Image taken from: Telesur
Press Release regarding the pronouncement of the Presidential Advisor for the Stabilization in relation to the request to the Constitutional Court to lift the declaration of the State of the declaration of an unconstitutional state of affairs regarding the security of the signatories of the of the Signatories of the Peace Agreement
The various human rights organizations, which fully support the Agreement for the Termination of the Armed Conflict in Colombia, receive with concern that in the twilight of the Duque administration, actions persist to continue shredding its integrity; even more serious is that it is from the High Counselor for Stabilization and Consolidation, headed by Emilio José Archila Peñalosa, who requested in the media the lifting of the declaration of the State of Unconstitutional Things -ECI in terms of Security of Peace Signatories.
It is therefore necessary for the Ombudsman Carlos Camargo Assis to take a clear and timely position on the purpose of the Report on the Security of Former FARC Combatants, so that it is not used to echo pronouncements that want to disregard the judicial orders of the ECI for the
Low Level of Implementation of the Component of Security Guarantees for the Signatory Population in Transit to Civilian Life.
The report on the security of former FARC-EP combatants delivered on March 14 by the Ombudsman to the President of the JEP, Eduardo Cifuentes Muñoz, (and not to Mr. Archila) reinforces the arguments put forward by the Constitutional Court in its ECI declaration, and refers to structural aspects regarding the security of the signatories of the peace agreement.
Therefore, it is irresponsible on the part of the public official Mr. Archila, to make interpretations at his whim and convenience, who is part of a government that dedicated itself from the first day of its mandate to asphyxiate the Peace Agreement, to destroy its integrity, to allocate pyrrhic budgets and whose public pronouncements continue to exacerbate the risks of the people who have risked their own lives for peace in Colombia, there are already more than 306 murdered since the signing of the Agreement The “very judicious report” cited by the “High Counselor Archila, according to his interpretation, demands recognition of the “progress” in the reduction of homicides, but whose content, on the contrary, highlights the growing security risks for ex-combatants, although it may contain some biases imposed by the office of Mr. Camargo Assis, The report is forceful in its analysis of the weakness and insufficiency of the public policy of prevention and protection at both the territorial and national levels to incorporate measures in favor of the signatories of the Peace Accord, which is reflected in the dramatic figures, with a total of 9 signatories murdered so far this year, three of them in March.
During our work in the territory with grassroots social organizations, signatories of the agreement and citizens in general, we have made visible the humanitarian crisis and the lack of progress in the implementation of the agreements, we have received complaints about the failure to safeguard the integrity of former combatants, however, the Duque government insists that it has made progress in this area.
Disregarding the unconstitutional state of affairs implies dismantling the integrality that is the fundamental foundation of the Peace Agreement, disregarding the high responsibility of the entities involved in the strict compliance with this mandate, as well as omitting the creation of effective mechanisms that guarantee the materialization of the rights of the former combatants.
Counselor Archila’s position also implies a transgression of judicial autonomy and independence to the unified precedent in matters of serious, systematic and permanent violations of the human rights of the Colombian population, disqualifying one of the most powerful tools of the Constituent Charter of 1991 as is the declaration of unconstitutional state of affairs when it comes to serious, massive and systematic violations of human rights, and even more so for the victims of this prolonged armed conflict in Colombia.
Therefore, we demand:
To the National Government and in particular to the High Counselor Archila:
– Respect judicial independence and autonomy.
– To fully comply with the orders for the overcoming of the JIT in matters of security of signatories of the Peace Agreement.
– Respect and abide by the recommendations of the Ombudsman’s Report on the Security of Ex-combatants and not manipulate it at their convenience.
To the Ombudsman Carlos Camargo Assís:
– Inform and clarify to human rights organizations, international cooperation, signatories of the Peace Accord and the general public the purposes and recommendations contained in the Report regarding the security of ex-combatants.
the purposes and recommendations contained in the Report regarding the security of ex-combatants.
– Clarify and demand from the National Government and especially from the High Presidential Counselor’s Office for Stabilization, the conclusions and recommendations regarding the security of the signatories, highlighting the enormous shortcomings in the implementation of the Peace Agreement.
– Demand that government entities comply with the recommendations included in the report, particularly in the area of security.
– Request greater speed in the investigations being carried out by the Attorney General’s Office, which will allow for the clarification and prosecution of those responsible for the systematic assassination of former combatants.
– Prepare a report on the results of the effective measures that have been taken to prevent and immediately stop the murders of reincorporated persons, as well as the guarantees for the continuation of their reincorporation process.
– That a structural Early Warning be issued based on the report on the security of ex-combatants prepared by the Ombudsman’s Office, which contains the structural elements for its issuance.
Image taken from: Telesur
