TAKE ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

PROTECT HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATION

Colombia UA 105.25

In late March, human rights defender Juan Carlos Gaona, a member of the Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace in northern Colombia, received a text message stating that an operation to murder him in Sincelejo, Sucre department, had been frustrated by chance due to the presence of an Army truck near the place where he was holding a meeting, but warned he would not be as lucky next time. This death threat highlights the urgent need for stronger protection for members of this organization across the country.

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Colombia Minister of Fore

Rosa Yolanda

Villavicenci

Colombia Minister of Foreign Affairs

Dear Mrs. Minister,

I am concerned about the serious risks to life, safety, and security of the members of the Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace. This human rights organization, with teams deployed across different regions of Colombia, has faced serious security incidents in recent months whose gravity is overwhelming the protection currently provided by the Colombian authorities.

At the end of 2025, the organization denounced several serious security incidents threatening both the safety of its members and the continuity of their human rights work. On March 27, 2026, human rights defender Juan Carlos Gaona, a member of the Inter-Church Commission, received a text message stating that an operation to murder him in Sincelejo, Sucre department, had been frustrated by chance. The message described Gaona’s recent activities, revealing that he was under surveillance, and warned that he would not be as lucky next time, constituting a death threat. While some attacks were prevented by members of the National Protection Unit (UNP) assigned to protect the organization, further security incidents continue to occur, even on territories left out of the current protection measures. This demonstrates the urgent need to strengthen and adapt the organization’s protection measures to the nature and geographical scope of its work.

I urge you to ensure that Colombia complies with its international obligations, as established in the Precautionary Measure 629-03 of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, requesting Colombia adopts all necessary measures, in coordination with the Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace, to protect the life and safety of the organization’s members, and enable them to continue their human rights work throughout different high-risk areas of Colombia.

Yours sincerely,

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