UK protests at Colombia death threats

Colombian schoolgirls [Annie Bungeroth]

The British government has promised to discuss new death threats against priests and members of development and human rights organisations in Colombia

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is expressing its concern to the Colombian government after threats from paramilitary group, the Black Eagles (Águilas Negras), to assassinate members of CAFOD partners.

An email from the Black Eagles said CAFOD partner, the Development and Peace Programme of Magdalena Medio, was a “military" target in an “annihilation plan” and “will be exterminated".

The Magdalena Medio programme

The internationally-respected Magdalena Medio Programme is run by the church and development agencies.

It receives funding from the World Bank and the European Union to run a “peace laboratory”, which involves communities in economic and social development projects to promote peace.

It continued: “We are watching you every minute…The plan to annihilate you will begin at any point. We are not joking about assassinating you, so go and warn your relatives so they can prepare your burial.”

CAFOD has already met the new Colombian ambassador in London, Noemí Sanín, and conveyed its concerns about these threats and continued paramilitary intimidation in the South American country - where a conflict has been raging for four decades.

The Black Eagles has also threatened human rights group SEMBRAR, the Federación de Agricultores y Mineros (Farmers and Miners Federation) and priests and parishioners in the region.

At a meeting on April 22 with CAFOD and the other members of the ABColombia consortium, the head of the FCO Andes team said that the British government was insisting to the Colombian government that it take such threats seriously, and was also pressing the European Union for action.

The paramilitaries

Paramilitary groups in Colombia were originally set up to protect rich landowners but developed into a coalition of private armies numbering perhaps 30,000.

They also became heavily involved in drug trafficking and there is evidence of collusion with the armed forces.

In 2005 a Justice and Peace law was passed to demobilise paramilitary and guerrilla groups, however it failed to dismantle the organisations’ structures and many continue to commit serious human rights violations.

Clare Dixon, head of CAFOD’s Latin America and Caribbean Department, said: “This latest threat is another sign that the notorious paramilitary groups are still active, despite the Colombian government’s demobilisation process.

“The continued activity of these groups and their influence in politics is undermining Colombia’s claim to be a democratic state providing security for its citizens. People have a right to live in peace.

“We are pleased the British Government is taking these threats seriously – more than 2,000 people have been murdered in the region since 1986 including 28 members of our Magdalena Medio partner organisation.”

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