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ACTION REQUEST
Case COL 190598 The International Secretariat of the OMCT requests your URGENT intervention in connction with the following situation in Colombia. Brief description of the situation The International Secretariat has been informed of the illegal detention, forced disappearance and / or death of various persons in the city of Barrancabermeja, Santander, on May 16th 1998. These events are attributed to the paramilitary with the possible collaboration of state forces, especially the military and the police. According to various organisations on May 16th 1998 between the hours of 20:00 and 23:30, about 50 paramilitary dressed in civilian clothes, heavily armed and accompanied by some hooded persons, invaded the quarters of El Campestre, 9 de Abril, El Campin, and Maria Eugenia in the south eastern sector of the city of Barrancabermeja, killing various persons (including a boy of 17 ), and detaining more than 35 (thirty five) persons, the majority being between the ages of 18 and 25, while three of them were aged between 15 and 17. During the proceedings the population was "informed" that they were "paramilitary", that they had "already arrived at Barrancabermeja", that they had come "to install order" and "were not going to leave". That same day the army and the police of Barrancabermeja carried out swoops in the same south eastern sector from before 8 pm to 2 am (on the 17th of May) between the quarters of Campestre and 9 de Abril, where there are also 3 military bases situated in Pozo 7, El Matadero de Reses de Ecopetrol and the military base which protects the construction of the electrical generator between Villarclys and El 9 de Abril. In the quarter of Maria Eugenila, the paramilitary detained various youths and killed three persons identified as: Luis Jesús Argüello, Germán León Quintero and José Javier Jaramillo Díaz, aged 17 .Subsequently, during three and a half hours the paramilitary continued their crimes in this as well as the remaining quarters referred to above. The next day the bodies of five (5) of these people were found in various places near to the city of Barrancabermeja:: José Javier Jaramillo Díaz , Eliécer Javier Quintero Orozco , Nier Enrique Guzmán Lázaro , Dionisio Hernández Pérez y Pedro Julio Rondón Hernández Apparently, up to the 18th of May the following persons were still missing: Alfredo Ruíz , Fernando Ardila Landinez , José Reynel Campos Arévalo , Enrique Moncada Villamizar , Melquicedec Salamanca Quintero (aged 25 ) , Carlos Arturo Adais Prada (aged 31) , José Octavio Osorio , Giovanni Herrera (18 years) , David Triana (19 ye years) , Ramiro Londońo , Leen Duarte (15 years) , Luis Fernando Suárez , Juan de Jesús Valdivieso Pabón , Julio Cristancho , Wilfredo Useda Pérez , Eugenio Isaza , Ricky Nelson Garcia Amador (24 years) ; Daniel Campos Pérez (19 years) , Carlos Escobar Jiménez (17 years) , Gary de Jesús Pinedo Rangel (32 years) , José Libardo Londońo (75 years) , Luis Enrigue Caballero Romero (22 years) , Wilson Pacheco Quiroz , Diego Fernando and Alejandra María Ochoa López (twins aged 20 ) , Oswaldo Enrique Vásquez Quintero (25 years) , Ender González Baena (20 years) , Oscar Leonel Barrera Santa (20 years) , Robert Well Gordillo (22 years) , Jaime Yesid Rodriguez (16 years) and Jairo Massiol Cedeńo (35 years). The reports also state that between 11:00 pm and 11:30pm there paramilitary were opposite the house of Ms Osiris Bayter Ferias, president CREDHOS (Corporacion Regional para los Derechos Humanos de Barrancabermeja). During that period the telephone rang several times but when answered, there was nobody at the other end. Soon afterwards the paramilitary left. This fact is very disturbing since members of CREDHOS have received death threats from the paramilitary and have been harassed by the army and the State security bodies which accused them of collaborating with the guerilla. Action requested Write to the Colombian authorities urging them to: i. adopt urgently all appropriate measures to find the persons who are illegally detained or have disappeared, ensure their physical and psychological integrity and order their immediate release; ii. guarantee in all circumstances the safety and liberty of Ms Osiris Bayter Ferias, president of the CREDHOS, and the other members of that organisation; iii. ensure that a thorough and rapid investigation is carried out into the facts referred to in order to identify those responsible, determine the responsibility of the military and police forces and bring them to trial applying to them the penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions provided by law; iv. put an end to the activities of paramilitary groups as well as to any form of collaboration of state institutions or bodies with these groups, and bring to trial and punish those responsible for violations of human rights; v, ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental liberties in accordance with national laws and international standards, and in particular the Covenants and Pacts ratified by Colombia. Addresses: S.E. Doctor Ernesto Samper Pizano, Presidente de la Republica de Colombia, Palacio de Narińo, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia. Fax : 571 2842186. E-Mail : esamper@presidencia.gov.co Doctor Alfonso Gómez Méndez, Fiscal General de la Nación, Diagonal 22-B, Nş 52-01, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia. Fax : (571) 320 37 83 Doctor Gustavo Castro Caicedo, Defensor del Pueblo, Calle 55 Nş 10-32, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia. Fax : (571) 3461225 E-mail : dpueblo@colnodo.apc.org Doctor Gilberto Echeverri Mejía, Ministro de Defensa, Avenida El Dorado con Carrera 52 CAN, Santafé de Bogotá, CAN, Colombia . Fax : (571) 221 36 53 General Mario Hugo Galan Rodríguez, Comandante del Ejército, Avenida El Dorado con Carrera 52 CAN, Santafé de Bogotá, CAN, Santafé de Bogotá. CAN, Colombia. Fax : (571) 221 89 41 General Luis Enrique Montenegro R., Director Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad -DAS-, Carrera 28 Nş 17 A-00 Paloquemao, Santafé de Bogotá. General José Manuel Bonett Locarno, Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares, Avenida El Dorado con Carrera 52 CAN, Santafé de Bogotá, CAN, Santafé de Bogotá. CAN, Colombia. Fax : (571) 221 89 41 The Colombian embassy in your respective countries Geneva 19th May 1998 Kindly inform us of any action undertaken quoting the code number of this appeal in your reply.
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