Photo: The award ceremony took place on June 4 in Berlin.
Amnesty International Deutschland has posted: “The Colombian fishermen’s organization FEDEPESAN [the Association for Traditional Fishing, Environmental Protection and Tourism in the Department of Santander] receives the Human Rights Award 2024 from Amnesty International in Germany. The award is given for selfless commitment to human rights that is associated with personal danger.”
Photo: Velasquez receives award.
Amnesty International continues: “Since 2019, the association has been committed to protecting the rivers and wetlands as well as the way of life of the region’s fishermen. FEDEPESAN documents environmental pollution, organizes demonstrations, carries out clean-up campaigns and lobbies the relevant authorities. FEDEPESAN is also taking legal action against the state-owned oil company Ecopetrol, which he holds jointly responsible for the pollution of the wetlands in the region. The activists of FEDEPESAN are exposed to great dangers. They are threatened and physically attacked, tools and boats are stolen. They are defamed as members of armed groups because of their activities. Nevertheless, the fishermen of FEDEPESAN continue their commitment.”
Clan del Golfo threat on March 1
Noting this award from Amnesty International, der Freitag reports on an incident just three months ago: “Yuli Velásquez can’t believe her eyes when she glances at the screen in the living room on the morning of March 1, which shows images from three surveillance cameras. ‘Get out – Clan del Golfo’ is written in huge letters on the side wall of her house in the San Silvestre district of Barrancabermeja. She immediately sends the footage to a few friends, including Iván Madero Vergel, along with a call for help. ‘The request to leave the district came from the Clan del Golfo, one of the most brutal paramilitary associations in Colombia,’ explains the expert from the human rights organization Credhos.”
CREDHOS accompaniment
Iván Madero Vergel is the president of the Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (CREDHOS). His organization accompanies FEDEPESAN. In turn, CREDHOS is accompanied by the Peace Brigades International-Colombia Project.
The Der Freitag article continues: “Standing up for the preservation of biodiversity is risky in Barrancabermeja. At least four armed militias operate there. Two of them – the paramilitary associations Águilas Negras (Black Eagles) and the Clan del Golfo (Gulf Clan) – have declared Velásquez and other FEDEPESAN activists to be legitimate military targets. There have been three attacks on Yuli Velásquez and her family since then.”
The third attack against Velasquez occurred just days after she, Madero and other members of FEDEPESAN and CREDHOS showed members of PBI-Colombia and PBI-Canada the San Silvestre wetlands in July 2022.
On July 5, 2022, PBI-Colombia tweeted: “Today serious attack against environmental leader Yuli Velásquez, president Fedepesan, leaving an escort injured. It occurs days after verifying environmental impacts in Ciénagas Barrancabermeja with @Credhos_Paz PBI-Colombia and @PBIcanada.”
Published by Brent Patterson on