SUMMARY

This month we have urgent actions for Brazil and Colombia and the sad news that the body of Santiago Maldonado has appeared in Argentina. You can still sign up to the Peru healthcare petition. The ongoing violations of human rights post the Peace Accord continue to be news in Colombia, while the new government of President Temer has a legislative programme to restrict human rights in Brazil. The deteriorating situation in Venezuela is the subject of a new Amnesty report on home raids by the police, and we bring you updates for Paraguay and good news from Chile too.

COLOMBIA

Amnesty issued a press release stating that nine peasant farmers have been killed and more than a dozen injured in the municipality of Tumaco, allegedly by members of the Colombian Army and National Police. This is a clear signal to the authorities of the need to protect to the civilian population during the implementation of the Peace Agreement, said Amnesty International. The communities were protesting against the slow implementation of the programme for the voluntary replacement of illicit crops, set out in the Peace Agreement signed in November last year. For the full press release click here.

We sent you an urgent action to respond to the killing on 24 October of Aulio Isarama Forastero, Indigenous governor of the Catru Dubaza Ancoso reservation Chocó department. He was killed by armed men, allegedly members of the ELN (National Liberation Army). There have been 21 instances of forced displacement so far this year in Chocó department and the community is at risk of forced displacement following this violence. For those of you who have not yet responded, please write to the authorities listed in the Urgent Action which you can download here.

In a profound analysis of the ongoing land disputes in the Cauca Valley, The Guardian reports that “The 50-year civil war is over but, in the Cauca Valley, indigenous communities are on frontline of fight against drug gangs, riot police and deforestation.” The Peace Accord, by causing the FARC to abandon this area, has led to multiple incursions by armed groups. Indigenous communities, in an attempt to conserve the environment and respect traditional values, have responded. For the full article, please   click here. [Read more…]

SUMMARY

In this month’s newsletter we have new urgent actions on Colombia and Chile, an updated one on Venezuela, and a new report on the Peruvian government’s failure to provide adequate healthcare to indigenous communities whose water sources are contaminated. We have good news from Colombia about the ceasefire between the ELN (National Liberation Army) guerrilla group and the government, and about the visit of a formerly imprisoned union leader to Amnesty UK’s office. In Brazil, reports emerged of the murder of members of an uncontacted indigenous tribe at the hands of illegal gold miners. Meanwhile in Venezuela, the detained former Defence Minister is once again being held incommunicado. During its annual Embassy crawl, the Lambeth Group delivered a letter to the Embassy of Chile expressing concerns about the safety of Rodrigo Mundaca. You can opt into working on his case.

PERU

 

In a new report, A Toxic State, Amnesty has revealed how the Peruvian government has failed to provide adequate healthcare for Indigenous communities in Cuninico and Espinar, in the country’s Amazonian and Andean regions respectively.  Studies found that their only sources of fresh water were contaminated with toxic metals harmful to human health.  Amnesty has launched an accompanying campaign about which we shall write to you separately.

Human Rights Watch have issued a report with new evidence that implicates former President Ollanta Humala (2011-2016) in atrocities during Peru’s armed conflict in the 1990s.  The evidence also implicates Humala in the attempted cover-up of incriminating evidence when he ran for president in 2006. [Read more…]

SUMMARY

Lots to report this month, but first we give a warm welcome to a new member of our team: Joe Smith, our new Brazil Coordinator, who has produced the Brazil section of this newsletter.  You will be hearing from Joe himself shortly.  In this newsletter, we report among other things on the continuing deterioration in Venezuela, the disturbing rise in murders of human rights defenders in Colombia and proposals that would seriously reduce human rights protections in Brazil.  There is good news from Chile and Paraguay, advance notice of a new campaign on Peru and a disappearance in Argentina.  You are invited to join the Lambeth Group’s annual Embassy crawl which will include a stop at the Chilean Embassy

COLOMBIA

Many thanks to everyone who wrote to the Colombian authorities about Amnesty’s concerns in Chocó department. We have already received two responses from the Office of the President in reply to your letters. Violence, forced displacements, sowing of anti-personnel mines and recruitment of child soldiers is a continuing concern. Amnesty has a mission there now. The UK embassy in Bogotá sent one of its staff to the Chocó and he has reported back his concerns to the FCO. We have also requested a response from the authorities in Bogotá via their London embassy. For a recent Public Statement by Amnesty on the situation, please download it here.

Huber Ballesteros, the leader of Colombia’s Field-Workers Union, will be visiting us at Amnesty UK’s London office on 6 September. We sent out invitations to you all last week. Huber’s trial was considered to be unfair by Amnesty and he was held in preventative detention for three years, before being finally released. Three months after his release, he received a death threat. Thanks to all of you who wrote on his behalf.

The Colombian NGO Somos Defensores (We are Defenders) report that the number of HR defenders who have been killed in the January-June period of 2017 (51 people) was a sharp increase on the same period in 2016 (35). This increase is entirely due to the activity of paramilitary groups and ‘unknowns’. The full report is in Spanish and may be downloaded here.

Front Line Defenders report that a large paramilitary group threatened five human rights defenders in the region of Barrancabermeja, known as the Oil Capital of Colombia. All five are well-known for their work on the peace process. On 17 August, the daughter of Maria Leonilda Ravelo Grimaldo, one of these HR defenders, was threatened by gunmen while walking her dog.  For the full report please click here.

The Colombian NGO Fundación Paz y Reconciliación (Peace and Reconciliation Foundation) has published an extensive report on the ongoing fighting in Tumaco, Nariño Department between 11 different armed groups. This is a struggle for control of the port and the surrounding coca growing region. The number of murders has increased by two-thirds in the first 6 months of 2017. Former FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia)  rebels have joined new armed groups, while members of the ELN (National Liberation Army) belong to others and paramilitaries and gangs from outside the region have now entered it. The local authorities are overwhelmed and the central authorities have not been able to stem the violence. For the full report in Spanish, with map, please click here The violence here, as in Chocó, and the increased killings of HR defenders illustrate the fragility of the peace agreement. [Read more…]

Welcome to the latest newsletter. The next meeting  is on Thursday 14th September 2017, 7.30pm  at Moordown Community Centre. This newsletter is a bit earlier than usual, to publicise…

Alexander Dakers is a long time Amnesty International supporter; his exhibitions have always encouraged donations to Amnesty.  He was one of the exhibitors at our own Art Exhibition in 2014.  Combining a multitude of artistic techniques and using a variety of subject matter, Alexander provides a reflective outlook exploring the reality of the world we live in and the sins committed against it. As you can see from the poster, this exhibition is at the BIC, Bournemouth, from 1st to 8th September, open from 9.0 to 5.30pm.  Free entry, but donations to Amnesty International “encouraged”!

[Read more…]

SUMMARY

In this month’s newsletter (from the South American Team of Graham Minter and Richard Crosfield), we have good news from Chile on the decriminalisation of abortion, urgent actions on Venezuela and Colombia, and details of Amnesty’s short campaign on the crisis in Venezuela, where more than 100 people have been killed since April. In Colombia the challenges facing the peace agreement are revealed, while our Americas Director writes a piece on the Peace Community. Two new reports on the Zika virus and domestic violence in Brazil highlight the failure of the authorities to uphold women’s rights. In Peru we report on the harassment of environmental rights defenders and the UN’s concern at the number of social conflicts related to large-scale business operations. Ahead of the UN’s Universal Periodic Review on human rights in Argentina, Amnesty highlights Argentina’s shortcomings.

VENEZUELA                             

Controversial elections for a new Constituent Assembly took place on 30 July.  The Assembly will have the power to rewrite the country’s constitution. Ahead of the elections, the government imposed a ban on protests and announced the deployment of military personnel and experts to deal with electoral and military crimes. However, this did not stop the protests and it is reported that at least 10 people died in a series of clashes with police. Since the latest wave of protests began in April, more than 100 people have been killed and more than 1,400 injured, according to official sources. This news report contains a series of graphic images of the protests.

As already reported, Amnesty has launched a short campaign aimed at conveying a clear message to senior Venezuelan Government figures that if they promote or implement a policy of illegal use of force, they may be subject to prosecution under international criminal justice. Amnesty considers that the recurrent attacks against the population and speeches inciting violence by the authorities indicate a premeditated policy of violent repression of any form of dissent. See Amnesty statement here.

The British Foreign Secretary has issued a statement on the situation, calling on the Venezuelan Government to refrain from divisive and inflammatory action.  You can read it here.

Human Rights Watch have released disturbing video footage of the clashes, which you can see here.

Amnesty has issued an Urgent Action concerning 14 police officers who have been arbitrarily detained for politically motivated reasons since June 2016 despite a court order that they should be released. They are on hunger strike to demand that the authorities execute the release warrant. You can call for their release here.

Leopoldo López, who had been transferred from prison to his home, has been arrested and returned to prison. The Foreign Secretary has demanded his release.  [update 6.08.17, CNN report that Leopoldo, our Case File, was returned to house arrest yesterday]  [Read more…]