REINALDO VILLALBA

‘Managing a case of this kind generates a huge potential for risk and danger and we are extremely aware of that.’

Reinaldo Villalba manages penal and national litigation for The José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Collective (CCAJAR), primarily criminal defence and the representation of victims of serious human rights violations. He has been vilified by the authorities and characterised as a defender of terrorism and an auxiliary of guerrilla forces, particularly since his work on a case implicating the former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe. The case is based on allegations of witness tampering and fraud relating to crimes committed during the country’s five decade civil war.

CCAJAR members have been subject to profiling and surveillance from parts of the Colombian National Army. This has been linked to the collective’s representation of victims of extrajudicial executions in cases against retired generals. According to Villalba, these tactics have been used by senior government officials since the organisation was founded, and throughout Uribe’s presidency.

YANETH BAUTISTA

“The work that we do with victims of forced disappearance is holistic and comprehensive. We offer them legal support, we do empowerment to enable the families to change from being victims of violence to political and social agents who can work for social change."

Yaneth Bautista is the director of the Nidia Erica Bautista Foundation for Human Rights, an organisation that supports 500 victims of forced disappearance in eight regions of Colombia. Yaneth’s sister for whom the foundation is named, and Yaneth’s partner were abducted by the army in 1987 for being members of the Movimiento 19 April political group. Since that time Yaneth has been fighting for justice for victims of disappearance.  

The foundation works documents cases for the Truth Commission and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace and the Unit for the Search of Disappeared People and lobbies the government to change public policies in favour of the rights of victims while also works with the international community.   

CARLOS MORALES

"We believe that dialogue with armed, illegal and legal groups is a method that has helped us save lives and prevent the displacement of people."

Carlos Morales is a Human rights defender in the Corporación Acción Humanitaria por la Paz y la Convivencia en el Norte Santioqueño (CAHUPACANA) Colombia.  More than three hundred family farmers from Northeastern Antioquia decided in 2004 to create the organisation. It was born in the midst of a humanitarian crisis due to the economic blockades and confinement imposed by legal and illegal armed actors, and the humanitarian actions to raise awareness about the situation and search for responses, which were organised by the farmers and which Cahucopana also took part in.

Its main mission is to report on the humanitarian crisis and generate spaces for training in how to defend and promote the human rights of small-scale farmers. Cahucopana develops activities for communities to strengthen their organisational abilities, supports the Community Action Boards (JACCs), trains and builds capacities  of leaders and communities on human rights and international humanitarian law, and denounce human rights violations by all the armed actors and private companies.

ROSA MARIA MATEUS

"Both the corporations and the government are ignorant of what the communities are trying to tell them: that this model of development is not good for the country.  It’s not good for the people."

Rosa Maria Mateus Parra is a human rights lawyer and co-ordinator of a collective of lawyers, The José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Collective (CCAJAR), working to defend human rights in Colombia.  She deals with cases of reparation for victims of state repression and armed conflict and also works with indigenous, peasant and Afro-Colombian communities on collective land rights and protection of the environment.  ​​​​​​​

Rosa Maria Mateus has been a member of CCAJAR for 27 years. CCAJAR is a Colombian non-governmental human rights organisation, which aims to contribute to the fight against impunity and the construction of a just and equitable society. The organisation is recognised nationally and internationally for representing emblematic cases of human rights violations in Colombia, both within the Colombian justice system and before the Inter-American System of Human Rights. The high profile nature of the cases it takes on has exposed the organisation to sustained attacks, threats and intimidation since its foundation.

DAVID RAVELO

"When you are imprisoned, you become disconnected.  Of course you experience feelings of impotence, sadness, melancholy and you have to make a decision do I continue with the negative feelings or do I decide that even in prison I will continue with my human rights work that I was doing outside when I was free.  And I went for the latter to continue my human rights work."

David Ravelo is a human rights defender that was criminalised and imprisoned because of their human rights activities. He was exonerated of all charges and freed from prison after 10 years. Today he continue fighting for human rights. After release from prison he was asked to stand again for the council.  As a result of a death threat he went into hiding.  In spite of this 2000 people voted for him. 

For more information on Defenders visit www.the-defenders.co.uk

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