18 people residing in a sports facility temporary shelter since a flooding devastated their homes in April 2018 are at risk of forced eviction in Ituango, Colombia, after receiving a notice by police to leave before 6 May. Authorities are not offering any alternative shelter.
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Sr. Hernán Álvarez Uribe
Mayor of the municipality of Ituango
Calle Berrio N° 19-08, Alcaldía Ituango
Antioquia, Colombia
Email: [email protected]
Ambassador Francisco Santos
Embassy of Colombia
1724 Massachusetts Ave NW, Washington DC 20036
Phone: 202 387 8338
Email: [email protected]
Twitter: @ColombiaEmbUSA
Facebook: @ColombiaEmbassyUS
Salutation: Dear Ambassador
Dear Mr. Hernán Álvarez Uribe,
I am writing to you to express my deep concern regarding the announced eviction of 18 people currently residing in the Jaidukama municipal coliseum. They, who lost their homes in a flooding caused by the Hidroituango hydroelectric project in April 2018, do not have access to alternative shelter and if evicted would be unable to meet their basic needs.
I call upon you to fulfill your human rights obligations and stop this eviction until you fulfill certain conditions. These include exploring alternative options to eviction in genuine consultation with the affected community, since evictions must be carried out only as a last resort. Your government also needs to provide adequate alternative housing to the people affected, before evicting them, since they are not able to provide for themselves. Due process requirements also need to be followed, including the provision of legal remedies, and access to legal aid where necessary. If all the above is not followed, this will be considered a forced eviction, which is a violation of human rights.
Yours sincerely,
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