• Urgent Action

Urgent Action: HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS AT RISK, 40+ DAYS OF VIGIL (Bolivia: UA 65.23)

August 2, 2023

84-year-old human rights defender Amparo Carvajal has spent over 45 days in vigil in cold temperatures outside the Permanent Assembly on Human Rights in Bolivia (APDHB) in La Paz. On 2 June, dozens of people raided the APDHB’s office (of which Amparo is president) and forced staff to abandon the premises. On July 12, Amparo managed to enter the offices by way of a ladder and has been sleeping on the roof of the office for days with no access to water nor bathroom or proper shelter. She and her colleagues are the subject of threats and intimidation. The APDHB offices remain occupied, and dozens of police are blocking the entrance. We demand authorities allow Amparo and members of the APDHB to enter the offices to carry out their human rights work, as well as guarantee their health, physical integrity, and safety.

TAKE ACTION: 

  1. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.

  2. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 65.23. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.

    CONTACT INFORMATION:

    President of Bolivia
    Luis Arce Catacora
    Zona Cenral
    La Paz – Bolivia
    Email [email protected]
    Twitter: @LuchoXBolivia

    SAMPLE LETTER:

    Dear President Arce,

    I am gravely concerned over the safety of Amparo Carvajal, president of the Permanent Assembly on Human

    Rights (APDHB), who has been sleeping for days on the roof of the APDHB´s office with no access to water or a bathroom. Dozens of police officers block the entrance and remain stationed outside. Amparo Carvajal had already spent weeks sleeping on the street outside the APDHB´s office in almost freezing temperatures. On July 12, a constitutional judge ordered the people occupying the APDHB offices to cease the psychological intimidation of Amparo and allow her access to a bathroom, for her health and safety.

    I call on you to urgently ensure the health, physical integrity and safety of Amparo Carvajal and her colleagues, ensuring compliance with the Resolution 56/2023 of the Constitutional judge of La Paz.

    Yours sincerely,

    [YOUR NAME]

    ADDITIONAL RESOURCES: