TAKE ACTION FOR HUMAN RIGHTS

ATTACKS AGAINST WOMEN SEARCHERS MUST BE INVESTIGATED

Colombia UA 63.26

On June 8, Cleiner Almanza was coerced into meeting with unknown individuals in an isolated area of Cartagena, where she was attacked, tortured, subjected to gender-based violence, and nearly killed. Cleiner is a woman searching for her brother, who was forcibly disappeared in 1998 in the Montes de María region, in northern Colombia. She is also a recognized human rights defender, particularly of women's rights, and has previously been attacked and her human rights violated because of her work.

Call on the Attorney General’s Office to fulfill its commitment to women searchers by conducting a prompt, thorough, and effective investigation into the crimes committed against Cleiner Almanza - send your message using our email writing tool.

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Attorney General of Colom

Luz Adriana

Camargo

Attorney General of Colombia

Dear Attorney General,

I am deeply concerned about the situation of women searchers of victims of enforced disappearance in Colombia. Thousands of victims of enforced disappearance have loved ones searching for their whereabouts, for the truth about the crimes they suffered, and for justice. Most searchers are women and this exposes them to a disproportionate risk of suffering gender-based violence.

I am especially worried about Cleiner Almanza, a woman searcher from the Montes de María region, who was subjected to intimidation, torture, gender-based violence, and an attempted murder in Cartagena on June 8. This is the second serious attack against a woman searcher in Colombia in less than a month, following the killing of Claribel Moreno Castillo in Jamundí, Valle del Cauca, on May 13.

In response to this situation, women searchers themselves successfully advocated for the adoption of Law 2364 of 2024, which recognizes them as human rights defenders and provides for their protection. Following the enactment of this law, the Attorney General’s Office publicly committed to diligently investigate the attacks against them.

I urge you to honor the Attorney General’s Office’s commitment to women searchers in Colombia by thoroughly investigating the attacks against Cleiner Almanza, identifying those responsible for ordering and carrying out these crimes, and bringing them to justice in fair trials. Effective investigations are essential to prevent further attacks against women searchers in Colombia.

Yours sincerely,

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