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URGENT ACTION: Black Eagles Death Threats to Wayuu Women’s Force
We denounce stigmatization, persecution and threats
We declare ourselves in permanent defence of
Wounmainkat – Our Land, Wüinkat – The Water,
Kataa o’u – Life and Anajirrra A’in – Peace.
This time the threats have been targeted towards our movement and the people it comprises. We have completed 14 years of tireless work, in which our only weapon has been The Word that we raise in defence of what we consider just, for the protection of Wounmainkat – Our Mother Earth, our rights and the right to life in peace.
We denounce and repudiate the new strategies of threats that have been carried out this time by “Aguilas Negras – Bloque Capital D.C.” through fake profiles on social media that, since April 29 at 3.50 pm, have published a flyer in which we are persecuted, stigmatised and threatened.
We refer here to the facts in detail which demonstrate a new collective threat against our movement Wayuu Women’s Force – Fuerza de Mujeres Wayuu – Sütsüin Jiyeyuu Wayuu, and which specifically identifies the names of persons in our movement:
THE FACTS
Many of us in the movement started to receive message alerts from people close to us, that there was a flyer circulating on social media in which we were threatened.
Around 4 in the afternoon on 29 April, using a profile from the social media Facebook under the name of “Pedro Lastra”, two images were published and shared: one referring to threats in 2018 in which the logos of our organisation appeared together with those representing the Movement Wayuu Nation – Movimiento Nacion Wayuu, the Wayuu Organisation Araurayu – La Organización Wayuu Araurayu, and the National Organisation of Indigenous of Colombia – ONIC. The second image has the logo specifically of La Fuerza de Mujeres Wayuu, and it also directly identified the names and surnames of 6 of our members: Karmen Ramírez, Miguel Ramirez, Jakeline Romero, Deris Paz, Luis Misael Socarras and Dulcy Cotes.
The publication from the “Pedro Lastra” Facebook profile has comment that tags two other people: Carlos Daniel Hernández and Rosa María Cano. When checking back on Facebook to obtain information about “Pedro Lastra” by around 9pm, the profile had already been deleted.
It is not the first time that misogynist and hate campaigns have been launched against La Fuerza de Mujeres Wayuu; we have also been threatened with death, and the persecution that we have had to face has even obliged some people from our movement to flee the territory. Despite the complaints we have raised with the appropriate institutions, this has not secured that we can continue doing our work for the defence of peace, our rights, the rights of Wounmainkat – Mother Earth – and our own lives without danger.
In a decisive way, we, the members of the Movement Fuerza de Mujeres Wayuu – Sütsüin Jiyeyuu Wayuu, declare ourselves:
· In permanent defence of the rights of Wounmainkat – Our Mother Earth.
· In permanent defence of the Peace that we have helped to build from our struggles.
· In permanent defence of the water, territory and life itself.
Since the threats made against us on 10 October 2018, there has not been any result from our complaints. Once again, we hold the Colombian State responsible for any attack against our work or our lives. Once again, we make the following:
REQUESTS
We ask the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to grant precautionary measures to the Movement Fuerza de Mujeres Wayuu – Sütsüin Jiyeyuu Wayuu, to be able to continue to our work for the defence of Wounmainkat – Our Land, Winkat – The Water, Kataa o’ui – Life, and Anajirra A’in – Peace.
We ask the current Government to initiate an immediate plan of action to guarantee the fulfilment of the rulings issued in favour of Indigenous Peoples by the Constitutional Court to avoid the extermination of our peoples as a result of war. In addition, we ask that this request be answered as a matter of priority, given the serious risk in which we find ourselves, in order to protect our lives.
We call on the Diplomatic Missions and Corps accredited in Colombia to monitor the delicate and vulnerable situation of Wayuu human rights defenders. We also ask that you demand that the current Government fulfil the Peace Agreements, as well as its commitments taken on internationally on the issue of human rights, particularly those related to Indigenous Peoples and Human Rights Defenders.
We urge the National Protection Unit – Unidad Nacional de Protección (UNP) to re-evaluate the measures of the protection plan for Fuerza de Mujeres Wayuu – Sütsüin Jiyeyuu Wayuu, as well as to strengthen these strategies from a holistic point of view that considers spiritual protection as part of the programme, which will allow us to guarantee not only the work in our territory, but also the protection of life.
Wajira – Wounmaikat
30 April 2019
SAMPLE LETTER
Dr. Iván Duque Márquez
Presidencia de la República
CALLE 7 No. 6 – 54 Palacio de Nariño,
Bogotá D.C.
Estimado señor Presidente, estimados Ministros y Altos Funcionarios
Les escribimos preocupados por el alto número de líderes sociales y defensores del medio ambiente amenazados y asesinados en Colombia y en particular en La Guajira. Desde hace 14 años trabajamos con comunidades afectadas por la mineria de carbón y nos han constatado muchas amenazas a varios lideres y lideresas que se oponen a las minas de carbón, con seguimientos, amenazas telefónicas y hostigamientos permanentes. Algunos líderes incluso han tenido que abandonar la región por razones de seguridad.
Actualmente, nos preocupa particularmente la situación de la Fuerza Mujeres Wayuu. Hace pocos días, la Fuerza Mujeres Wayúu y otras organizaciones del pueblo wayuu más varias personas líderes en particular, Karmen Ramírez, Miguel Iván Ramírez, Jakeline Romero, Deris Paz, Luis Misael Socarra y Dulcy Cotes, han sido amenazados de muerte por el Bloque Capital de las Aguilas Negras. La comunidad wayuu también ha denunciado la presencia de personas extrañas en los resguardosy personas rondando las casas por la noche.
Dado la larga historia de amenazas contra líderes sociales y comunitarios de la Guajira, y los atentados contra comunidades y organizaciones wayuu en octubre de 2018, estamos sumamente preocupados por la seguridad de las personas nuevamente amenazadas.
Ante esta situación, instamos al Gobierno Nacional y en específico a la UNP para que se aumente los esquemas de protección de los lideres y de las comunidades y organizaciones amenazados, también priorizando esquemas colectivos.
Igualmente pedimos dar prioridad a las investigaciones judiciales para dar con los autores intelectuales y materiales de estas amenazas y agresiones y prodeceder a su juzgamiento.
Igualmente urgimos a las autoridades de tomar acciones decididas para desmantelar los grupos armados ilegales y garantizar la protección de la población wayuu, afro y campesina de la Guajira.
Le agradecemos una actuación pronta ante esta si y le agradecemos información detallado sobre este caso.
Cordialmente
NAME
ORGANISATION
Copia a:
Vicepresidencia de la República
General en retiro, OSCAR ADOLFO NARANJO TRUJILLO
Calle 7 N° 6 – 54 Bogotá D.C.
contacto@presidencia.gov.co
Néstor Osorio Londoño, Ambassador
Colombian Embassy
3 Hans Crescent
London SW1X 0LN
United Kingdom
E-mail: elondres@cancilleria.gov.co.
Ministerio de Defensa Nacional
Dr. Luis Carlos Villegas
El Dorado con Carrera. 52 CAN,
Bogotá, D.C.
E-mail: usuarios@mindefensa.gov.co siden@mindefensa.gov.co, infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co, mdn@cable.net.co
Ministerio del Interior
Dr. Guillermo Rivera Flórez
Calle 12 B N° 8 – 38
Bogotá D.C.
‘guillermo.rivera@mininterior.gov.co’ servicioalciudadano@mininterior.gov.co
Directora Programa de Derechos Humanos del ministerio del interior
Dra. Ivonne González Rodríguez
Calle 12B N° 8 – 38
Bogota D.C.
ivonne.gonzalez@mininterior.gov.co
Consejera de Derechos Humanos presidencia de la republica.
Dra. Paula Gaviria Betancur
Calle 7 N° 6-54
Bogotá d.C.
paulagaviria@presidencia.gov.co
Director unidad Nacional de Protección
Dr. Diego Fernando Mora Arango
Carrera 63 N° 14 – 97
Bogotá D.C.
correspondencia@unp.gov.co; atencionalusuario@unp.gov.co
