Declaration of Colombians abroad, addressed to the international community to make visible the situation of misgovernment of Ivan Duque in Colombia, assassinations of social leaders, former FARC combatants, boycott of the Peace Accords, persecution of the JEP and little or no political will to continue the dialog with the ELN.

 

The government of Colombia: its betrayal of the peace agreements and its two-faced discourse

The free citizens of Colombia, united by their own will, eager to build a better future for the next generations, we declare before international public opinion that:

No Colombian has ever lived in peace in our country. We are all or have been victims of violence. A violence caused by the permanent concentration of political power in the hands of small economically privileged sectors, who have used the laws for their own benefit, condemning most of the population to the most dishonorable poverty. The social inequality caused by corrupt political practices, has been the main fuel of the war that has produced thousands of deaths over the years.

One of the most violent periods experienced in our recent history, occurred between 1998 and 2010, a period corresponding to the presidential terms of Andrés Pastrana Arango and Álvaro Uribe Vélez, currently unwavering opponents of a negotiated end to the Colombian conflict.

According to Colombian government statistics, during this period there were 5,827,898 direct victims of war, affected by death or situations of displacement, kidnappings and hunger. This macabre number of victims only took a downward turn during the presidential period 2010 – 2018, when the then President Juan Manuel Santos, today Nobel Peace Prize winner, as head of State signed the Havana Peace Agreement, with the guerrilla group known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC—EP), with the support of the international community.

Through this Peace Agreement, the Colombian State entered into binding fundamental commitments, in order to achieve structural social changes to properly fight inequality and lead to a truly peaceful environment.

Unfortunately for the great majority of the citizens, since last year, the political forces who maintained their power in Colombia for year by promoting war and fear, succeeded in again taking the presidency. Since then, under the presidency of Iván Duque Márquez, there have been many attacks against the long-hoped-for peace. For instance, during the first eight months of his presidency, a total of 172 social leaders and human rights activists were murdered in Colombia, according to a report by the Institute for Development and Peace Studies (Indepaz).

Likewise, with the objective of impeding the Peacemaking process in Colombia, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) is under attack by the President himself, his allies in Congress, and the Attorney General’s Office (politically co-opted by them), with the support and the improper intervention in Colombian internal affairs by the U.S. President Donald Trump. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) is an instrumental judicial body at the heart of the Peace Accords (November 2016), with mandatory jurisdiction to investigate the acts of violence during the armed conflict and directed to seek Justice, Truth and Reparation for its victims.

Throughout the grievous recent events, the Colombian Government and its political allies have shown that their personal interests take preference over the welfare of an entire nation.

For this reason, we the Colombians find ourselves with the urgent need to do everything possible to prevent the imposition of a political agenda that perpetuates war and impedes the exercise of democracy.

For the above reasons, we ask for the support of the International Community and the leaders of the world that have been our allies in the achievement of Peace in Colombia, for the following purposes:

  1. That effective guarantees and protections be given to all social leaders, human rights activists, land claimants, demobilised guerrilla combatants now re-integrated in civilian life, and civilians, who are systematically being murdered in our country.
  2. That the Peace Agreement signed by the Colombian State with the extinct guerrilla group (FARC—EP) be respected and complied with.
  3. That the Colombian Government resume peace talks with the guerrilla group National Liberation Army (ELN), in order to achieve a true stable and long-lasting Peace.
  4. That the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) be respected (and free of executive or congressional encroachment) to allow the JEP to examine and clarify all war crimes committed by all actors of the Colombian armed conflict.
  5. That life be respected and be given effective guarantees to exercise political participation or opposition.
  6. That judicial independence be respected in Colombia.

That PEACE does not cost us life or freedom.

Subscribed by:

1. “Diáspora y Paz” París y Barcelona.
2. Unidos por la Paz, Alemania.
3. Foro Internacional de Víctimas, capítulos Américas y Europa.
4. Colombia Humana La Plata, Argentina.
5. Vamos por los Derechos Internacional.
6. Associazione di Promozione Sociale Migras, Italia.
7. Colectiva de mujeres refugiadas, exiliadas y migradas.
8. Asociación Red Solidaria de Albacete.
9. Foro Internacional de Víctimas de Albacete.
10. RECOEX – Representación de Estudiantes Colombianos en el Exterior.
11. Rumbo a Gaza América Latina.
12. Grupo Europa de Familiares de desaparecidos en Colombia.
13. Colombia Humana Suiza.
14. Asociación Maloka Suiza.
15. Asociación Asolatino Suiza.
16. Ciudadanías Libres Suiza.
17. Convergencia Internacional Colombia Humana.
18. Agendas Internacionales por la Paz en Colombia.
19. Paz a la Calle, Barcelona. 20. Mujer Diáspora, Londres.
21. Colectivo AJI, Londres.
22. Migrantes – Ciudadanía en Movimiento.
23. Fundación Freytter.
24. Carrers del Món, Elche.
25. Foro Internacional de Víctimas, Elche.
26. E- Chime, Elche. Colectivo de jóvenes.
27. Nodo Ottawa-Gatineau. Canadá.
28. Nabowa. Xarxa per la Pau, Barcelona.
29. Colombia Humana, Ecuador.
30. Colectivo Ciudadanías.
31. ASOVICA – Asociación de Víctimas del Conflicto Armado de Colombia en Canadá.
32. Partido político español Podemos, París.
33. COLPAZ – Colectivo por la Paz en Colombia, México.
34. Comunidad Colombia Humana, Argentina.
35. Marcha Patriótica capítulo Argentina.
36. ALBA – Movimientos , Argentina.
37. Vamos – Frente Patria Grande. Argentina.
38. Barrios de Pie, Argentina.
39. Asociación Civil Madre Tierra.
40. Partido Social de la Ciudad.
41. Centro de Estudios y Acción por la Igualdad.
42. Parranda Poética, Argentina.
43. Grupo de Pensamiento Crítico Colombiano de la Universidad de Buenos Aires.
44. Constituyente Exiliad@s Políticos Colombianos.
45. On y Va “Globalizando la Solidaridad “, Suiza.
46. Aipazcomun, Suiza.
47. Coordinadora América / Europa de Solidaridad con el Pueblo Colombiano -CAESPUCOL.
48. Partido Comunista – Hamburgo, Alemania.
49. Convergencia Colombia Humana Internacional, New York.
50. Ciudadanías por la Paz, Francia.
51. Colombia Humana, Francia.
52. Foro Internacional de Víctimas, Canadá.
53. ITACA – Organització Internacionalista dels Països Catalans.
54. Habitar Argentina.
55. Centro de Intercambio y Servicios para el Cono Sur Argentina – CISCSA.
56. Movimiento de Ocupantes e Inquilinos- MOI.
57. Fundación Vivienda y Comunidad – FVC.
58. RED Hábitat. Bolivia.
59. Ocupa Tu Ciudad, Guadalajara.
60. Cooperación Comunitaria México.
61. La Ría Corriente crítico feminista, Argentina.
62. Huitaca – Pacto por la vida y por la Paz.
63. Ciudadanías por la Justicia.
64. Colectivo Maloka Colombia.
65. Mujeres Pa’lante.