Peasant Leader Assassinated

On Monday, March 15, 2010, Jhonny Hurtado, President of the Human Rights Committee of the hamlet of La Catalina in the State of Meta, was assassinated.  Hurtado was a 59-year-old campesino, who was tending to his parcel of land when he was shot.  The Guayabero River region is occupied by Military Mobil Brigade No. 7, which makes up part of the Omega Military Force.  The Military constantly patrols the region, violating human rights, and threatening human rights leaders.  The Military presence in the region is a cause of deep concern for the residents of this area since the Military is continuing to issue accusational and threatening statements against the social and human rights leaders of the region.  The Military also subjects the citizens of the area to checkpoints, censes and accusations that greatly worry the people of the region. At the end of 2009, Hurtado, as the elected head of a Human Rights delegation, publicly denounced the human rights violations in the area.

Please write to your Senators and Representatives demanding a stop of military aid to the Colombian Army and an investigation of the Colombian military.

    Your Representatives in Congress:  See the Action Center at our site: www.colombiasupport.net

ALSO WRITE TO THE FOLLOWING US OFFICIALS:

    Assistant Secretary of State for Inter-American Affairs: Arturo Valenzuela : valenzuela@gmail.com

• Human Rights Director US Embassy Colombia: Carolyn Cooley: CooleyCN@state.gov
  

And write to officials in the Colombian Government demanding an investigation of those responsible for the assassination of Jhonny Hurtado and their prosecution :

• In Colombia:
  

                -Ministerio de Defensa Asuntos Internacionales : sergio.restrepo@mindefensa.gov.co

                -Oficina de Derechos Humanos, Ministerio de Defensa: elena.ambrisi@mindefensa.gov.co
               
                -Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales de la Fiscalia: franciscoj.echeverri@fiscalia.gov.co

                -Procuraduria General: secretariageneral@procuraduria.gov.co

              





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