PBI-Colombia meets with organizations defending human rights in the context of the IACHR working visit

On June 10, the Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project tweeted: “In the framework of the visit of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR-CIDH) in Colombia, PBI-Colombia participated in a space with organizations that defend human rights. Reaffirming the crucial work they have done during the national strike and showing the lack of guarantees for the performance of their work.”

The PBI-Colombia tweet shared this tweet (and the photo above) from the Defend Liberty Campaign that says: “We inform the @CIDH on the report of aggressions against human rights defenders registered in our Information System of Aggressions to Social Protest. We will formally deliver a report that details them.”

CNN has reported: “The president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR), Antonia Urrejola [says that] during the working visit to Colombia, the IACHR will meet with various sectors, including official authorities of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches; representatives of civil society organizations, collectives, groups, trade unions and other representatives of sectors affected by the protests.”

Blu Radio also notes: “The IACHR will not only be present in Bogota and Cali to verify the facts of human rights violations but will also visit Popayan and Tulua.”

France 24 comments: “The presence of the IACHR in the country becomes essential for the demonstrators, who have been denouncing abuses for weeks during the exercise of their right to protest. …[The IACHR-CIDH] visit gives a halo of hope to the protesters and, above all, to the families of the victims.”

DeJusticia says: “For the demonstrators, the fact that an international, independent and autonomous organization is coming that is going to issue a series of recommendations to the state is a step in the right direction and will help to mitigate the crisis.”

The hashtag being used on Twitter by human rights groups is #CIDHProtejaLaProtesta, which translates as a call for the CIDH to protect the protests.

Antonia Urrejola, the president of the IACHR-CIDH, has noted: “After the working visit, all the information received will be analyzed, and a public statement will be issued that will contain observations and recommendations that seek to collaborate in the strengthening of human rights institutions.”

PBI-Colombia has been accompanying organizations including CREDHOS, the Justice and Peace Commission and the Association for Research and Social Action (Nomadesc) during the national strike that began on April 28.