Photo: Michelle Bachelet, Franklin Castañeda and Kim-Mai Stéphanie Vu.

On September 28, Franklin Castañeda, the President of the Committee in Solidarity with Political Prisoners (CSPP), tweeted: Thanks to @mbachelet, High Commissioner of @ONU_es for human rights receiving me in Geneva and listening to our concerns about the human rights situation, implementation of the Peace Agreement, police reform and guarantees to leaders in Colombia.”

Similarly, PBI-Colombia posted on Facebook: “Franklin Castañeda, president of the Committee in Solidarity with Political Prisoners, met today with Michelle Bachelet, the High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations to share concerns about the human rights situation in Colombia. The meeting was joined by PBI.”

Along with Bachelet on the left in the photo is Kim-Mai Stéphanie Vu, the Geneva-based Advocacy Coordinator with PBI-Switzerland.

Last September, Bachelet noted:

Human rights situation

“In Colombia, my Office has documented 47 killings of human rights defenders in 2020; 44 more cases are in the process of verification.”

Implementation of the Peace Agreement

“The 2016 Peace Agreement opened a new chapter for all Colombians, and should be fully implemented to prevent further violence, and human rights violations and abuses.”

Police reform

“In relation to recent protests in Bogota and Soacha — where excessive use of force may have killed as many as 13 people, leaving more than 300 injured, including 77 with gunshot wounds — my Office is verifying the cases, and has offered technical assistance on democratic and human rights-based policing of protests.”

PBI-Colombia has accompanied the CSPP since 1998.

Castañeda has commented: “International solidarity and support, such as that of Peace Brigades, has been fundamental in guaranteeing our ability to carry out what we want to do: our work in defence of human rights.”

He adds: “We are so grateful to Peace Brigades and other international institutions, because we owe them everything, we owe them our lives.”

     

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    Colombia