The Movement of Victims of State Crimes (MOVICE) was created on July 25, 2005 during the Second National Conference of Victims of Crimes Against Humanity and Violations of Human Rights, four days after the approval by the Colombian Congress of Law 975, or the law of impunity. After five years of existence MOVICE wants to remember and pay tribute to all its members who have built MOVICE, while at the same time we commemorate our members who have been killed, persecuted, threatened and detained for their just struggle in defense of truth, justice and integral reparation. With us are Rogelio Martinez and Joel Perez, rejecting at the same time the false judicial processes against Carmelo Agámez Berrio and Winston Gallego Pamplona.
Persecution of MOVICE and its members
Imminent risk for the technical secretary of the regional chapter of the MOVICE in Caquetá
Since July 13 several people close to Domingo Pérez Cuellar, technical secretary of the Caquetá Chapter, called him, asking if it was true that he had been caught in the busstation of Bogotá since that rumor was running in San Vicente del Caguan. Domingo has been involved in the organization in San Vicente del Caguan of the "Patriotic March." In the days previous to the march the governor of Caqueta, the commander of the XII Brigade and the departmental police commander stated that the march was promoted and/or infiltrated by the rebel organization FARC-EP. In San Vicente de Caguan the Army presented a pamphlet allegedly found on the body of alias "Jessica", member of the FARC-EP, who had been killed by the National Army on June 10, 2010. In the pamphlet various community action boards were called to coordinate the activities of the "Patriotic March" with Domingo Perez Cuellar. Following this, Domingo presented a complaint to the local prosecution in San Vicente del Caguan requesting an investigation into the origin of this pamphlet and indirect slander against him.
https://www.movimientodevictimas.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=647&Itemid=1
Harassment and threats against members of the regional Chapter of the MOVICE in Atlantico
On July 2, 2010 in Barranquilla six members of the Fundación Infancia Feliz were persecuted and harrased by four men and a woman. One of the men attempted unsuccessfully to force the director of the Foundation to take a taxi, then harrased the other members until they could leave the area with the support of a protection scheme of a human rights organization present in the city .
On July 24, 2010 Martha Diaz, president of the Association of Families United for a Single-Pain (AFUSODO), found a document in her mailbox signed by alias “Grasa” and “Salomón”, of the Urban Front of the AUC, that contained a direct threat to her life. She also received that same day an email with another threat.
https://www.movimientodevictimas.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=652&Itemid=1
Serious risk for human rights defender David Ravelo Crespo and his family
On May 7, 2010, the son of David Ravelo, received a call on his cell phone, in which a male voice invited him to the funeral of his father. David Ravelo and his family have left the city of Barrancabermeja, due to constant threats and harassments against David and his family. Since January of this year, David Ravelo has been informed by friends, family and associates, on strangers who have asked about the sites that David used to visit as well as his place of residence, place of work, his tastes and what he does on his days of rest. David Ravelo Crespo is a member of the Corporation Credhos of Barrancabermeja and is a beneficiary of precautionary measures, since 2000, by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
http://www.colectivodeabogados.org/Grave-situacion-de-riesgo-del
Threat to victims of false judicial process in Catatumbo
On July 23 at the farm Bella Vista, located in the municipality of Teorama and owned by Jose Alberto Quintero, member of the Peasant Association of Catatumbo (ASCAMCAT), unknown persons left a written document with a threat to him and his family. Members of ASCAMCAT have been the victim of accusations, harassment and in January 2010 nine persons of ASCAMCAT, including José Alberto Quintero, were captured in the context of a false judicialization, in which also an arrest warrant had been issued against the president of ASCAMCAT.
Human rights defenders in the coffee region threatened by “Black Eagles”
On July 27, a written threat from the paramilitary group "Black Eagles", was directed towards several human rights leaders in Quindio. The message stated the following: "We believe that we have the location of each of the following terrorists, who have been servicing the insurgency and have caused so much pain to the Colombian people. People like Angelica Ramirez, Jorge Hernan Palacios, Mauricio Cubides, Guillermo Castano, Alfonso Caicedo, Carlos Quintana, Cesar Arias, Alirio García, Sandra Restrepo, Alfonso Caicedo, Fernando Marin, (…) death to the human rights defenders who are serving the insurgency."
http://www.comitepermanente.org/el_cpdh_denuncia_amenaza_a_su_director_de_risarald.html
Mothers of victims of "false positives" denounce threats
The mothers of Soacha, relatives of victims of extrajudicial killings, reported that earlier this month, they have received death threats by unknown persons. The affected revealed that through emails, calls and even pamphlets located in their residences, an illegal organization called "Black Eagles" is harrasing them, stating that "as your children have lost their lives, you too, as members of their families could suffer the same fate."
Read complete article: http://www.caracol.com.co/nota.aspx?id=1322908
Read interview: http://www.semana.com/noticias-nacion/no-tenemos-callarnos/141725.aspx
Criminalization of the Public Hearing "The humanitarian crisis in the Llanos Orientales of Colombia"
The Public Hearing celebrated in La Macarena (Meta) on July 22 and convened by the Commission on Peace and a Humanitarian Accord of the Senate of the Republic was accompanied by a delegation of European Parliamentarians and national and international Human Rights Organizations and Defenders. President Alvaro Uribe in a reaction to the Public Hearing said at the military base of the municipality: "Terrorism, in its combination of all forms of struggle, uses some spokesmen to speak on peace and through other spokesmen come here to La Macarena to discredit the security forces and accuse them of human rights violations." In the same speech he also sent a message of encouragement to the troops in their fight against terrorism, and said that they have all the conditions to reach the final victory.
https://www.movimientodevictimas.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=643&Itemid=1
Attacks and criminalisation of popular expressions during 200 years of independence
Between July 19 and 21 different public activities have been organized by social organisations, among which the Patriotic March, which was attended by over 100,000 people across the country, open forums held in Bogota and the Minga towards the Peoples Congress. The Patriotic March was criminalzed by both governors, military brigades and media and had been victim of sabotage, prohibiting its realization and preventing the accomadation of the participants in the city of Bogota, among others. In San Vicente de Caguan 18 year old, Cristian Adolfo Rivas, who had been participating in the Patriotica March and the Public Hearing in La Macarena, was approached on July 29 by two men on a motorcycle. One of them pulled out a gun and put it on the head of Cristian and said "this is one of the queer rioters" and took Cristian's phone, then he turned to say "guerrilla faggot." Cristian replied "What's up!." The subject continued with his gun on Cristian's head and said "tell your friends they you should stop subverting the people." At that time the subject kicked him and pushed him saying "take off, take off".
https://www.movimientodevictimas.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=660&Itemid=1
Threats against Agrarian Association of Santander (ASAGRAS)
On June 26 Gustavo Quintero, Chairman of the Sub-directive Sabana de Torres, received death threats from Oscar Mauricio Jaimes Mendieta, who said he would not rest until he would have killed Gustavo, in order to recover the land of Mr. Castellanos. Gustavo Quintero is leading the recovery process of the plots El Silencio of the village Provincia, where for over 27 years fourteen (14) families have been living. On July 28 an envelope addressed to Cesar Tamayo was sent to the City Hall of Sabana de Torres. The envelop contained a pamphlet suscribed by the Black Eagles, in which both he, as well as Cesar Plazas and David Flores were threatened to death.
http://prensarural.org/spip/spip.php?rubrique26
Threats against the President of the Farmer Association of Arauca (ACA)
On June 19 the president of the Association, José Antonio Amaya, received a call, in which he and his family were threatened to death. On July 30 he received another treat from the same number The wife of José Antonio also received another call in which both he and his whole family were threatened.
http://prensarural.org/spip/spip.php?article4405
MOVICE's Activities
National Forum "After five-year of Law 975 … Neither peace nor justice for the victims "
The fifth anniversary of Law 975 of 2005 requires that the whole society addresses, from the perspective of effective recognition of the rights of victims, the results of the implementation of the law of justice and peace. The forum was held on July 23 in Medellín and organised by MOVICE, the Collective for Human Rights Seed's of Freedom (Codehsel) and the Judicial Corporation Liberty (CJL).
Lea: http://www.colectivodeabogados.org/Con-la-ley-de-justicia-y-paz-han
Second Social and Humanitarian Forum in Arauca
From July 26 to 28 the Second Social and Humanitarian Forum was held in the city of Saravena (Arauca). The Social Organizations of Eastern Colombia met with national and international social organizations in a spirit of fraternity, integration and solidarity, to realize a democratic and critical debate to analyse, debate and denounce the regional situation as well as national and international issues of importance to human life. The Forum was held around the following issues; Environment and Territory, Human Rights, Justice and Prison Colombian Prison System, Health, Education and Productivity.
http://www.organizacionessociales.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=651&Itemid=1
Victim's rights
Amnesty International calls out to support human rights defenders and end military courts to prosecute human rights violations
Faced with the visit to Spain of colombia's elected president, Juan Manuel Santos, Amnesty International addressed a letter to Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, to convey the main concerns of the organization on the human rights situation in Colombia.
Inter-American Commission granted precautionary measures on behalf of 29 families displaced from Algeria in Popayán
29 families among which the family of Orlando Bolaños, the family of the forced disappeared Over Herney Munoz and Jesus Olivier Alvarado Muñoz and Paola Andrea Meneses, sexually abused on June 3, 2010, were granted precautionary measures by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.
http://justiciaypazcolombia.com/Comision-Interamericana-otorga
Council of State rejects lawsuit against U.S. military bases
The judicial demand presented on December 15, 2009 by lawyer Luis Carlos Dominguez Prada on behalf of the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CPDH) declaring invalid the "Simplified Agreement" signed between the governments of Colombia and the United States to install in the country seven U.S. military bases, has been rejected by the State Council, through the Supreme Court of Administrative Litigation.
http://www.comitepermanente.org/consejo_de_estado_rechaza_demanda_contra_las__base.html
Six thousand human rights violations are investigated
Last year, the Human Rights Unit of the General Attorney reported 8014 assigned cases of human rights violations, of which 6824 are still active. General Attorney, Guillermo Mendoza Diago, said that these cases include extrajudicial killings involving members of the National Army. According to the report, uptil May 2010 1366 special investigations were allocated, of which 1216 are active. These investigations relate to 2351 victims.
Alias 'Macaco' has to respond for crimes against humanity before U.S. Court
Almudena Bernabeu of the Center for Justice and Accountability, said that paramilitary leader Carlos Mario Jiménez, alias "Macaco," had been demanded before a U.S. court for torture, summary executions, war crimes and crimes against humanity. The demand is made for the murder of Eduardo Estrada and Alma Rosa Jaramillo, leaders of the Development and Peace Programme in Magdalena Medio (PDP) at the hands of the AUC. "This is the first civil suit on behalf of Colombian victims of human rights violations against a leader of the AUC extradited in the U.S."
http://www.wradio.com.co/nota.aspx?id=1320983
Cesar Perez behind bars
The Technical Investigation Corps (CTI) captured in Medellin, former member of congress César Pérez García, investigated for his alleged responsibility in the slaughter of 43 people in Segovia, Antioquia, carried out by paramilitaries on November 11, 1988. The Movement of Victims of State Crimes (MOVICE), chapter Antioquia, said that the bloody incursion of paramilitaries should be considered as one of the first cases of para-politics in the country because it joint military, political and paramilitary structures in an effort to regain political power from the UP. In the 1992 election the Liberal Party regained its regional power in Northeast Antioquia.
http://www.semana.com/noticias-nacion/tiene-cesar-perez-tras-rejas/142085.aspx
Detention dictated against Jose Miguel Narvaez for the murder of Jaime Garzón
The Attorney General's Office issued detention for José Miguel Narváez Martínez, former deputy director of the DAS, as the alleged determiner of the murder of journalist Jaime Garzón Forero Hernando. The decision was made by a prosecutor of the National Unit for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law after testimonies that implicated Narváez Martínez in the crime. At the time paramilitary leader Carlos Castaño Gil was sentenced to 38 years in prison for the crime. Garzón was murdered in Bogotá on August 13, 1999 by gunmen as he headed to the office where he worked as a journalist.
MOVICE open letter with respect to the law proposal regarding victims
On July 20, 2010 the law proposal regarding victims has been presented again within the Colombian congress. The MOVICE considers of vital importance that the country has a regulatory framework that enshrines and guarantees the rights of all victims and adjust its domestic legislation to the international standards in this area. For this reason the MOVICE expressed its dissatisfaction with the national government which took the decision in the previous legislature to prevent the development of a different law proposal than the one that had been presented to the House Representative by Jorge Humberto Mantilla of the Conservative Party.
Read letter: https://www.movimientodevictimas.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=648&Itemid=1
Letter from the Ethical Commission to Juan Manuel Santos
We listened carefully to your speech on the night of the elections and we are worried and concerned because there is no mention of the thousands of victims – and not just of extrajudicial killings – by the State and paramilitary groups and the right of these victims to truth, justice and integral reparation. We consider as necessary conditions for the reconstruction of a democratic and inclusive country, truth, penalties in accordance with the gravity of crimes, full compensation from an analysis of the entire damage and the persecution of intellectual and material authors as well as beneficiaries. Guarantees of non-repetition include structural reforms to end impunity and social injustice, with the inequitable distribution of land in Colombia and real participation of people in decisions on development projects in their territories.
http://justiciaypazcolombia.com/Carta-de-la-Comision-Etica-a-Juan?date=2011-09
Open letter to President Uribe by the Communities of Jiguamiandó and Curvaradó
On July 20, 2010, in his installation speech of the new Congress of the Republic of Colombia, president Uribe made a balance of his government. In relation to the communities of Curvaradó and Jiguamiandó he stated that these "were exemplary process of restitution of ownership rights." The communities of Curvaradó and Jiguamiandó responded with a letter stating that “With respect to this statement we want to make clear to you and the national and international community that the paramilitary business persists today with the territorial social control of the 17th and 15th Brigade of the National Army and that there has not been any real restitution of property. Tthis is the other face of the democratic security.”
http://justiciaypazcolombia.com/Carta-publica-al-presidente-Uribe,3465
http://www.justiciaypazcolombia.com/Mientras-Uribe-miente-la-justicia
The UN questions anti-insurgency rewards in Colombia
The Human Rights Committee of the UN questioned the validity of a secret directive in 2005 that offered rewards to collaborators in fight against the guerrilla. "I want to know if Colombia is going to abandon economic incentives (…) and draw lessons from the so-called 'false positives', (…), there are many cases, mostly in poor populations, in which summary executions were camouflaged to receive a reward" said Fabian Salvioli, on behalf of the 18 experts who make up this Committee, which met in Geneva.
Report of the VIII Visit of the Ethical Commission for Truth in Colombia
Between June 20-29, 12 members of the Ethical Commission for Truth participated in their 8th visit to Colombia. We have reflected in Bogota about the proposal for a future Commission of Truth in Colombia, we have participated in the International and Inter-Ethnic Peoples Pre-Consultation in Cacarica (Chocó). Some of us additionally accompanied communities as part of the process of rebuilding memory in Curvaradó and "La Alemania" in San Onofre, Sucre because of the critical situations that exist in both places.
http://justiciaypazcolombia.com/Informe-de-la-VIII-Visita-de-la
On behalf of development, human rights and solidarity organizations and churches that are part of the International Bureau for Human Rights – Action on Colombia (OIDHACO), a European network which seeks to contribute to strengthening democracy and peace with justice in Colombia, we would like to submit this report to the Committee of the UN Human Rights at its 99th session.
Read report:http://www.nodo50.org/isi/articles.php?lng=es&pg=8778
Memory and Resistance publication on crimes against humanity in Meta
Since 2002 in the region of the Upper Ariari, municipality of El Castillo (Meta) a new military action was generated, with the excuse to persecute the FARC-EP. As a result of regular and irregular military action by the paramilitary groups, it led to the deterritorialization of the region and about a thousand peasant families were to be displaced between 2002 and 2004. About 130 crimes in this same period, among torture kidnapping and murder were commited by this regular and irregular military structures.
Read report: http://www.justiciaypazcolombia.com/Memoria-y-Resistencia-publicacion.
Report by the Committee on Human Rights in Colombia
The Human Rights Committee considered the fifth periodic report of Colombia at its 2721 and 2722 meetings, on the 15th and 16th of July, 2010. At its 2739th meeting, on July 28, 2010 the committee adopted the following concluding observations. (…) The Committee expresses its concern at the lack of significant progress in implementing previous recommendations of the Committee (including those relating to legal benefits for demobilized members of illegal armed groups, colaboration between the armed forces and members of paramilitary groups and the lack of research on serious violations of human rights and attacks against human rights defenders).
Read report: http://www2.ohchr.org/english/bodies/hrc/docs/CCPR.C.COL.CO.6_sp.doc
Report by the Fellowship of Reconciliation (FOR) on the relationship between U.S. military aid and “false positives”
On July 29 FOR presented its report "Military Assistance and Human Rights in Colombia, U.S. responsability and global implications" in the city of Bogotá. During two years of research for this report, FOR resorted to a rich set of data on more than 3,000 extrajudicial killings allegedly committed by the armed forces of Colombia and lists more than 500 military units assisted by the United States since 2000. Among others FOR found that U.S. officials had neglected their obligations to the Leahy law.
Download report: http://forusa.org/sites/default/files/uploads/militaryaid100729web.pdf