September 3, 2006
UA: Human Rights Defender Disappeared in Colombia
The following is an Urgent Action concerning the disappearance of Walter Alvarez, a human rights defender in Colombia. He may still be alive which makes your action all the most important and urgent. Please read it and contact the suggested authorities and distribute the action through your networks. Thank You.
Walter Alvarez Ossa, a human rights activist and founder of the Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (Comité Permanente por la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos - CPDH) in the city of Buga, Colombia, has been disappeared. He was walking back to his house on August 16th, 2006, at 11:30 PM, but never arrived. There were intense searches made for him to no avail.
In February 2006, flyers were distributed in Buga threatening Mr. Alvarez' life. They were signed by the paramilitary group Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC), which has been responsible for killing and disappearing human rights activists. On August 2nd, the office of the CPDH was subjected to a warrantless search by police agents, who said it was “a suspicious building.” There are strong links between government forces and the paramilitary groups and they’ve been known to work together.
It is likely that Mr. Alvarez’ human rights activities are linked to his disappearance. It is also possible that he is being detained and he’s still alive, which makes your actions all the more important and urgent.
Please write to the authorities below and ask them to do everything they can to find Walter Alvarez and to guarantee his life and physical integrity. You can also ask that they take the necessary security measures to assure neither Mr. Alvarez' family nor other members of the CPDH suffer a similar fate.
Addresses:
-Carolina Barco, Ambassador to the United States, Embassy of Colombia 2118 Leroy Place, NW, Washington, DC 20008, Phone: (202) 387 8338. Fax: (202) 232 8643
- S.E. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, President of Colombia, Cra. 8 # 7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa Fe de Bogotá.Fax:+57.1.566.20.71 : auribe@presidencia.gov.co
- Sr. Francisco Santos, Vicepresident of Colombia, Phone. (+571) 334.45.07, (+573) 7720130, E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co ; buzon1@presidencia.gov.co
- Human Rights Program of the Vice President’s Office: ppdh@presidencia.gov.co
- Human Rights Observatory of the Vice President’s Office: obserdh@presidencia.gov.co
- Doctor Mario Hernán Iguarán Arana, Attorney General, Diagonal 22-B # 52-01, Bogotá. Fax: + 57.1.570.20.00 ; +57.1.414.90.00 Extensión 1113, E-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co
Please also contact your congressional representatives and ask them to show their interest on this matter to the Colombian government.
Thank you.
If you receive any answers, please let us know.
Posted by marga at September 3, 2006 8:43 AM | TrackBack