country, as background elements to the case. The Court will now refer to the first two points
mentioned, and in Chapter VI will refer to situation of the defenders.
35.
As to the general situation on the Colombian-Venezuelan border, during the period
prior to the events in question, approximately between 1999 and 2003, a number of
displacements occurred in Venezuela involving people from Colombia seeking refuge from
the Colombian armed conflict17. These mobilizations occurred in several stages 18,
particularly towards the Venezuelan states of Zulia, Táchira, Apure and Amazonas19.
36.
Also, during this period, the presence of irregular armed groups from Colombia was
reported on the Colombian-Venezuelan border,20 which created a climate of insecurity in the
area, due to, inter alia, kidnappings, killings by hired gunmen, extortion, theft, and
17
Cf. Consultoría para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento (Consultancy for Human Rights and
Displacement (hereinafter “CODHES”), Al filo de la frontera: el impacto del conflicto armado colombiano en los
estados fronterizos de Venezuela, Bogotá, 2006 (File of attachments to the brief of pleadings and motions, Volume
I, Annex 4, pages 1032 a 1071); Consejería en Proyectos, Report: Protection and assistance to refugees in
Venezuela (File of attachments to the brief of pleadings and motions, Volume I, Annex 6, pages 1115 to 1156);
Red de apoyo por la Justicia y la Paz de Venezuela (Support Network for Justice and Peace of Venezuela) Education
Program entitled "Action on human rights” of Venezuela (hereinafter “PROVEA”) and the Asociación para la
Promoción Social Alternativa "Minga" of Colombia, Informe Global: el derecho a buscar y recibir refugio en la zona
fronteriza colombo-venezolana, July 1999 (File of attachments to the brief of pleadings and motions, Volume I,
Annex 12, pages 1369 to 1392); PROVEA, Derechos de asilo and refugio, October 2002-September 2003 (File of
attachments to the brief of pleadings and motions, Volume II, Annex 65, pages 2043 to 2056), and Colombia,
State Council, Administrative Chamber, Section Three, Number: AG-250002326000200100213-01, January 26,
2006 (File of attachments to the brief of pleadings and motions, Volume I, Annex 28, pages 1553 a 1621).
18
The Commission referred to the information provided by PROVEA: in the four years since 1999, the
number of people displaced from Colombia into neighboring countries such as Ecuador, Panama and Venezuela
doubled, rising from 11,700 in 1999 to 21,800 in 2002. Cf. CODHES. Monitoring 2002. Colombian Boarder area,
02,
in
PROVEA,
Annual
Report
October
2002September
2003.
Available
at
http://www.rights.org.ve/pw/wpcontent/uploads/03_right_al_asilo_y_al_refugio.pdf (File of attachments to the
Merits Report, Annex 5, pages 57 a 69). It also referred to information provided by the representatives, stating
that according to the Ombudsman of Colombia, in 2003, 3,669 Colombians sought refuge in Venezuela (Cf. Merits
brief of the petitioners received in the Commission on July 13, 2007, referring to the Report of the Ombudsman of
Colombia to the National Congress for 2003. File of attachments to the Merits Report, Annex 22, pages 526 to
583). For their part, the representatives stated that between 1999 and 2003 the number of Colombian asylum
seekers increased in the border zone, based on information from the United Nations High Commissioner for
Refugees (hereinafter “UNHCR”). Cf. UNHCR, El perfil de la población colombiana con necesidad de protección
internacional: El caso de Venezuela, 2008 (File of attachments to the brief of pleadings and motions, Volume I,
Annex 11, pages 1320 a 1368).
19
Cf. UNHCR, El perfil de la población colombiana con necesidad de protección internacional: El caso de
Venezuela supra; CODHES, Al filo de la frontera: El impacto del conflicto armado colombiano en los estados
fronterizos de Venezuela, supra; Support Network for Justice and Peace of Venezuela, PROVEA and the Association
for the Promotion of Social Alternatives "Minga" of Colombia, Informe Global: el derecho a buscar y recibir refugio
en la zona fronteriza colombo-venezolana, supra; and Consejería in Proyectos, Report: Protection and assistance to
refugees in Venezuela, supra.
20
The presence of irregular armed groups on the Venezuelan side of the border has been documented by
different sources. In this regard, in April 2003, UNHCR reported “incursions into Venezuela by Colombian armed
groups and clashes on the border between the two countries [which] caused the displacement of hundreds of
people.” Cf. UNHCR, Incursiones al territorio venezolano desde Colombia (File of attachments to the brief of
pleadings and motions, Volume II, Annex 64, pages 2041 and 2042); CODHES, Al filo de la frontera: el impacto
del conflicto armado colombiano en los estados fronterizos de Venezuela, supra; International Crisis Group, Las
Fronteras de Colombia: el Eslabón Débil de la Política de Seguridad de Uribe, Report on Latin America No. 9,
Quito/Brussels, of September 23, 2004 (File of attachments to the brief of pleadings and motions, Volume I, Annex
5, pages 1073 to 1114) and report in the Nuevo Herald, Bogotá, signed by G. Gillén, entitled “Colombia: secret
history of a massacre” (Attachments to the brief of pleadings and motions, Volume I, Annex 25, pages 1537 to
1544).
10