Colombia campaigner's death sparks investigation call

[Judi Lynn]

Page last updated at 18:20 GMT, Friday, 19 March 2010
Colombia campaigner's death sparks investigation call

The killing of a Colombian human rights activist has sparked calls for an urgent investigation into his death.

Reports say Jhonny Hurtado, 59, was shot dead on Monday at his farm near La Catalina, in Colombia's Meta region.

The farmer had recently spoken to a British delegation of union activists and labour campaigners about alleged rights abuses in the area.

The delegation said it is "deeply saddened" and has urged the government to bring those responsible to justice.

"We were deeply concerned to learn that soldiers of the Colombian Army were allegedly present in the area at the time that this killing occurred," the delegation said in a letter to Colombia's President Alvaro Uribe Velez.

More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8577320.stm

[Judi Lynn]

1. Human rights defender killed in central Colombian department of Meta

Human rights defender killed in central Colombian department of Meta
Thursday, 18 March 2010 14:42 Camilla Pease-Watkin

Colombia's Permanent Committee for the Defense of Human Rights (CPDH) on Thursday announced the assassination of human rights defender and community leader Jhonny Hurtado in the central department of Meta, reported Colombian media.

According to reports, 56-year-old Hurtado, who was president of the Committee for Human Rights in the municipality of La Macarena, was killed by gunshot last Sunday.

Authorities state that the area in which the victim was killed remains under the control of a paramilitary group named "Omega," who formed in the region to pursue leaders of Colombian guerrilla group FARC.

However, the perpetrators of the crime are as yet unknown by police.

The CPDH informed that the assassinated leader had been working with local farmers and landowners, forming delegations to campaign against human rights violations in the area.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8762-human-rights-defender-killed-in-central-colombian-department-of-meta.html

[Wilms]

2. .

[Judi Lynn]

3. Colombia: peasant human rights defender assassinated

Colombia: peasant human rights defender assassinated

Submitted by WW4 Report on Sat, 03/20/2010 - 21:46. On March 15, Jhonny Hurtado, 59, president of the local Human Rights Committee in the community of La Catalina, La Macarena municipality, Meta department, was killed while working in outlying fields. Witnesses said he fled when he heard gunfire, and was shot while running. The independent Human Rights Commission of the Bajo Ariari zone said in a statement: "There is fear throughout the region of the Río Guayabero, because the zone is militarized, and military unites...have threatened social leaders and human rights defenders." (DH Colombia, March 16)

It is not known whether the attack was carried out by the army or paramilitaries

http://www.ww4report.com/node/8481