Sr. Juan Manuel Santos
President of the Republic of Colombia
Sr. Eduardo Montealegre
Attorney General of Colombia
Sr. Oscar Adolfo Naranjo Trujillo
Minister for Post-conflict, Human Rights and Security
Dear Sirs:
We are deeply concerned about the threats against human rights defender Blanca Nubia Díaz, a member of the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes (MOVICE), in Riohacha, La Guajira Department.
On December 29, the door of the home owned by Blanca Nubia Díaz was kicked down. On January 3, two men forced their way into the home demanding to see one of her daughters, but neither Blanca Nubia Díaz nor her daughter currently live on the property. Before leaving, the men ordered the family currently living there to leave.
Blanca Nubia Díaz has been campaigning for justice in the case of the rape, torture and murder of her 15 year-old daughter Irina del Carmen Villero Díaz, a member of the Wayúu indigenous community in La Guajira, by paramilitaries in 2001. Her other daughter, the one sought by the men on January 3, was raped in La Guajira Department in June 2014. This daughter has since left the region, and although the rape has been reported to the Office of the Attorney General, investigations have not advanced.
This is another instance of repeated threats to MOVICE in different branches across the country. Blanca Nubia Díaz and her family have been threatened repeatedly over the years. In 2014, her brother and other relatives received threatening phone calls targeting a son of Blanca Nubia Díaz. In January 2012, an attempt was made to kidnap her (cf our letter of Feb 6, 2012).
Because of our concern for the safety and human rights of Blanca Nubia Díaz and her family, we strongly urge that you
- guarantee their safety, in strict accordance with their wishes;
- order a full and impartial investigation into the threats against them as well as the rape, torture and killing of Irina del Carmen Villero Díaz in 2001 and the rape of another daughter in 2014;
- take immediate action to dismantle paramilitary groups and break their links with the security forces, in line with stated government commitments and UN recommendations;
- follow up on the recommendations of international and regional mechanisms for protection of women’s rights and combating violence against women.
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai Christine Stonebraker-Martinez
Co-Coordinators
