/ / Urgent Action: STOP STIGMATISING CIVIL SOCIETY IN CATATUMBO [Colombia Second UA 5.25]

STOP STIGMATISING CIVIL SOCIETY IN CATATUMBO [Colombia Second UA 5.25]

UA: Second 5.25 Colombia

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On March 3, President Gustavo Petro stated that civil society organizations of Catatumbo are “permeated” and “subordinated” to armed groups. Besides being unjustified and unacceptable, this statement endangers the members of these organizations and legitimizes the violence they, as well as the civilian population of Catatumbo in general, have been enduring since mid-January. Several Colombian human rights organizations have called on the President to retract on these remarks. We urge President Petro to stop making such stigmatizing statements and, instead, be open to dialogue and to the participation of local organizations in the implementation of human rights centered solutions to the Catatumbo crisis.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE UNTIL: June 13, 2025

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Step 1

Write your letter

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You can now write a letter in your own words or download the sample below as a guide. A copy of the sample has also been sent to your email address.

Remember to send your letter by June 13, 2025.

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Sample Letter

Dear Mr. President,

I am writing to express my deep concern about the serious risks to the life, safety, and security of the civilian population in the Catatumbo region, particularly human rights defenders and members of local civil society organizations. These individuals and their organizations are especially affected by your statements during the public national cabinet meeting on March 3, in which you claimed that civil society organizations in Catatumbo are “permeated” and “subordinated” to armed groups.

Such words put members of civil society organizations, including human rights defenders, at grave risk in a region that has endured decades of armed conflict, where accusations of collaborating with one faction or another have cost many lives. Your declarations contradict international and national legislation recommending public officials to refrain from making statements stigmatizing human rights defenders, which contributes to further endangering them and affects their valuable work. Your statements also contradict your own Presidential Directive 07 of 2023, instructing the entire Colombian government to support and recognize the work of human rights defenders.

I urge you to retract your statements and refrain from further stigmatizing civil society organizations of Catatumbo. Instead, I ask that you recognize their work and ensure their active participation in implementing measures to overcome the region’s crisis by strengthening the civilian presence of the State, providing long-overdue public services to the people of Catatumbo, and ultimately protecting their human rights.

Yours sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Sample Social Post

Civilian population in the #Catatumbo region of Colombia must be protected @petrogustavo. #HumanRights defenders, social organizations and communities suffer violence from armed groups in a region where the comprehensive presence of State civilian institutions is still awaited

Tweet to @petrogustavo

Step 2

Send your letter

Mail your letter to the government officials listed below. You can also email, fax, call, or post about them on social media.

Send your letter to:

Gustavo Petro Urrego, Presidente de la República

Carrera 8 No. 7-26, Bogotá

Email: [email protected]

[email protected] @petrogustavo

and

CC: Colombian Embassy in the United States, Ambassador Daniel García-Peña Jaramillo

1724 Massachusetts Ave, NW,

Washington, DC 20036

[email protected]

When writing your letter, don’t forget to be factual, brief, and show respect. See more letter writing tips and emails, or organize and host a letter writing party.

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First UA Issued: [Colombia 5.25]

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