Colombia, 7/25/23

July 25, 2023

Dear Sirs:

We write to you today out of outrage regarding the assassinations of Hover Hernán Esquivel Tapicero and Ángel Miguel Ariza Rojas, both signatories of the Peace Accords who had been successfully reincorporated into civilian life through formal reincorporation processes. 

Hover Hernán Esquivel Tapicero was killed on June 17 in a restaurant in La Plata, Huila Department. He arose from his table to use the restroom when two people entered the establishment and shot him within seconds. He had been formally reincorporated into civilian life as part of the Marco Aurelio Buendía ETCR (Espacio Territorial de Capacitación y Reincorporación) and further advanced his reincorporation process in Guaviare Department. Originally from San José de Guaviare, he was 42 at the time of his assassination and is survived by his family.

Less than two weeks later, on June 28, Ángel Miguel Ariza Rojas was murdered in Tame, Arauca Department. Around 1pm, armed men entered his home and took him to the manga de coleo (a narrow passageway used in the sport of coleo for chasing cattle) of the Flor Amarillo farmhouse (Caserío Flor Amarillo), where they killed him. Ángel Miguel Ariza Rojas had completed his reincorporation process at the Filipinas AETCR (Antiguo Espacio Territorial de Capacitación y Reincorporación), located in the municipality of Arauquita, Arauca.

The murders of these two men mark the 17th and 18th signatories of the Peace Accords to be killed in 2023 alone; a total of over 360 ex-combatant signatories enrolled in the formal reincorporation process have been killed since the signing of the Peace Accords. This pattern must end.

We strongly urge that authorities:

• carry out thorough and transparent investigations into the assassinations of Hover Hernán Esquivel Tapicero and Ángel Miguel Ariza Rojas, publish the results, and bring those responsible to justice
• provide sufficient resources to the UNP (National Protection Unit) and the Subdirección Especializada to enable people under protection schemes to be guaranteed protection of their rights to life, freedom, physical integrity and safety
• fulfill the government’s commitments made in the Peace Accords, especially the end of threats and assassinations against all signatories of the Peace Accords 

Sincerely,                                                                                 

Brian J. Stefan Szittai and Christine Stonebraker-Martínez, Co-Coordinators

copies:        

Augusto Rodríguez Ballesteros, Director de la Unidad Nacional de Protección (UNP, National Protection Unit) ~ via email

Luis Gilberto Murillo, Ambassador of Colombia to the US ~ via email, US mail

Joel Hernández García, Rapporteur for Colombia ,  Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ~ via email, US mail

UN: Juliette De Rivero, Representative in Colombia of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ~ via email

US Embassy: Francisco Palmieri (Chargé d’Affaires, ad interim); Sandra Lee (human rights) ~ via email

US State Department: Christine Russell, Desk Officer for Colombia ~ via email

US Senators from Ohio: Brown & Vance

US Representatives from Ohio: Beatty, Brown, Johnson, Jordan, Joyce, Kaptur, Latta, Miller, Sykes ~ via email

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