Washington, D.C., April 21, 2003 President Álvaro Uribe Vélez
Dear President Uribe, I am writing to urge you to use the means at your disposal to guarantee that human rights organizations can continue their efforts in the defense and promotion of human rights in a climate of respect and tolerance, and not one of persecution.
At this time, these organizations face enormous risks in light of frequent and increasingly forceful accusations of links between human rights non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and guerrillas. These accusations have come from Colombian diplomats, high-level military officers, and individuals with close ties to your government. For example, during a conference sponsored by the United States Army in Washington, D.C. on April 10, Brigadier General José Arturo Camelo, Executive Director of the Defense Ministry's Judge Advocate General's office, accused human rights NGOs of waging a "legal war" against the military. Further, he claimed that human rights groups were "friends of subversives" and that they formed part of a larger strategy coordinated by the guerillas. Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. The current Colombian ambassador to Portugal, Plinio Apuleyo Mendoza, has a long record of unsubstantiated and offensive accusations against human rights prosecutors and organizations, especially Human Rights Watch, the Colombian Commission of Jurists, and the "José Alvear Restrepo" Lawyers Collective. After accepting his appointment as the Colombian ambassador in Lisbon, Mendoza published a farewell column on November 24th, 2002 in El Espectador: "The attorneys of the Human Rights Unit have found a kindred spirit in the Chilean Marxist José Miguel Vivanco, director of Human Rights Watch (...) In Vivanco's case, one understands this phobia since, as an adolescent, [Vivanco] must have been marked forever by the gross excesses of General Pinochet and his brothers in arms. Driven by a private vindictive fervor, he has extended that fear to the Colombian military. This has resulted in the prosecution of the best officers in the military, to the delight of Tirofijo and Mono Jojoy." On many occasions, Human Rights Watch and the Colombian Commission of Jurists have corrected Mr. Mendoza's serious errors. As you know, when we met with you in the Presidential Palace, we expressed our concern for the security of several government prosecutors from the Human Rights Unit of the Attorney General's office who were investigating serious cases of human rights violations. With clarity and firmness, you offered your administration's unconditional support for these individuals, even though they were no longer employed by the government. We deeply value your personal commitment. On November 26, 2002, Dr. Francisco Santos, Vice-President of Colombia, convened a meeting of NGOs during which they requested an official response to Mr. Mendoza's comments. Although the Vice President maintained that the government did not condone these statements, Mr. Mendoza's appointment as ambassador can be interpreted as de facto support. Recently, the magazine Cromos published an interview with Mr. Pedro Juan Moreno Villa, widely identified as a trusted adviser of yours on security and intelligence matters. Moreno also served as your vice-governor during your term as governor of Antioquia. Mr. Moreno referred to NGOs in the following terms: "An intelligence center should search out ... information that has been developed by analysts who are familiar with and experts on each one of the targets: FARC, ELN, EPL, drug traffickers, self-defense forces, the NGOs and common criminals. There should be intelligence monitoring of NGOs, because they are the ones who have trashed this country. Many are leftists. The subversives and violent create these mechanisms to seize power." Taking these facts into consideration, I respectfully urge you to order civilian and military authorities, and all public servants, to abstain from slandering, denigrating, verbally attacking or threatening national and international human rights NGOs. Given the history of these kinds of accusations by the security forces, I also urge you to authorize the transfer of any information in the possession of Colombia's security agencies (DAS, National Police, Armed Forces) about human rights NGOs to the Office of the Attorney General. That way, pertinent criminal investigations and corresponding judicial guarantees can be assured. If evidence exists regarding a human rights NGO - or if the security forces suspect that an NGO or one of their employees are engaged in criminal activities -- these claims should be investigated as soon as possible by the relevant judicial authorities, in order to clear up any doubt concerning the work of the law-abiding organizations that defend human rights in Colombia. Mr. President, in order to guarantee a secure climate for those who bravely dedicate their lives to the defense and promotion of human rights in Colombia, I respectfully request that you issue a presidential decree prohibiting public servants from making offensive comments and general or specific declarations against legitimately established human rights NGOs in Colombia. Sincerely,
C.c: Francisco Santos, Vice-President of Colombia
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