Excmo. Sr. Presidente Iván Duque Márquez, President of the Republic of Colombia
Sr. Fiscal General Francisco Barbosa Delgado, Attorney General of Colombia
August 16, 2021
Dear Sirs:
Signatories of the 2016 Peace Agreement in Colombia are being assassinated. We are writing to demand their protection.
We are deeply saddened to learn about the assassination of Jesús Danilo Mora Londoño, the 29th signatory of the Peace Agreement who has been assassinated in 2021 and the third one in Putumayo. The ex-combatant (formerly known by the alias Luis Tafur) was enrolled in the reincorporation process at the Territorial Space for Training and Reincorporation La Carmelita, located in a rural area of Puerto Asís. At reincorporation centers, former members of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) participate in legitimate economic activities, such as agriculture, as they transition to civil society under the terms of the Peace Agreement.
Jesús Danilo Mora Londoño was assassinated on July 21 in Puerto Leguízamo, Putumayo Department. He was traveling with his wife on a motorcycle taxi from the urban area of Puerto Leguízamo to Tagua when he was approached by two men wearing dark clothes and balaclavas (ski masks). They forced him off the vehicle and killed him.
The Ombudsman's Office has already issued three early warnings this year to alert residents of Putumayo of the advance of armed groups. In Puerto Leguízamo, the presence of various armed groups has been recorded, such as the Border Commandos in alliance with the Second Marquetalia, the Carolina Ramírez 48 Front, the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces (AGC, which are present through threatening pamphlets), La Constru, Los Azules and Los Bonitos.
There is great danger for social leaders and ex-combatants who are working to forge peace in Colombia. Since 2016, at least 278 signatories of the Peace Agreement have been assassinated. We, therefore, strongly urge that you
- conduct a thorough and transparent investigation into the killing of Jesús Danilo Mora Londoño,publish the results, and bring the perpetrators to justice
- take immediate steps to implement the peace process that includes security guarantees for social leaders and demobilized FARC combatants
- implement the Strategic Security and Protection Plan for ex-combatants, previously urged by the UN Security Council
- take decisive action to dismantle paramilitary groups that are operating in Putumayo
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai and Christine Stonebraker-Martínez
Co-Coordinators
