Vancouver group’s petition calls on Government of Canada to demand the full implementation of the Peace Accord in Colombia

Columbia Britanica Noticias reports: “A group of Colombians residing in the city of Vancouver have started a campaign to ask the Government of Canada to [demand the full implementation of the 2016 Peace Accord and condemn] the massacres, human rights violations and police brutality in Colombia.”

Their petition can be signed here.

The CBN article adds: “Alexandra, a Colombian activist who is one of the promoters of this initiative, said that the serious situation of violence in Colombia against vulnerable groups and the high degree of impunity in the face of these events requires a statement of the international community.”

The article also notes: “According to the Canadian Embassy in Colombia, Canada has invested $110 million in programs that seek to improve the human rights situation in Colombia since 2003” and that Canada also offered $78.4 million following the peace agreement in 2016 to support the construction of peace in Colombia.

It concludes: “[Despite this, there are still] massacres of young people and peasants, the selective assassinations of social leaders, human rights defenders, indigenous people and people of African descent, as well as the systematic abuse and police brutality against the civilian population throughout the Colombian territory.”

The text accompanying the petition highlights that 1,024 human rights defenders, social and community leaders, environmental advocates, demobilized ex-guerrilla members, Indigenous and Afro-Colombians, and LGBTQ+2S leaders have been victims of targeted killings since the signing of the Peace Agreement.

It also notes: “It is extremely concerning to us that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has met with Colombian President Ivan Duque twice this year, however up to date, Mr. Trudeau has not raised these issues in his talks with Mr. Duque or any Colombian Government representatives.”

To sign the petition, please click here.

To watch a 12-minute interview in Spanish on this petition, please click here.