Open Letter: Assassination of the spouse of Ms. Aida Quilcue
| Publisher | International Federation for Human Rights |
| Publication Date | 20 January 2009 |
| Cite as | International Federation for Human Rights, Open Letter: Assassination of the spouse of Ms. Aida Quilcue, 20 January 2009, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/49885787c.html [accessed 6 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Excellency,
During the Universal Periodic Review of Colombia on 10 December 2008 the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has noted and greatly welcomed the recommendations and concerns your delegation raised regarding the situation of Columbian Human Rights Defenders and/or indigenous people. It therefore calls upon you to demonstrate your commitment by seriously considering taking up, during the outcome of the UPR of Colombia scheduled for the 10th session of the Human Rights Council, the recent alarming information received by FIDH through the Observatory for the protection of human rights defenders, a joint FIDH and World Organisation against torture programme.
Excellency,
During the Universal Periodic Review of Colombia on 10 December 2008 the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) has noted and greatly welcomed the recommendations and concerns your delegation raised regarding the situation of Columbian Human Rights Defenders and/or indigenous people. It therefore calls upon you to demonstrate your commitment by seriously considering taking up, during the outcome of the UPR of Colombia scheduled for the 10th session of the Human Rights Council, the recent alarming information received by FIDH through the Observatory for the protection of human rights defenders, a joint FIDH and World Organisation against torture programme.
On 16 December 2008 at 4.00 a.m, Mr. Edwin Legarda was assassinated due to an assault of members of the Colombian regular army. Mr. Edwin Legarda was the spouse of Ms. Aida Quilcué, counselor of the CRIC. Last week Ms. Quilcué attended the Universal Periodic Review of Colombia, as representative of the CRIC and the National Indigenous Organisation of Colombia (ONIC). Mr. Legarda was assassinated the morning after Ms. Quilcué had returned from Geneva, driving between the municipality of Páez and the city of Popayán. He drove a vehicle asssigned to Ms. Quilcué which received several bullets from different angles when crossing San Pedro del Bosque.
We fear the attack was linked to the activities of the human rights defender Ms. Quilcué and was in reality intended to harm her. The car had tinted windows and there was no way of distinguishing if Ms. Quilcué or another person was driving it. The deadly assault also came a few days after the closure of the "Minga Nacional de Resistencia Indigena", an event organised by ONIC, denouncing violations of the political, territorial and environmental rights of indigenous people.
On the adoption of the final report of the Universal Periodic Review of Colombia, the country reiterated "its full commitment to provide guarantees and protection measures for HR defenders to carry out their work and to promote investigations and sanctions to crimes committed against them." It also expressed "its wish to "engage into constructive relation with Human Rights Defenders, which does not exclude open and honest debate on differences of opinion". Furthermore it also took up the voluntary commitment to undertake action against "discrimination of indigenous and Afro-Colombian population groups".
We sincerely hope that you will take into consideration our serious concerns, and would like to thank you for your cooperation on this issue. We remain at your disposal, should you need any further information.
Yours respectfully,
Souhayr Belhassen
President of the International Federation for Human Rights
