On December 11, Milton Enrique Rivas Parra, an operator and electrician who worked for the company Termotécnica, which is a subcontractor for the Canadian corporation Pacific Rubiales, was assassinated by contract killers. On December 10, Mr. Rivas Parra received death threats because he was affiliated with the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO). Mr. Rivas Parra was a leader of the ongoing demonstrations being held in Puerto Gaitán in defense of workers’ rights.
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While in Paris at the beginning of November 2012, in the midst of a European tour to promote the Colombian social movements, Marylen Serna, national spokesperson of the Minga and the Peoples’ Congress in addition to being a rural producer herself, agreed to an interview.
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Thousands march in the Southern Colombian town of Pasto to demand land rights and an end to militarization and large-scale mining . On October 12, 2012, a few days before historic negotiations between the FARC and Colombian government started, thousands marched in the Colombian city of Pasto, Nariño to show their dissatisfaction with the current administration and their desire “to construct peace with social justice.”
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CONTENTS 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................5 2. International law and standards..................................................................................8 3. Human rights defenders – the concept ......................................................................12 Who is a human rights defender?...............................................................................12
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As governments, companies, non-governmental organizations and ethnic communities address increased investment in extractives in Colombia, critical questions arise on how to ensure policies and practices are more aligned with respecting the human rights enshrined in Colombian and international legal frameworks, particularly in the context of internal armed conflict.
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The mining of rich agricultural lands in Colombia has led to the destruction of communities, disruption of traditional ways of life and the empowerment of paramilitaries protecting the interests of powerful local elites and international companies. Human rights defenders like Teófilo Acuña, leader of the agro-mining federation FEDEAGROMISBOL, are at the forefront of protecting land and community rights, and face serious threat as a result. More context : see the video interview made by Frontline Defenders.
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...to describe the armed thugs driving hundreds of thousands of people from their homes as businesses hunt for precious minerals. ARMED thugs are driving terrified families from their homes in Colombia as big businesses hunt for precious minerals, campaigners have warned.
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Joint urgent action request from Colombia Solidarity Campaign, London Mining Network and War on Want. London 6 November 2012
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