Colombian land rights activist shot dead in taxi

Colombian land rights activist shot dead in taxi
Thursday 20 May 2010

A leader of families displaced by Colombia's long-running civil conflict was shot dead on Tuesday in the latest attack on activists seeking the return of land stolen by right-wing paramilitary groups.

Rogelio Martinez was riding on a mototaxi near his residence in San Onofre, Sucre province, when gunmen intercepted the vehicle and shot him three times.

No arrests were made and police declined to offer a motive. Human rights groups said Mr Martinez had been receiving death threats since December 2008.

Mr Martinez lived with 52 displaced families who were locked in a dispute with a paramilitary group over a 556-hectare farm, La Alemania.

More:
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/90590

20 May 2010
Colombia urged to investigate shooting of human rights activist

Amnesty International has called on the Colombian authorities to investigate the killing of a human rights defender who was campaigning against abuses committed by paramilitaries and the security forces in the north-western region of Sucre.

Rogelio Martínez, who represented displaced rural communities in the area of San Onofre, was shot dead by a group of hooded men dressed in black as he travelled home by motorbike taxi on Tuesday.

"Rogelio Martínez campaigned long and hard to ensure that peasant farmers in the area could reclaim lands stolen from them by paramilitaries in collusion with the security forces, and he was dedicated to exposing human rights violations committed by these groups," said Marcelo Pollack, Colombia researcher at Amnesty International.

Martínez was also a member of the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes (MOVICE). He had been repeatedly threatened with death because of his work, along with other MOVICE members and land right activists in Sucre.

Activists campaigning for the return of lands stolen by paramilitary groups have been particularly vulnerable to threats and killings in recent years.

"Those campaigning for truth, justice and reparation and for the return of lands stolen by paramilitary groups in the context of Colombia's long-running armed conflict continue to pay a heavy price for their human rights work," said Marcelo Pollack.

"The Colombian authorities also have a responsibility to ensure that human rights defenders in Sucre, and in the country as a whole, are effectively protected so that they can carry out their work safely and free from fear", said Marcelo Pollack.

Amnesty International has condemned the killing of Rogelio Martínez and urged the authorities to carry out an immediate and impartial investigation to ensure that those responsible for his death are brought to justice.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/document.php?id=ENGPRE011662010&lang=e

:grr:

Friday, May 21, 2010
Colombia: NGO partner murdered - LWR calls on Colombian and U.S. officials to quickly investigate

http://1.bp.blogspot.com.nyud.net:8090/_MAYbaiWGxyA/S_Yv40Y91fI/AAAAAAAAJ0o/DCNRAlzRWOE/s200/LutheranWorldRelief_1.jpg

Lutheran World Relief mourns the death of partner Rogelio Martínez Mercado, murdered May 18 at 6:00 p.m. in the province of Sucre, Colombia. He is survived by his wife, Julia Torres Cancino, and four children.

LWR calls on Colombian and U.S. officials to quickly investigate Martínez’s murder, provide protection to his family and colleagues, and transform security and development policies on Colombia’s northern coast that have left small farmers vulnerable to violence.

In 2000, Martínez and his family were violently displaced from their farm, located in the municipality of San Onofre, by members of the paramilitary group “Héroes Montes de Maria.” Between 2000 and 2001, paramilitaries forced more than 50 other families from adjoining farms. The paramilitary forces, led by Rodrigo Tovar Pupo and Rodrigo Mercado Peluffo, turned these farms into a base for torture, murder and combat operatives.

After an initial demobilization of paramilitary forces in Colombia, Martínez returned to his farm in 2007 and helped lead the return of 53 other displaced farming families to the same area. With LWR’s support, Martínez and these families established La Alemania Farm, comprising 552 hectares for planting crops and grazing cattle.

In late 2009, Martínez told LWR staff, “I was forced to leave everything behind—my land, my crops, even my dignity. But now we have corn seed in the ground again and have harvested rice and yucca.” Before his death, Martínez was eagerly planning small pig and fish farming projects with fellow farmers.

In December 2008, after returning to La Alemania and assuming leadership in the National Victims’ Movement—Sucre chapter, Martínez began receiving verbal and written death threats.

Annalise Romoser, LWR’s acting director for public policy and advocacy explains, “Land is highly disputed in northern Colombia. Small farmers are under constant threat by reorganized paramilitary forces to turn over lands or face death. If they are not displaced by violence or fear then crushing debt and lack of credit drives them from their land.”

Because of the threats, Martínez was granted protection measures by the Inter-American Court and limited protection measures from the Colombian Ministry of the Interior, including two plane tickets to use in case of imminent threat and the need to flee Sucre.

Eyewitnesses report that hooded men approached Martínez’s moto-taxi as he neared his home at La Alemania farm on Tuesday evening and shot him several times. Before he was shot, Martínez managed to yell at his moto-taxi driver to flee and escape the attack. Martínez’s body remained on the roadside well into the night due to delayed action by local police. Today, LWR staff and Martínez’s family will participate in funeral and mourning services.

More:
http://ionglobaltrends.blogspot.com/2010/05/colombia-ngo-partner-murdered-lwr-calls.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FzqKG+%28i+On+Global+Trends%29