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Human rights defenders / Statements / Colombia / 2016 / December

Colombia: Gustavo Gallón: Striving for peace, human rights and justice

 

Geneva, 22 December 2016 (OMCT) - A lawyer by training, Gustavo Gallón was drawn into human rights work as a response to injustice, inequality and authoritarianism taking place in the name of counterinsurgency in war-torn Colombia.

 

“Being a human rights defender is more a way of life than a profession,” he said. “My motivation stems from an urge to do something to address the ills I witnessed in society.” A feeling that has driven him for the past 30 years.

 

Defying death and stigmatization

 

The situation of Colombian human rights defenders has for many years been one of the worst in the world, in a context characterized by extreme levels of violence and massive human rights violations.

 

In recent years, the peace talks between the Government and the FARC guerilla have led to a decrease in violence related to a conflict that has left more than 250,000 dead, 60,000 forcibly disappeared, 27,000 kidnapped and nearly seven million displaced from their homes. Yet, murder rates, attacks and threats against defenders have paradoxically continued to rise. In 2016, at least 52 defenders were killed in the country, and dozens of others have been attacked or stigmatized as criminals or guerrilla sympathizers, notably for their work in support of peace.

 

Mr. Gallón himself has not been exempt from the dangers of speaking out against State abuses. As founder and Director of the Colombian Commission of Jurists, one of the oldest and most prominent human rights organization in the country, he has been the target of threats and acts of intimidation, including smear campaigns and illegal surveillance. His family has also been monitored.

 

Human rights: a cornerstone for lasting peace

 

Continuous State-sponsored attacks and campaigns against defenders have successfully swayed public opinion against the legitimacy of their work.

 

“One of the main challenges we face is to overcome the difficulty to understand why human rights matter, even amidst a bloody armed conflict,” Mr. Gallón said. “Despite recent progress, many still do not get why it is important to defend human rights.”

 

Although abuses continue unabated, he is hopeful for the future of Colombia after the country recently moved a step closer to ending its 50-year conflict with the ratification on November 30 of a revised peace agreement.

 

The role of human rights defenders in building sustainable peace based on democratic values, justice and respect for human rights in Colombia is essential. “If this agreement doesn’t work we’ll have to work on another agreement. But above all, we have to insist on the need for the Government to take their human rights commitments seriously… This peace agreement is a very important opportunity to make progress in that direction.”

 

This article is part of a series of 10 profiles to commemorate International Human Rights Day, 10 December, and to recognize the vital role of human rights defenders worldwide.

 

To see the campaign video, please click here.

 



OMCT wishes to thank the Republic and Canton of Geneva and the OAK Foundation for their support. Its content is the sole responsibility of OMCT and should in no way be interpreted as reflecting the view(s) of the supporting institutions.

 

Properties

Date: December 22, 2016
Activity: Human Rights Defenders
Type: Statements
Country: Colombia
Subjects: Arbitrary arrests and enforced disappearances, Human Rights Defenders, Non-state actors, Police, Military and Paramilitary, Summary executions, extrajudicial killings, Threats, intimidation and harassment, Torture and violence

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