3
continue living in their current locations, free from any threat or coercion
whatsoever and, c) establish a permanent supervision and communication
mechanism in the so-called “humanitarian refugee zones”.
*
*
*
5.
As regards the measures adopted to protect the life and personal integrity
of the members of the Community Council of Jiguamiandó and Curbaradó families,
and the measures to guarantee that the individual beneficiaries of these measures
may continue living in their current locations, free from any threat or coercion
whatsoever (Operating Paragraphs No. 1 and 3 of the Order of March 6, 2003), the
State indicated, during the public hearing (supra Having Seen clause No. 3), that
police forces are present at the urban areas of Murindó, Carmen del Darién and
Belén de Bajirá, and that nearly three months ago Squad XV was organized for the
protection and security of the area, in addition to the VII Army Division,
headquartered in Medellín, which has more direct power on the squads active in the
area. The State remarked that these measures are necessary given the nature of
the threats of illegal armed groups in the area and stated that it took immediate
action after the violent events occurred in the beneficiary communities.
Furthermore, the State indicated that a security scheme has been designed for the
benefit of Enrique Petro, beneficiary of these measures. At such hearing, the State
also reported on the work carried out with the Mission to reinforce the peace
measures adopted by the Organization of American States, to identify and control
the groups that tried to “rearm themselves” in the area. In that respect, the State
indicated that progress has been made to identify and develop some investigation
lines to “strengthen results against these groups” and that it collaborated with local
authorities to guarantee non-coerced work and security conditions to the residents
of the area.
6.
At the public hearing (supra Having Seen clause No. 3), the State referred
to the work carried out by state authorities regarding collective areas and their
alleged usurpation by “palm farmers”. In this regard, the State reported that, to
date, 23 individuals have connections with oil palm companies against which
criminal proceedings have been initiated and that the last administrative stage to
establish title to jointly-owned areas “would end, pursuant to legal provisions, on
Friday, February 8, 2008”.
7.
The representative stated that from March 14, 2005, to February 5, 2008,
77 death threats, 4 murder attempts, 1 forced disappearance, 4 forced exiles, 1
extra-legal execution, 17 acts of intimidation, 8 statements and 8 arrests took
place; the memorial built by the relatives of the victims was destroyed; 7 acts of
abuse of authority, 4 indiscriminate air machine/gun attacks occurred and guerrillas
made 4 attempts to forcefully enter humanitarian areas, which resulted in 2
executions. Moreover, the representative stated that “Public Forces have not played
a neutral role and local authorities have acted fraudulently so that oil palm is grown
in jointly-owned territories; uniformed and camouflaged police authorities were