Colombia: Attack and Killings of civilians

Case COL 030699

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 an 
attack and killings of inhabitants of the Catatumbo area, Norte de 
Santander Department and of further serious grounds for concern of 
further acts of violence.

According to the Comite de Solidaridad con los Presos Politicos and 
the Centro de Investigacion y Educacion Popular -CINEP, members of 
the OMCT network, on 29 May 1999, approximately 400 armed men (in 
military as well as in civilian clothes) set up several check-points along 
the road between the municipality of Tibu and La Gabarra hamlet. 

The group, identified itself as a paramilitary group, proceeded to stop 
numerous people and harass and ill-treated them.  

It has been reported that 5 people were killed, among them Mr. Jorge 
Camilo González, Chairman of the Junta de Acción Comunal of the 
Palmeras hamlet, Gerardo Berbasi and Rafael Claros.  Eight peasants 
were disappeared and up to the date of this appeal, their whereabouts are 
unknown, although paramilitaries have claimed that they have been 
tortured and then stabbed to death.  OMCT has not yet identified their 
names.

It has been further reported that the paramilitaries warned some of their 
victims that their aim was to kill some inhabitants of the La Gabarra 
hamlet that they consider  as sympathisers of the guerrilla and take it 
over. 

According to the reports,  before the assaults, the armed men passed 
through a military check-point and an oil derrick, which was controlled 
by the police.

Those detained at the check-points reported that after being released, 
they were detained at the police station of the "La Cuatro" local 
authority (inspeccion).  Several of the paramilitaries (who participated in 
the assault) were in the station.  They told the victims that if they 
reported the events they would be killed.  

On 30 May 1999, at 10 a.m., a blue helicopter arrived to one of the 
paramilitary check-points.  A man, who identified himself as Carlos 
Castaño (head of  Colombian paramilitary groups), got out of the 
helicopter and told those present that he would take control of La 
Gabarra and would kill as many people as it would take to do the job.

Inhabitants of La Gamarry have started to leave their homes fearing for 
their lives.

Currently, the paramilitary are reportedly on the road between Tibu and 
La Gabarra (Kms 17 and 19).  The International Secretariat has received 
information which states that members of the Army have set up a check-
point on the same road (Km. 15).  

Action requested

Please write to the Colombian authorities urging them to

i.  guarantee the physical and psychological integrity of the 
    inhabitants of La Gabarra, immediately locate the whereabouts 
    of the disappeared people and take all necessary measures in 
    order to prevent a massacre;

ii. order the necessary measures to investigate and put an end to 
    the presumed complicity of the members of the army and the 
    police with paramilitary groups and identify those responsible 
    for the facts aforementioned, bring them to trial and apply the 
    penal, civil and/or administrative sanctions as provided by law;

iii.ensure that the families of the persons killed and disappeared 
    and the community they belonged obtain adequate restitution, 
    compensation and rehabilitation;

  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

National level

Doctor Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República de 
Colombia, Palacio de Nariño, Carrera 8 Nº 7-26, Santafé de Bogotá, 
Colombia.  Fax (+ 571) 2842186.

Dr Gustavo Bell Lemus, Consejero Presidencial para los Derechos 
Humanos, Palacio de Nariño, Carrera 8 Nº 7-26, Santafé de Bogotá, 
Colombia.   Fax (+ 571) 3418364

Dr Jaime Bernal Cuellar, Procurador General de la Nación, Carrera Nº 5, 15-
 80, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia. Fax (+ 571) 2840472 // 3429723

Dr. Alfonso Gómez Méndez, Fiscal General de la Nación, Fiscalia General 
de la Nación, Diagonal 22B 5201, Apartado Aéreo 29855, Santafé de 
Bogotá, Colombia. Fax (+ 571) 2882828

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

Dr Nestor Humberto Martínez Neira, Ministro del Interior, Ministerio del 
Interior, Carrera 8 Nº 8-09, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia. Fax (+ 571) 
2515884

Dr Luis Fernando Ramírez, Ministro de Defensa, Ministerio de Defensa 
Nacional, Avenida El Dorado con Carrera 52 CAN, Santafé de Bogotá, 
Colombia. Fax (+ 571 2884906)

Regional level

Alcalde del Municipio de Tibú Dr. Raúl Centeno Porras fax 0975 663805

Personero del Municipio de Tibú, Dr. José A. Uribe G. Fax 0975-663390

Alcalde del Municipio El Tarra Dr. José Anibal López Bohada fax 0975 
113009

Personero del Municipio de El Tarra Dr. Mario Samuel Monsalve Fax 
0975 113009

Geneva, 3 June 1999

The Human Rights Action Network, a part 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.