Dear Sirs:
We are writing out of deep concern for the safety of the Awá Libertad Indigenous Council of Telembi in Ricaurte, Nariño Department, and residents of the reservation. On December 7, 2023, a pamphlet was left at the home of the Awá Indigenous Governor of Telembí, Alberto Nastacuas. The threat declared him a military objective and ordered him to leave the territory.
Because of confrontations between armed groups in their territory, the Awá community of Telembi has already been victim of confinement in recent months. Armed actors restrict their movement. There is a high risk to residents trying to leave their reservations to seek safety. Anti-personnel mines have been placed on ancestral roads, such as the road which connects the Libertad del Telembi reservation with the municipality of Samaniego. Authorities are prevented from attending meetings, even those called by state institutions. There is tension, worry, and a sense of danger.
We urge that you
- investigate any threats against Alberto Nastacuas and other leaders of the Awá Libertad Indigenous Council of Telembi, publish the results, and bring those responsible to justice
- offer protection measures to the Awá Libertad Indigenous Council of Telembi, in strict accordance with their wishes
- work with the Awá Libertad Indigenous Council of Telembi to create a humanitarian corridor for those trying to leave their reservations to seek safety
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai Christine Stonebraker-Martínez
Co-Coordinators
copies:
Carlos Ernesto Camargo Assis, Defensor Nacional del Pueblo / Ombudsman of Colombia ~ via email
Luis Gilberto Murillo, Ambassador of Colombia to the US ~ via email, US mail
José Luis Caballero Ochoa, Rapporteur for Colombia , Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ~ via email, US mail
Arif Bulkan, Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, 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); Adam Levy (human rights) ~ via email
US State Department: Desk Officer for Colombia ~ via email
US Senators from Ohio: Brown & Vance ~ via email
US Representatives from Ohio: Beatty, Brown, Jordan, Joyce, Kaptur, Latta, Miller, Sykes ~ via email
