Forced Disappearances in Curbarado’s river basin – Colombia

The undersigned members of the European Parliament would like to express our concern regarding the forced disappearance of two people in Curbarado´s river basin, Colombia.

To Baroness Catherine Ashton

European Union’s High Representative

European External Action Service 

Subject: Forced Disappearances in Curbarado’s river basin – Colombia

The undersigned members of the European Parliament would like to express our concern regarding the forced disappearance of two people in Curbarado´s river basin, Colombia.

First, the communities of Curbarado, department of Chocó, were victims of forced displacement. Later, they had to face the violent seizure of their land by palm oil companies. Now, as the communities have returned to their region and have organized themselves to defend their rights, threats, forced disappearances and selective murders have increased.

According to information available so far1[1], on Friday March 23, alleged paramilitaries disappeared Manuel Ruiz and his 15 years old son, Samir of Jesus Ruiz.

It is noteworthy that Manuel Ruiz is directly involved in the land restitution process, as victim of the internal armed conflict and is actively participating in the process of census ordered by the Colombian Constitutional Court (which has repeatedly asked Colombian State to progress with the restoration of land and urged to ensure protection to the claimants). Manuel Ruiz has been victim of several threats in the last months and he asked President Manuel Santos and Colombian authorities to protect his life and adopt the measures issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

We emphasize that only in 2011, 28 people leading process of land restitution were murdered in Colombia. Additionally, the United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disapperances, in its last report for 2011, has highlighted great concern about the persistent and increasing phenomenon of forced disappearance in Colombia.

In the context of political and economic relations between Colombia and the European Union, we ask the European Union´s High Representative to immediately urge the Colombian government to conduct a fast, appropriate and effective investigations aiming to find the two people alive.

Yours sincerely,

MEPs:

Willy Meyer, Helmut Scholz, Patrick Le Hyaric, Nikolaos Chountis, Jacky Henin, Paul Murphy, Sabine Lösing, Sabine Wils, Kartika Liotard, Mikael Gustafsson, Marisa Matias, Miguel Portas