URGENT ACTION - RICARDO ESQUIVIA

Kairos partner and well-known peace activist in Colombia risks arrest of imprisonment on false charges by the Colombia government.

Introduction

Kairos is gravely concerned about the imminent threat to the freedom and human rights of partner Ricardo Esquivia Ballestas, a church leader, pacifist and social activist well known both in Colombia and here in Canada. Kairos has received information from reliable sources that the Colombian authorities are planning to arrest Ricardo Esquivia on fabricated charges that he is a member of the FARC guerrilla movement, thus keeping him from his work and putting his life in grave danger. We urge you to participate in the following urgent action denouncing these activities, and calling on Colombian authorities to guarantee the liberty and rights of our partner and brother, Ricardo Esquivia.

Background

KAIROS has worked in partnership with Ricardo Esquivia on various initiatives for human rights and peace over a number of years. Over this period we have witnessed very directly his Christian commitment to non-violence and his work for peace in Colombia. Ricardo's involvement in the human rights and peace work of the churches in Colombia is vast and impressive. He is a long time member of the Mennonite Church, director of JUSTAPAZ, the Christian Centre for Justice, Peace and Non-violent Action of the Mennonite Church on Colombia. Furthermore, he is national coordinator of the Commission for Restoration, Life and Peace (formerly the Human Rights and Peace Commission) of the Evangelical Council of Churches of Colombia (CEDECOL) as well as being vice-president of CEDECOL. Since 2000, KAIROS has contributed financially to the human rights and peace work of the CEDECOL and JUSTAPAZ through our program with the Canadian Government's International Development Agencies (CIDA).

Ricardo Esquivia is known to the churches and the broader NGO community in Canada. He was here in Canada in October 2001 on a KAIROS tour which included meetings with churches, NGOs and the Canadian government. He is profiled in the KAIROS video, The Hidden Story, and spoke at the launch. Ricardo is a partner, a friend and an important social leader in Colombia.

The imminent threat to Ricardo Esquivia's liberty is symptomatic of what is currently happening in Colombia with the criminalization of dissent and the mass arrests of those opposed to the current government. It is similar to the course of action taken by Colombian authorities against many leaders of social movements, unions and NGOs who are now under arrest, preventing these legitimate organizations from carrying out their work. The threat of Ricardo's arrest is indicative of how far the Colombian government is prepared to go under the guise of the "war on terror". These actions completely contradict the commitments that the Colombian government has made to human rights, both nationally and internationally.

KAIROS has sent a letter to the Colombian government calling on them to respect and guarantee the liberty and rights of leaders of social movements and churches engaged in the legitimate work of human rights and peace in Colombia and, in particular, to respect and guarantee the liberty of our partner and brother, Ricardo Esquivia. We have also written a letter a letter to Minister Bill Graham urging the Canadian government to hold the Colombian government accountable for the mass arrests which are currently taking place in Colombia.

Recommended Action

We ask that you:

1. Share this information with your churches, organizations and communities and hold the matter in your prayers
2. Send/fax an urgent action letter to the President of Colombia, ALVARO URIBE VALEZ, with copies to the Colombian and Canadian authorities listed below. A sample letter is also included below. Please note that email addresses are not included because there are doubts that emails are reaching the correct authorities.
3. In addition, please send/fax urgent action letters to your Member of Parliament and Honorable Minister Bill Graham, Minister of Foreign Affairs, with a note of explanation, asking that they also apply pressure on Colombian authorities. If you do so, please indicate in your letters to the Colombian officials that you are copying your elected government representatives (cc: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Your M.P). Finally, we would appreciate receiving a blind (bcc) email copy of your letter at justapaz@colnodo.apc.org and at rwarden@kairoscanada.org.

SAMPLE LETTER

ALVARO URIBE VELEZ
President of Colombia
Cra. 8 N. 7-26, Palacio de Nariño
Bogotá

Fax: 011 (571) 337-5890 or 011 (571) 342-0592

Dear Mr President,

I write with grave concern for the freedom and human rights of RICARDO ESQUIVIA, well-known and respected church leader and peace activist. I have received information that Colombian authorities are planning to arrest RICARDO ESQUIVIA on fabricated charges that he is a member the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) by using persons who have demobilized from armed groups to provide false testimony against him.

Through his partnership with KAIROS: Canadian Ecumenical Justice Initiatives, I am acquainted with RICARDO ESQUIVIA and I am know of his commitment as a Christian to non-violence and his work for peace in Colombia. I am fully convinced that the response threatened by the Colombian authorities is based on complete fabrications.

RICARDO ESQUIVIA is a member of the Mennonite Church of Colombia and vice-president of CEDECOL. He is also director of JUSTAPAZ, the Christian Center for Justice, Peace and Non-violent Action of the Mennonite Church in Colombia. KAIROS supports the human rights and peace work of the CEDECOL and JUSTAPAZ and has contributed financially to this work through its program with the Canadian Government's International Development Agencies (CIDA).

I view any threat to the liberty of RICARDO ESQUIVIA in the context of mass arrests presently taking place in Colombia. Colombian authorities have acted directly and indirectly against many other leaders of social movements, unions and NGOs who are now under arrest, preventing these legitimate organizations from carrying out their work. These actions completely contradict the commitments that the Colombian government has made to human rights, both nationally and internationally.

Given this grave situation, I urge the Colombian government to respect and guarantee the liberty and rights of leaders of social movements and churches involved in the legitimate work of human rights and peace in Colombia. In particular, I call on you to respect and guarantee the liberty of our partner and brother, RICARDO ESQUIVIA.

Sincerely,

Cc:

SABAS PRETELT DE LA VEGA, Minister of the Interior

Av. Jimenez no. 8-89
Bogotá, Colombia
Fax: 011 (571) 560-4630

GUILLERMO ENRIQUE BARRERA HURTADO, Admiral

Comandante Fuerza Naval del Atlántico
Bocagrande Av San Martin
Base Naval Arc Bolivar
Cartagena, Bolívar
Fax: 011 (575) 665-5917

CARLOS FRANCO ECHAVARRIA

Director of Presidential Program for Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law
Cra 8A no. 7-57
Bogotá, Colombia
Fax: 342-9355, 571 566-2387

JORGE NOGUERA COTES

Director of the Department of Security Administration (DAS)
Cra. 28 no. 17A-00 Paloquemao
Bogotá, Colombia
Telefax: 011 (571) 408-8460 (request fax line)

Colombian Ambassador to Canada

Fax: 1-613-230-4416

E-mail: embajador@embajadorcolombia.ca

For Canadian authorities: add a note requesting that the Canadian government pressure the Colombian authorities to protect the life and liberty of KAIROS partner, RICARDO ESQUIVIA and send your urgent action letter to:

HONOURABLE BILL GRAHAM, Minister of Foreign Affairs

Fax: 1-613-996-3443

E-mail: embajador@embajadorcolombia.ca

HIS EXCELLENCY JEAN-MARC DUVAL, Canadian Ambassador to Colombia

Fax: 011 (571) 657-9910

E-mail: jean-marc.duval@dfait-maeci.gc.ca

YOUR MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT