Excmo. Sr. Presidente Gustavo Petro Urrego President of the Republic of Colombia contacto@presidencia.gov.co | Sra. Luz Adriana Camargo Attorney General of Colombia |
October 1, 2025
Dear President Petro and Attorney General Camargo:
We write to you in deep sadness and distress over the murder of Jhon Fader Santiago Galvis, signatory of the 2016 Peace Agreement, in the San Antonio region near Cocorná, Antioquia Department. The National Community Reincorporation Corporation (CNRC) described him as a person deeply committed to reconciliation.
John Fader Santiago Galvis, 32 years-old, had been carrying out his reincorporation process in Cocorná, Antioquia, since 2024. On September 2, he was found dead by local residents on the banks of the Cocorná River near San Antonio. On his body were multiple bullet wounds and serious burns on his skin, suggesting an attempt at cremation.
Tragically, the brutal murder of John Fader Santiago Galvis, who became the 31st signer of the accords killed this year, is not a singular case. The safety of residents of Cocorná is regularly threatened by the presence of local criminal organizations and a substructure of the paramilitary organization Clan del Golfo, known locally as Gener Morales. In Antioquia alone, six signatories of the accords have been killed in recent months. Throughout the country, at least 480 signatories have been killed, as verified by the United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia. This deadly violence continues to threaten the reintegration process of former combatants of the demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
We strictly condemn the murder of John Fader Santiago Galvis and the ongoing violence and threats against other ex-combatants enrolled in the reincorporation process. We therefore strongly urge you to:
(1) ensure a thorough, impartial investigation into the killing of John Fader Santiago Galvis and hold accountable those who are responsible
(2) promptly enact strict governmental measures to remove armed groups from innocent and vulnerable communities in Antioquia
(3) provide adequate protection to social leaders who are under threat, in strict accordance with their wishes
(4) implement stronger legal measures to end the violence against social leaders and build a long-lasting peace in Colombia
Sincerely,
Brian J. Stefan Szittai
Co-Coordinator
copies:
Daniel García-Peña Jaramillo, Ambassador of Colombia to the US ~ via email
José Luis Caballero Ochoa, Rapporteur for Colombia , Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) ~ via email
UN: Scott Campbell, 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
03 SEP 2025_Infobae_Colombia
