Dear President Petro and Attorney General Camargo:
We are deeply disturbed to learn of the killing of school teacher Jorge Enrique Cano Jaramillo, age 49. Hitmen shot him to death on February 7 while he was on his way to work at the Roberto López Rural Educational Institution in the Sofía neighborhood of Santo Domingo, located in northeastern Antioquia Department.
Jorge Enrique Cano Jaramillo was widely recognized for his commitment to rural education, leaving significant impressions on the communities where he taught. Having dedicated more than 20 years of his life to teaching, he previously worked as a teacher in the municipality of Yolombó. Upon hearing the news of his tragic killing, former students, colleagues, and residents expressed their condemnation of his murder through peaceful demonstrations.
The killing of Jorge Enrique Cano is not an isolated incident. His murder follows a series of attacks against teachers in Antioquia this year. On January 10, teacher Daniel Esteban Raigoza was murdered in the municipality of Turbo; on January 15, teachers Geiver Nair Palacio and Carlos Sarmiento were victims of a hitman attack in Fredonia. These events have generated concern among educators and highlighted the risks faced by those working in areas affected by armed violence.
We strongly urge that you
• conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the assassination of Jorge Enrique Cano Jaramillo, publish the results and bring the perpetrators to justice
• determine whether there is any connection between this case and previous attacks against other teachers in the region
• consult with the Association of Teachers of Antioquia (Adida) and the Colombian Federation of Education Workers (Fecode) to create protection schemes for teachers in rural areas
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai Christine L. Stonebraker-Martínez
Co-Coordinators
copies: Daniel García-Peña, 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
UN: Juliette De Rivero, Representative in Colombia of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights ~ via email
US Embassy: John McNamara (Chargé d’Affaires); Adam Levy (human rights) ~ via email
US State Department: Desk Officer for Colombia ~ via email
US Senators from Ohio: Husted and Moreno ~ via email
US Representatives from Ohio: Beatty, Brown, Jordan, Joyce, Kaptur, Latta, Miller, Rulli, Sykes ~ via email
08 FEB 2025_Infobae_Colombia
