“We believe that achieving peace and continuing to advance peace in Colombia is important, but we believe that peace in Colombia must also imply peace on the Venezuelan border, because for years we have had the presence of irregular armed groups in Zulia, Táchira, Apure and Amazonas States.”
By La Patilla – Anggy Polanco
Nov 07, 2022
This was stated by Marino Alvarado, enforceability coordinator of the human rights organization “Provea”, together with the coordinator of the “Fundación del Amparo”, Walter Márquez, discussing the dialogue process between the Colombian government and the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla of Colombia, with the mediation and collaboration of the Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
Mr. Alvarado stressed that any conversation with the ELN must imply the departure of this guerrilla group from Venezuelan territory. This has been causing the displacement of indigenous peoples, affected rural populations, and generated acts of violence across the border area.
He stated that both Petro and Maduro must include in the agenda the departure of irregular forces from Venezuelan territory.
A Border Opening Without Impunity
Walter Márquez, human rights defender and representative of the ONG “El Amparo Foundation”, demanded that the border be fully opened, but with zero impunity.
He said that, despite the fact that Gustavo Petro was in Caracas and met with Nicolás Maduro, they did not remember at all the events that occurred after the border closure on August 19th, 2015, when there was the forced displacement and deportation of more than 24,000 Colombians, who were victims of Maduro’s repression.
Márquez recalled that in March 2021 there were attacks on the civilian population, as well as a confrontation between the Venezuelan armed forces and the Colombian guerrilla, which caused the “El Ripial” massacre, where five civilians died when summarily executed by the FAES (Special Action Forces), and on April 23rd when the “La Capilla” massacre occurred, in which 8 soldiers were murdered and another 8 soldiers were kidnapped by the Colombian guerrilla.
“Faced with this situation, we demand that the Public Ministry fully investigate these events stuck in limbo and where there has not been a single investigation so far. Only the investigation of the El Ripial massacre was announced and the file was taken to Caracas, and for a year and a half it has been totally silenced,” he asserted.
The President of the “El Amparo Foundation” declared that they celebrate the fact that the border is open and that Venezuela returns to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Andean Community (CAN) system, but this must be without impunity.
“We demand justice so that there is a real total opening. There must be full justice on the border, because President Petro came to embrace Maduro, but he forgot to defend the Colombian victims of this regime’s repression.”
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Read More: La Patilla – Peace in Colombia must imply the same on the Venezuelan border, insists Provea
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