URGENT ACTION

INDIGENOUS COMMUNITY ATTACKED

On 24 April, at around 11 am an unknown individual entered the indigenous community of ASEIMPOME, in the Meta Region (Central Colombia). When the indigenous guard was warned, the unknown person set on fire one house. For the past two weeks, two high cylinder motorcycles have been riding around the community. These two incidents occurred after the Claretian Corporation Norman Perez Bello reported that two unknown and armed men were present near the community on 12 April. We urge authorities to investigate all these incidents, to identify the attackers and stop them from further threatening the indigenous community. 

Mr. Francisco Roberto Barbosa
Attorney General
Avenida Calle 24 No. 52 – 01
Bogotá, D.C, Colombia
57(1) 570 20 00 - 57(1) 414 90 00
Email: ctiupjplovil@fiscalia.gov.co
Twitter: @FiscaliaCol

Mr. Francisco Roberto Barbosa,

I am writing to express concern for the safety of the members of the Indigenous community ASEINPOME (Meta region).

The ASEINPOME settlement has increasingly been facing security incidents since the COVID-19 quarantine started, as unknown and armed people have been observed prowling the premises. The last incident was on 24 April around 11pm, when an unknown individual was seen leaving one of the community’s houses. The indigenous guard was immediately notified and verified that one of the community's houses was burning. The community affirms that the unknown individual was responsible for the fire.

I urge you to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation into those responsible for the fire in the ASEINPOME indigenous community; and fully response to other threats and acts of violence against the indigenous community and its leaders that has been reported to the public prosecutor's office since 2016.

Yours sincerely,

Additional information

The indigenous community ASEINPOME is an ancestral territory inhabited by the indigenous community of the Sikuani - Kubeo ethnic group. In the second semester of 2015, after multiple cycles of forced displacement, spoliation of their culture and threats to their lives, the community decided to return to their ancestral territory in the El Porvenir district, Municipality of Puerto Gaitán, meta region. Since their return they have received threats and have been victims of violence.
In the last two weeks three men on two motorcycles have been prowling around the premises, and on 12 April the community noticed two armed individuals who were present for half an hour near the settlement, on the road that leads to the El Porvenir path.
In 2019, the Ministry of the Interior did not certify the presence of Indigenous Peoples in that territory and approved a project of a foreign multinational for oil extraction in the settlement area. In the same year, the community received intimidating and extortion calls and has faced racist accusations. In addition, in February 2019, a community member was approached by an armed individual who threatened them and stated that he would come back to displace the community.
These situations were reported to the National Police, but to date no investigation has been started and the security forces have not been present on the local. The Office of the Prosecutor has been informed of the complaints, however since July 2019 the community has not received any further information from the Prosecutor and their requests have not been answered.

PREFERRED LANGUAGE TO ADDRESS TARGET: Spanish

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: 15 June 2020 
Please check with the Amnesty office in your country if you wish to send appeals after the deadline.

NAME AND PREFFERED PRONOUN: Indigenous community ASEIMPOME (They, them)

Additional TARGETS

Araly González
Sectional Director of Prosecutors of Meta
Calle 33b No. 37-16
Villavicencio, Meta, Colombia
araly.gonzalez@fiscalia.gov.co

And copies to:
His Excellency Mr Antonio José Ardila  
Embassy of Colombia
3 Hans Crescent SW1X 0LN
020 7589 9177 / 020 7589 5037
Fax 020 7581 1829
elondres@cancilleria.gov.co 
http://granbretana.embajada.gov.co