Protect human rights defender at risk

The Santander’s Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (CREDHOS) was founded in 1987 in the city of Barrancabermeja. For more than thirty years, CREDHOS has worked for the defence, promotion and protection of human rights, with its work extending to eight municipalities of the Magdalena Medio region of Colombia (North).  In recent years, addressing socio-environmental conflicts in the region has gained great importance within the organization. CREDHOS defends the communities’ rights to a healthy environment.

Due to their work since their foundation, CREDHOS staff have been threatened, harassed and killed. The latest security incidents faced by CREDHOS staff include:

•    On 10 February 2021, a confidential community source notified CREDHOS that armed group have qualify CREDHOS staff as military objective 

•    On 9 January 2021, a pamphlet signed by people that identify themselves as “The Magdalena Medio Block of the PAFC- EP” was circulating in social networks and instant messaging applications. The pamphlet orders a change in a report released by CREDHOS weeks earlier, that includes an analysis of the dynamic of armed groups and illegal economies in 2 subregions of Colombia: South Bolivar, Northeast of Antioquia  

•    On 24 October 2020, unknown men broke into the apartment of Dr. Ivonne Suarez Pinzón, a member of CREDHOS' Board of Directors who is also the Director of the Oral Memory Archive of Victims of the Internal Armed Conflict (AMOVIUIS) where documents of the cases presented by the organization before the “Special Jurisdiction for Peace” (JEP) were stored.  

•    On 1 September 2020, The Secretary of the Board of Directors of CHEDHOS Abelardo Sanchez,  denounced to the Attorney General's that his house was watched by unknow men the night before. 

In 2016, The unit of Victims and reparation recognized CREDHOS as a subject of collective reparation for the damages caused throughout its existence. The implementation of the measures officially started in March 2019. The Plan contemplates sixteen measures that will be applied at its Barrancabermeja main offices and in the eight municipalities that are impacted by CREDHOS’ work.