Article by PBI-Canada

On February 25, Helena Storm, the Swedish ambassador to Colombia, tweeted: “I met with Jani Silva, defender of human rights and the environment of the Putumayo communities. We admire Jani who despite so many challenges works hard for her people. From Sweden, we continue to support their work.”

The Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project was present at the meeting.

Afterward, PBI-Colombia tweeted: “Thanks to Ambassador Helena Storm from @SwedeninCOL for meeting with leader Jani Silva today and @Justiciaypazcol to talk about the threats that Jani and other members of the ADISPA org receive for defending the territory and the environment in #Putumayo.”

Silva is the president of the Association for the Integral Sustainable Development of the Perla Amazónica (ADISPA), the association that manages the Perla Amazónica Peasant Reserve Zone (ZRCPA).

She is accompanied by the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission, which in turn has been accompanied by PBI-Colombia since 1994.

The ZRCPA is located near Puerto Asis in the department of Putumayo, which is situated in south-west Colombia near the border with Ecuador.

Earlier this month, Amnesty International issued this Urgent Action that highlights: “On 10 February, a civil society organization received a verified report of an ongoing plan to kill or displace Association for the Integral and Sustainable Development of the Amazonian Pearl (ADISPA) members, an organization protecting the rights of hundreds of peasants (campesinos) in the Putumayo region (South West).”

“The plan would entail the deployment of the armed group called ‘Border Command’ that are threatening the communities in the area to undermine their activities to the armed group’s will or leave their territories if they refuse.”

Amnesty International then highlights: “We demand authorities provide ADISPA with collective protection measures in consultation with them.”

For additional context on the concerns being expressed, please see our article: PBI-Colombia accompanied Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission warns of a new threat against Perla Amazónica Peasant Reserve Zone.