as artisans of peace who choose nonviolence.

We call upon all armed actors to respect the neutrality of the Peace Community and their residents, and to end the threats and attacks against Peace Community members.

Diocese of Apartado
Riosucio
Our Lady of Carmen Parish