Manual to prevent the criminalisation of defenders of the right to land and territory (2016)
It is the result of the accompaniment that PAS and PI carried out with peasant, Afro-descendant and Indigenous communities in different regions of Colombia and is part of the effort carried out by PI to characterise and prevent the phenomenon of criminalisation worldwide.
Colombian defender David Ravelo: 5 years in prison
While evidence of his innocence outweighs the allegations against him, Mr. Ravelo remains in detainment. There is little integrity in his conviction, starting with the dependability of the two paramilitary witnesses. Throughout Mr. Ravelo’s trial, these two witnesses contradicted themselves and the more than 30 testimonies from other individuals in the city of Barrancabermeja presented […]
Colombia: The Role of Women in The Defence of The Territory
First Regional Meeting of Women from the Network Protection of Magdalena Medio. Since 2013, Protection International and Pensamiento y Acción Social (PAS)—PD COL— have been driving a networking strategy with five rural communities in the region of Magdalena Medio, which are affected by high levels of risk resulting from land tenure disputes. As a part […]
Joint Declaration: International organizations request that attention be paid to the case against David Ravelo
As International NGOs and Networks, we urge that the Colombian authorities order that David Ravelo be released immediately. On 11th of February last year, the follow-up of the demand for annulment of the judicial process against the human rights defender David Ravelo Crespo, member of the Regional Corporation for the Defense of Human Rights in Magdalena […]
In pictures: The long struggle for land rights in Las Pavas (Colombia)
Defending territory is one activity that generates risk for human rights defenders in Colombia; during 2013 alone, 37 human rights defenders were murdered, and at least 30% of these deaths were related to land restitution. The majority of these assassinations are the responsibility of paramilitary groups, now named the “anti-land restitution army”, which operate in […]
Regional Meeting of Protection Desks Guatemala & Colombia
The Protection Desks (PDs) are part of the overall strategy of Protection International (PI) to protect human rights defenders in the world. Working closely with local defenders and their organisations, PDs are designed to provide training and capacity-building on security issues, promote public policies for their protection, and conduct research on related topics. On 5-9 August 2013, […]
On the International Day of Human Rights, Civil Society Demands Greater Coherence in EU Foreign Policy
Brussels, Tuesday, 10 December 2013. On International Human Rights Day, civil society networks Alop, Cifca, Grupo Sur, Oidhaco, and Protection International urge the EU to make respect for human rights the guiding principle in its trade relations with Latin America. The European Parliament ratified trade agreements with Colombia, Peru, and Central America in December 2012. […]