The International Office for Human Rights Action on Colombia

Day: 17 June 2021

Members of the EU Parliament send out a letter to Colombian President acknowledging the work done by the Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca (CRIC) and condemning the repression in the context of the National Strike

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36 MEPs, of different nationalities and political groups, addressed their concern about the current risks for defenders of the rights of indigenous peoples, afrodescendant communities, small-scale farmers, students, young people and women, especially in regions historically affected by the internal armed conflict, such as the department of Cauca.

They call upon the Colombian government to provide security guarantees to the entire population so that they can exercise their fundamental right to protest. they urge the Colombian State to increase and guarantee the protection and safety of all social and political leaders, social activists and defenders of the environment and rural communities. They also call for criminal and disciplinary investigations to be initiated into the reported human rights violations, for the investigations to be carried out with due diligence, seriousness and speed, guaranteeing the participation of victims. They urge the State to issue up-to-date, transparent public data on these procedures, the status of investigations, the criminal and disciplinary charges brought, and measures to ensure nonrepetition.

Our solidarity is universal.

We are deeply concerned about all victims of armed conflict, repression and violence around the world — from Sudan to Syria, including the persecution of the Rohingya and so many other crises that often receive less international attention than they deserve. Each of these situations calls for solidarity, remembrance, justice and action.

However, we have decided to specifically highlight the message ‘Stop Genocide in Palestine’ because what is happening in Palestine represents not only a human tragedy of enormous magnitude, but also a direct challenge to the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law and to the rules-based international system itself. The indifference and complicity of much of the international community in the face of the apartheid regime imposed by the Israeli government on the Palestinian people represent one of the greatest moral and political contradictions of our time.

The persistent violation of essential norms — such as the protection of the civilian population, the prohibition of collective punishment and respect for proportionality in the use of force — not only has devastating consequences for the Palestinian population, but also erodes the global mechanisms designed to limit the power of states and prevent abuses.

When these rules are repeatedly breached without any effective consequences, the framework that protects all populations in conflict situations, anywhere in the world, is weakened. Therefore, speaking out in this case does not mean ignoring other forms of suffering, but rather emphasising the urgency of defending an international order which, if it collapses, leaves everyone in a more vulnerable position.

Drawing attention to this situation is, therefore, an act consistent with the universal values we uphold: the protection of life, human dignity and respect for international law, without exception.

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