• Cooperation mechanisms, such as a working group, and a plan to coordinate figures to unify information on crimes against social leaders in the country will be developed. 
  • The Office of the Attorney General achieved a clarification of 63.52% on murders against human rights defenders. 

The Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa Delgado, defined as one of the main thematic axes, among his strategic objectives, the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for actions affecting human rights defenders. In this sense, he met with the Ombudsman, Carlos Ernesto Camargo Assis, to establish lines of joint work in two aspects: the current situation of social leaders in El Salado and the project to coordinate figures on this issue in the country. 

The Attorney General stated that “It is necessary to accompany many institutions to know what is happening, within the framework of their powers. For now, the Office of the Attorney General is making progress with investigations and we have already (prosecuted) two of the alleged perpetrators of the threats to the leader Yirley Velasco Garrido and her family”. Facts that took place between 2018 and 2020. 

Regarding the new threats against the leader and the community of El Salado, municipality of Carmen de Bolívar (Bolívar), the Attorney General Barbosa prioritized investigative actions to clarify the facts and also highlighted a working group to articulate efforts between dependencies to promote the processes related to this type of offense and to carry out investigations within context. 

“Through the Human Rights Directorate, a selective database search was carried out and it allowed the identification of the phone number from which threatening messages were sent against the leader’s family. It was a line used in the same small town”, revealed the Attorney General. 

This way, the development of different judicial police duties has been intensified to collect evidence about this and other cases reported in El Salado for actions committed against human rights defenders. 

Likewise, within the framework of the meeting, it was suggested the need to have a working group to monitor and accompany the community of El Salado, with the National Protection Unit (Unidad Nacional de Protección UNP), the ministries, the Army and the National Police, under the coordination of the Office of the Ombudsman and the Office of the Attorney General to carry out investigations and assist with the protection of human rights in the judicial aspect. 

On the other hand, the Attorney General Barbosa Delgado and the Ombudsman Camargo Assis informed about a plan to coordinate figures related to social leaders in order to unify the information and analyze the complaints received by the two institutions concerning human rights violations. 

At the Office of the Attorney General, this work is articulated under the leadership of the Deputy Attorney, Martha Mancera, the Delegate Director on Public Safety, Luisa Obando; and the Special Investigation Unit (Unidad Especial de Investigación).  

Regarding the results yielded by the Office of the Attorney General Prosecutor, it is highlighted that, in one year, the clarification of murders of human rights defenders went from 51% to 63.52%, which represents an increase of 12%. 

In order to guarantee a prompt and a timely action of justice, the Office of the Attorney General encourages the community to denounce actions committed against human rights defenders. The institution has different mechanisms to receive complaints the 24 hours a day: lines 350-6011181, Contact Center 122, and email recepción.amenazas@fiscalia.gov.co. 

The Office of the Attorney General shows results.