PBI-Colombia expresses deep concern about the security situation of ADISPA president Jani Silva

Published by Brent Patterson on September 20, 2024September 20, 2024

PBI-Colombia has posted on social media:

“We at @PBIColombia share our deep concern about the security situation of leader Jani Silva @ADISPA_ZRCPA [Association for the Integral Sustainable Development of the Amazon Pearl-Amazon Pearl Campesino Reserve Zone]. It is urgent to ensure effective protection measures with a differential approach.”

Their post shares this article (dated September 13) from the Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace that highlights:

“In the last few hours, our Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace learned of serious threats and follow-ups against the environmental defender and leader JANI SILVA, legal representative of the organization ADISPA of the Peasant Reserve Zone of the Amazonian Pearl [that is located near Puerto Asis in the department of Putumayo, which is located in south-west Colombia near the border with Ecuador].

Last Tuesday, September 10, at 10:10 a.m., JANI SILVA received a phone call from the cell phone number 3133715936 in which a man in a threatening tone told him: “we are going to blow it up with everything and a truck.”

In the afternoon of this same day, at around 3:40 p.m. and for about 10 minutes, three men who were traveling on two high-powered motorcycles were seen prowling on two occasions the house where the ADISPA office is located and next to it is the home of the leader Jani in Puerto Asís. Witnesses point out that the men when making the tours, apparently were reporting on their cell phones what they observed

At an alarming time due to the high number of social leaders murdered [79 in 2023, according to Global Witness], we URGE that the government of change immediately adopt the necessary measures to guarantee the life and integrity of Jani Silva and the peasant leaders who are systematically subjected to threats, surveillance, intimidation without the competent authorities preventing irreparable damage.”

Jani is accompanied by the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission, which in turn has been accompanied by PBI-Colombia since 1994.

We continue to follow this situation closely.

Photo: Jani with Canadian PBI-Colombia volunteer Javier Ignacio Hoyos.