Colombia: Forced disappearances and deaths of several people

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.

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.