Colombia: Assasination of marianist and disappearances

                          Case COL 210998

The International Secretariat has been informed by various reliable 
sources, including the "Central Unitaria de Trabajadores" (CUT-Chocó) 
of the assassination of a religious marianist, brother MIGUEL ANGEL 
QUIROGA GAONA, by a paramilitary group, on September 18th, 1998, in 
the department of Chocó, Colombia. It has also been informed of the 
presumed enforced disappearances, on September 16, 1998, of four 
indigenous peoples of the Avejero community (two hours away from the 
road to Medellin towards Quibdó), Evelio MAJORE, Nemecio MAJORE 
DOMICO, Enrique MAJORE DOMICO and Horacio MAJORE. 

According to the information received, the brother MIGUEL ANGEL 
QUIROGA GAONA was killed just as he was about to leave for a regular 
religious visit in the municipality of Lloró, department of Chocó, passing 
by the Tumutumbudó river. While he and a group of farmers were on 
their way to Lloró along with José María Gutiérrez, a marianist parish 
priest, they were detained by a group of armed men who identified 
themselves as being members of the "self-defence" and they demanded 
their identification. Being as they declared that such an act was illegal 
because they were not competent authorities, they shot Miguel Angel 
QUIROGA GAONA in the chest. According to sources of the Catholic 
Church, this paramilitary group is under the leadership of Carlos 
Castaño. 

According to the same information, the indigenous persons, Evelio 
MAJORE, Nemecio MAJORE DOMICO, Enrique MAJORE DOMICO 
and Horacio MAJORE disappeared a few moments after they were 
leaving the community to fetch some pieces of zinc, in the well known 
site of EL 18, located in the department of Chocó.

Action requested:
Please write to the Colombian authorities urging them to:

i.- carry out a complete and impartial investigation into the death 
    of brother Miguel Angel QUIROGA GAONA in order to 
    identify the persons responsible, bring them to trial and apply 
    sanctions according to the law;

  ii.-ensure the family of brother Miguel Angel QUIROGA GAONA 
    and the religious community to which he belonged, the right to 
    obtain adequate compensation; 

  iii.-adopt the necessary measures to locate the whereabouts of the 
    indigenous persons, Evelio MAJORE, Nemecio MAJORE 
    DOMICO, Enrique MAJORE DOMICO and Horacio MAJORE 
    and guarantee the respect of their physical and psychological 
    well being at all times; 

iv.-order their immediate release in case they are held without any 
    valid charges or, in the event of the contrary, ensure their 
    procedural rights as established in the international treaties, 
    particularly Article 8 of the American Convention, including 
    their right to a fair trial before a competent court;

v.- adopt the necessary measures to put an end to these acts of 
    violence directed against members of the indigenous 
    communities in Colombia;

  vi.-dictate the appropriate or necessary measures to put an end to 
    the activities of the paramilitary groups and death squads that 
    continue to act with complete impunity and with the apparent 
    complicity of the Colombian military.

  vii-to ensure the respect of human rights and fundamental 
    freedoms in accordance with national laws and the international 
    norms ratified by the Colombian State and in general, the 
    international standards of human rights. 

  
  
  Addresses:
S.E. Doctor Andrés Pastrana Arango, Presidente de la República de 
Colombia, Palacio de Nariño, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia.  Fax : 571 
2867434.   

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 Alfonso Gómez Méndez, Fiscal General de la Nacion, Diagonal 22-
B, Nº 52-01, Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia.  Fax: (571) 320 37 83

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

Doctor Humberto Martínez Neira, Ministro del Interior, Carrera 8 Nº 8-09, 
Santafé de Bogotá. Colombia. Fax: (571) 2815884 

Doctor Rodrigo Lloreda Caicedo, Ministro de Defensa, Avenida El 
Dorado con Carrera 52 CAN, Santafé de Bogotá, CAN, Colombia . Fax: 
(571) 288 49 06

Gobernación del Chocó, Quibdó Chocó, Alcaldía Municipal de Quibdó, 
Quibdó Chocó


Geneva - 21 September 1998

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