Here is the communique in English. September 11, 2013 URGENT ACTION MOVICE (el Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes/ the Movement of Victims of Crimes of the State), Sucre Chapter, and the organization Sembrandopaz, emit this URGENT ACTION for the life, physical safety, and the right to integrity of character of peasant-farmer, social and community leader JORGE LUIS MONTES HERNADEZ who is a member of the Maria La Baja Agricultural Association and general coordinator of the Movement of the High Mountain zone of the municipality of El Carmen de Bolivar, province of Bolivar, Colombia, who was detained on the 9th of September, 2013, at midday by the Office of the Special Prosecutor 25 of Monterìa-Cordoba by prosecutor HENRY HERNANDEZ GRANADO. FACTS On September 9, 2013, social leader JORGE LUIS MONTES HERNANDEZ receives a phone call from the prosecutor´s office of the municipality of El Carmen de Bolivar requesting that he present himself to their offices. He complies with the call. Upon arrival, he is informed that he is being detained under the accusation of having committed crimes as a member of the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) which include criminal conspiracy, homicide of a protected person, forced displacement, and extortion among others. ANTECEDENTS Community leader JORGE LUIS MONTES HERNANDEZ, makes up part of a organizational and collective process of forty small rural communities in the High Mountain zone of El Carmen de Bolivar for the right to integral and transformative reparations, a dignified return with guarantees of no-repetition of acts of violence, and the death of the community`s main cash crop, avocados. After a long process of dialogue between the communities and state institutions about the severe problems of these communities and having exhausted the possibilities for advancement, and the lack of commitment on the part of the State viz a viz their requests regarding these guarantees and rights, these rural communities decided to organize a massive peace march called “The Mountain is moving for integral and transformative reparations.” This march started on April 5, 2013, and was made up of 1,000 peasants, among them men, women, and young people of the affected communities whose intention was to march to the provincial capital of Cartagena and have a direct dialogue with the provincial and central government officials. This peace march was accompanied by MOVICE, Sembrandopaz, and other human rights organizations, as well as the national and local government offices for victims. The marchers arrived at the town of San Jacinto, Bolivar, where government officials arrived to dialogue, so that the marchers would not continue to Cartagena. Negotiating tables were established between the government officials and the peasants about their demands for guarantees and respect for their rights. Based on these negotiations, a written agreement was signed by both parties on April 7, 2013. However, to date the government has not fulfilled many of their promises. MOVICE (el Movimiento de Víctimas de Crímenes de Estado) Sucre Chapter and Sembrandopaz, recognize the important leadership role played by JORGE LUIS MONTES HERNANDEZ in the organization and development of this communal process. On Wednesday, September 3rd, 2013, in several of the rural hamlets in the High Mountain zone, threatening leaflets were spread, signed by the BACRIM (criminal bands) and the paramilitary groups called Autodefensas, in which several leaders of the peace movement are accused of belonging to the FARC-EP guerrilla group. The leaflet says textually “These individuals take state monies. These are guerrillas of the FARC-EP. They are extortionists, bandits, who lie to you and take advantage of the innocence and good faith of the community. One of the leaders is Jorge Luis Montes Hernandez.” REQUESTS To the Colombian state: Demand that the Colombian state provide Jorge Luis Montes Hernandez with all the procedural guarantees and respect for due process as a sacred and fundamental right established in the national constitution and the international human rights laws. To the General Prosecutors Office: Request that the General Prosecutors Office of the Nation give strict compliance to the norms regarding the guarantees of detained persons. To the national and international community: we ask for your expressions of solidarity and political accompaniment in the cases of prosecution of social leaders and defenders of human rights in Colombia. To human rights organizations: that you accompany Jorge Luis Montes Hernandez so that he is guaranteed the right to due process and other rights while detained. Signed, MOVICE, Sucre Chapter, and Sembrandopaz
Posted on: Thu, 12 Sep 2013 16:07:29 +0000
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