PBI-Colombia accompanies CAHUCOPANA on advocacy visit to Brussels, Berlin and Oslo
Photo of Francesca Nugnes (PBI-Colombia) and to her right Cristy Lozano (CAHUCOPANA) from Mónica Silvana González, MEP.
On May 17, PBI-Colombia tweeted:
“Thank you @MonicaSilvanaG [Member of the European Parliament, Spain] for your attention to the situation of human rights in Colombia and the demand for a Global Humanitarian Accord shared by human rights defender Cristy Lozano from @CAHUCOPANA [during a visit to Brussels, Belgium], accompanied by PBI.”
Lozano also met with Miguel Urbán Crespo (MEP, Spain) Soraya Rodríguez (MEP, Spain), André Flahaut (a Member of the House of Representatives in Belgium), Marie Nagy (a Member of the Brussels Parliament), and the Permanent Representation of Spain to the European Union in Brussels.
Cristy Lozano, CAHUCOPANA at the European Parliament in Brussels.
The day before, PBI-Germany tweeted: “Together with Gloria Orcué and Carlos Morales we spoke with representatives of @AuswaertigesAmt [Federal Foreign Office] and @unidasporlapaz [civil society collective for peacekeeping and peace building] today about the elections in Colombia, the situation of human rights defenders & the need for differentiated protective measures in Colombia.”
And on May 19, the Oslo-based Norwegian Human Rights Fund (NHRF) tweeted: “The NHRF today met representatives from Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz and Cahucopana from Colombia in Oslo. Thank you to Carlos Morales and Gloria Orcué for updating us about your crucial work for human rights and peace in #Colombia!”
The Norwegian newspaper Utrop also reported on the visit of the two PBI-Colombia accompanied human rights defenders to Norway.
The article notes: “Carlos Morales is a peasant leader and has been a human rights activist in the organization Cahucopana for more than 16 years, of which he is now also a leader. Gloria Orcué represents one of the oldest human rights organizations in the country, the Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz (Justicia y Paz).”
It adds: “The human rights defenders are in Oslo as one of several stops during the journey in Europe. The program includes meetings with several civil society organizations and Norwegian authorities, as well as an open meeting at SoCentral [a collaborative space] organized by Peace Brigades International Norway.”
Morales says: “For me, the visit is about being able to show how the situation is for people who are fighting for civil rights in Colombia, about the threats and violence we are exposed to, but not least also to show the results we have achieved so far in the five years of peace process . The country continues to try to strengthen ties with the international community.”
And Orcué notes: “A large part of the Colombians do not have access to land, means of production or participation in the major political processes. No social, economic, political or environmental rights are guaranteed in the legislation. If the peace process is to succeed, fundamental structural challenges must be solved.”
She adds: “Basic human rights are still being violated, and a minority of the country’s population is exercising economic and political hegemony.”
Photo of Carlos Morales and Gloria Orcué by Claudio Castello.
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