AI: Young people named on colombian "death list"

Facts

On 15 August, two young men, Diego Ferney Jaramillo Corredor and Silver Robinson Muñoz, were shot dead on a road outside the town of Puerto Asís in the southern Colombian department of Putumayo by gunmen on a motorcycle. It is believed paramilitary forces are responsible. At the same time, a list of names of 65 young men living in Puerto Asís began circulating by email and on the social networking site Facebook. The “death list”, thought to have been drawn up by paramilitaries, warns those named to abandon Puerto Asís within three days, if not “we will see ourselves obliged to carry out acts like those which took place during the night of 15 August”, ( “nos veremos obligados a realizar actos como lo de la noche del domingo 15 de agosto”.) On 20 August a further list was circulated with the names of 31 local young women. After the list was circulated some of the youths have reported receiving threatening telephone calls.

The names of the two young men who died, Diego Jaramillo and Silver Robinson, were first and second on the “death list” of young men. On 20 August, 19-year-old Norbey Álvarez Vargas was killed by gunmen travelling on a motorcycle in the Villa Paz district of Puerto Asís. His name was the third on the “death list” of young men. At around the same time, another youth named on the list was shot and injured.

Some of those named are suspected of being involved in petty crime and prostitution. The threats and killings appear to be an attempt to make an example of them. Others named on the list are known to be community activists. At the time of writing Amnesty International does not have precise details on all those listed. Despite the heavy army and police presence in Puerto Asís. Amnesty International is not aware of any decisive action by the authorities to guarantee the safety of the youths or capture the killers. Many of the young people and their families have fled Puerto Asís following the threats.

Please write immediately in Spanish or your own language:

Calling on the authorities to do everything necessary to guarantee the safety of the young people named on two “death lists” circulating in Puerto Asís;

Urging them to order a full and impartial investigation into the killings of Diego Ferney Jaramillo Corredor, Silver Robinson Muñoz and Norbey Álvarez Vargas and the attempted killing of one other youth;

Calling on them to publish the results and to bring those responsible to justice;

Urging them to take immediate action to dismantle paramilitary groups, in line with stated government commitments and recommendations made by the UN and other intergovernmental organizations.

Please send appeals before 22 october 2010 to:

President
Señor Presidente Juan Manuel Santos
Presidente de la República,
Palacio de Nariño, Carrera 8 No.7-26, Bogotá, Colombia
Fax: +57 1 337 5890
Salutation: Dear President Santos/
Excmo. Sr. Presidente Santos

Minister of Foreign Affairs
Sra. Angela María Holguín
Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores
Calle 10 No 5-51, Palacio de San Carlos, Bogotá,
Colombia
Fax: +571 562 7822/ 571 562 7836
Salutation: Dear Minister/
Estimada Sra. Ministra

Copies to:
Human rights organization Minga
Calle 19 # 5-88, Oficina 1203
Bogotá, Colombia

Also send copies to diplomatic representatives of Colombia accredited to your country. Please check with your section office if sending appeals after the above date.

Additional information

Youths living in poor districts of Colombian towns and cities have frequently been the target of paramilitary death squads either acting alone or with the collusion of the security forces, particularly if they are suspected of involvement in petty crimes. Guerrilla forces have also been responsible for killing petty criminals in areas under their military control.

The recent threats and killings of youths in Puerto Asís follow the killing of two police officers in the town a month ago. The security forces blamed the guerrilla group, the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, for these killings.

UA: 198/10 Index: AMR 23/028/2010
Issue Date: 10 September 2010