Colombia: Armed men intimidate population in Cucuta

                                  
                          Case COL 100699

The International Secretariat of OMCT requests your urgent intervention 
in the following situation in Colombia.

Brief description of the situation

The International Secretariat of OMCT has just been informed of the 
grave concerns for the physical and mental integrity of inhabitants of the 
Juan de Atalaya "ciudadela", in Cucuta, Norte de Santander Department.

According to the Fundación Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos 
Políticos, member of the OMCT network, on 3 June 1999, 20 heavily 
armed and hooded men (with a red star symbol on their faces) arrived in 
the Camilo Daza neighborhood in the Juan de Atalaya ciudadela, and 
began intimidating the people. 

Similar acts of intimidation were also reported in other neighborhoods of 
the Juan de Atalaya ciudadela, such as Caño Limón, La Ermita, Simón 
Bolívar and Toledo Plata.

The reports state that two days later, on Saturday 5 June 1999, at 5 p.m., 
four armed men with automatic rifles mini-uzy arrived to the Camilo 
Daza neighborhood.  They were in a grey Ford van, model 150, with 
plates XYV-226 from El Táchira and videod houses where a few days 
before unknown people had written graffiti supportive of the guerrilla.

According to the information, after filming the houses, the armed men 
intimidated the people, warning them that they were a paramilitary group 
called The Headless, that they had been in  the area for 15 days, and 
that if they found anybody in the street after 8 p.m., there would be 
violence"habría derramamiento de sangre".

According to the information, this group has a list of 30 names of people 
who will be killed because of their alleged membership of the guerrilla.  

Fearing for their lives, the residents of the filmed houses left their homes. 
 In addition, all members of the Camilo Daza local council (Junta de 
Acción Comunal) resigned.  It has been further reported that the 
chairman of the local council has been the object of harassment since his 
predecessor, Tulio Martínez, was killed on the 24th of September 1998.

The reports further state that these acts seem to be linked to the massive 
displacement of the La Gabarra inhabitants to the Juan de Atalaya 
ciudadela following the recent paramilitary attacks (see appeal Case 
COL 030699). 

According to the information, although the Camilo Daza airport (the 
airport of Cúcuta city) forbids night flights, helicopters passing by the 
area between 12 p.m. and 1 a.m. have been observed.   

Action requested

Please write to the Colombian authorities urging them to 

  i.  guarantee the physical and mental integrity of the inhabitants of 
    the Juan de Atalaya ciudadela, including the members of the 
    Camilo Daza local council;

  ii. order the necessary measures to investigate the above 
    mentioned events, identify those responsible, bring them to trial 
    and apply the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as 
    provided by law;

  iv  immediately comply with the recommendations set up by 
    international and regional institutions, including the Office of 
    the High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Inter-
    American Commission on Human Rights as well as human rights 
    Non-Governmental Organizations;

v.  guarantee the respect of human rights and the fundamental 
    freedoms throughout the country in accordance with national 
    laws and international standards. 

Addresses

  S.E. Doctor Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República de 
Colombia, Palacio de Nariño, carrera 8 No. 7-26, Santafé de Bogotá, 
Colombia.  Fax 571 2867434  or 284 2186 or 289 3377

Doctor Alfonso Gómez Méndez, Fiscal General de la Nacion, Fiscalia 
General de la Nación,
Diagonal 22B 5201,Apartado Aéreo 29855, Santafé de Bogotá,Colombia.  
Fax(571) 320 37 83 or 570 2022

Doctor Fernando Castro Caicedo, Defensor del Pueblo, Calle 55 Nº 10-32, 
Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia. Fax(571) 3461225

Doctor Nestor Humberto Martínez Neira, Ministro del Interior, 
Ministerio del Interior, Carrera 8 Nº 8-09, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia. 
Fax(571) 2815884  or 286 6524 or 286 0405 or 286 0053 or 341 
9739

Doctora Sonia Eljach Polo, Consejera Presidencial para los Derechos 
Humanos, Santafé de Bogotá. Carrera 8 Nº 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, 
Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia.  Fax (571) 3371351 

Doctor Jaime Bernal Cuellar, Procurador General de la Nacion, Carrera Nº 
5, 15-80, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia.  Fax(571)3429723

Doctor Luis Fernando Ramírez, Ministro de Defensa, Ministerio de 
Defensa Nacional, Avenida El Dorado con Carrera 52 CAN, Santafé de 
Bogotá, CAN, Colombia . Fax(571) 222 18 74

Geneva, 10 June 1999

The Human Rights Action Network, a project of Derechos Human Rights, distributes appeals on behalf of victims of human rights violations. You are invited to join the network. Please check the date of the present action and do not write if it's over a month old.