Intimidation of community leaders and international observers

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Today men on horseback, with faces covered, intimidated community leaders and international human rights observers on the collective property of Caño Manso.

To a member of the Romero Committee from Madrid, they commented, “You look pretty in this picture.”

Among the men with faces covered, the group recognized a man known as “Chirri Chirri,” who carried a metal rod, and Narciso Díaz, the administrator for the cattle businessman Luis Felipe Molano.

An hour before these threats, in the Santa Maria hamlet, the repopulators brought in by Sor Teresa Gómez intimidated the security escort of Enrique Petro for driving his vehicle onto the properties occupied in bad faith and distributed by the ASOPROBEBA association.

This association, created by Sor Teresa Gómez, was one of the mechanisms for legalizing the theft of land for planting palm and for extensive cattle ranching.

The members of ASOPROBEBA stated that they would not let the recognized community leader nor any member of the Justice and Peace Commission enter the area.

The actions of the business operatives or bad-faith occupiers display the absence of effective response by the government to the orders of the Constitutional Court to clarify the property titles and end business operations.
Bogotá, D.C., October 9, 2013

Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz

Interchurch Justice and Peace Commission