Among the most severe attacks against the Curbaradó and Jiguamiandó communities in 2014, the following are worthy of note:

Threats and acts of aggression:

• 24 January: Telephone threat to        Yomaira Mendoza, land claimant from Curbaradó, warning her that for “talking to the Attorney General’s Office she will meet the same fate as Manuel Ruiz and Argenito Diaz” (two murdered leaders).[1]
• 25 January: Text message threat to Yomaira Mendoza, land claimant from Curbaradó, stating “you are the lucky winner of 15 million pesos, please call this number”. It was with this same trap that Manual Ruiz and his son were murdered in 2010.[2]
• 31 January: Text message threat against Yomaira Mendoza, land claimant from Curbaradó, in which it was obscenely stated that an order had been issued for her murder.[3]
• 23 February: Text message threat against Yomaira Mendoza, land claimant from Curbaradó, stating “my boss has a lot of money and cash; we can do what we want.”[4]
• 26 February: Two threats vis text message against Yomaira Mendoza, land reclaimant from Curbaradó, signalling that she was under surveillance since they knew who she had met with, and that for “fighting for the land we are going to hurt you” and that “there is no one to protect you.”[5]
• 4 March: Text message threat against Yomaira Mendonza, land claimant from Curbaradó, stating that they have Enrique Cabezas (Yomaira’s partner) under surveillance and giving details of his movements, clothing and referring to the accompaniment work of PBI. To finish they warned her that “you managed to get away, but your poor friend, now its him who we are going to take out, he knows he’s messing with us and for us, it will be an honor to separate his head from his body or give him six bullets to the head, just what he deserves for being a snitch.”[6]
• 6 March: Text message threat against Yomaira Mendonza, land claimant from Curbaradó, confirming that a man had been following her from Carepa airport to Bogotá, as well as during a meeting between her and an embassy official in Bogotá.[7]
• 1 April: two threats via text message against Yomaira Mendoza, land claimant from Curbaradó, once again referring to her movements.[8]
• 4 April: Text message threat against      Yomaira Mendoza, land claimant from Curbaradó, warning her that they had entered to the humanitarian zone (HZ) where she was displaced and claiming that “now you don’t have anyone to defend you, you’re f**ked, this has been the moment we’ve been waiting for and we’re not going to waste it, you’re dead snitch”. A few minutes earlier the PBI team had just left the HZ.[9]
• 15 April: Death threat delivered by text message against Yomaira Mendoza, Leydis Tuirán, and Enrique Cabezas, land restitution leaders from Curbaradó.[10]
• 5 May: Threat via text message against        Yomaira Mendoza, land restitution leader from Curbaradó, in which the perpetrators refer to a visit by the Norwegian Ambassador to the Humanitarian Zone of Camelias (Curbaradó) that took place that day and announced that “the boss’ orders were to murder her.”[11]
• 5 May:    Death threat against Manuel Denis Blandón, recently elected Legal Representative to the High Council of Jiguamiandó (Chocó Department), in which the perpetrators confirm the existence of a plan to murder him.[12]
• 20 May: Death threat delivered by text message and murder attempt against Enrique Cabezas.[13]
• 20 May: Death threat against Rafael Truaquero, land restitution claimant from Curbaradó and his family, pressuring him to reveal the location of Enrique Cabezas.[14]
• 22 May: New death threat via text message against Yomaira Mendoza and Enrique Cabezas in which they are warned that “if you want to keep their relatives alive, you cannot come back, and if you do, you know what will await them, you are warned, you decide, you scum.”[15]
• 3 July: On the wall of Enrique Petro’s house, a leader of the land recitation process in Curbaradó, Chocó, graffiti was found saying, “death is a coming” in blue.[16]
• 5 July: Enrique Cabezas received a death threat via text message while in Villavicencio participating in a victims’ forum in the context of the peace negotiations. The message indicated that the authors knew of Cabezas’ presence at the forum in Villavicencio, that they had followed him to his hotel and that that evening, they would kill him.[17]
• 6 July: Enrique Cabezas, a land claimant in Curbaradó received a death threat via a text message sent to his sister, Orlinda Cabezas.[18]
• 9 July: Land claimants Yomaira Mendoza and Enrique Cabezas of Curbaradó were attacked by armed men that tried to force themselves into the claimants’ residence through trickery. After this failed attempt at forced entrance, they sent a threatening text message.[19]
• 10 July: Four armed men attempted to assassinate Yomaira Mendoza in the house where she was hiding. After the unsuccessful attempt, they sent a threatening text message.[20]
• 25 July: Two men tried to force their way in to the residence where Yomaira Mendoza and Enrique Cabezas had sought refuge. The police were notified by a bodyguard, but no one responded.[21]
• 26 July: Yomaira Mendoza received a text message threat against her children. The messages said that her children would pay with their lives because Mrs. Mendoza had left the area. Mrs. Mendoza had left for her own safety.[22]
• 3 August: A plan to assassinate Emilio Cabezas, Enrique Cabezas’ father, was discovered. The plan involved Leonel Holguín Suescún, a known paramilitary member, and several people linked to area businessmen Carlos Ríos, Antonio Lopera and Darío Montoya.[23]
• 18 August: Ligia María Chaverra, a Curbaradó community leader, was threatened by neo-paramilitary member Jaison Salinas, known as “Flat Tire”. In a meeting with other neo-paramilitaries in the Belén de Bajirá park, he said, “That [black] woman that accused me is going to pay”. In the same meeting, reference was also made to community leaders Eustaquio Polo and Raúl Palacios.[24]
• 22 November: the son of Yomaira Mendoza (leader of a land restitution process in the Curbarado River basin currently in exile due to threats against her) was detained for several hours in Medellin by four neo-paramilitaries and interrogated about his mother.[25]
• 26 November: death threat against Guillermo Díaz and Enrique Cabezas, leaders of a land restitution process in Curbarado (Chocó).[26]

Surveillance and monitoring

• 14 February: Manuel Garzón, lawyer with CIJP, is followed by two men in Medellín where he was representing victims in hearings in the case of the murder of Manuel Ruiz and Samir Ruiz, land claimants from Curbaradó.[27]
• 25 January: Monitoring of the residence of Yomaira Mendoza, land claimant from Curbaradó, by various men on motor- bikes.[28]
• 25 January: Surveillance of Yomaira Mendoza and Enrique Cabezas, land claimants from Curbaradó.[29]
• 5 March: Surveillance of Yomaira Mendoza and Óscar Moncada, land claimants from Curbaradó from Carepa airport in Urabá to Bogotá. They were followed in the airport and during the flight by a man taking photos of them and taking notes of their movements.[30]
• 10 July: Community leaders Wilmar Valencia of Buenaventura and Raúl Palacios of Curbaradó were followed while visiting Bogotá.[31]
• 28 August: Paramilitaries in Llano Rico, Curbaradó created a network of informants to spy on land claimants, among them, the Cabezas’, Díaz’s (recognized leaders of the restitution process) and the Ruíz’s (family members of Manuel Ruíz, restitution leader assassinated in March 2012).[32]
• 31 October: surveillance of the home of Eladio Cordero, leader in the Curbarado land restitution process.[33]

Analysis

The land restitution process in both river basins continues to move forward despite the fact that the communities have denounced high levels of exclusion and a lack of full participation. Nineteen (of twenty-three) communities have warned that if the process continues in this manner, without equality or full participation, they will not participate in the General Assembly. Furthermore, they denounce the complete exclusion of three communities: Andalucía, Caño Manso and El Cerrao. They point out that Andalucía is one of the original communities of Curbaradó included in the collective land title and hence, according to orders from the Constitutional Court, they must be represented in the Assembly.[34]

Furthermore, it appears that community leaders from the river basin still do not enjoy full security guarantees. As we explain in other parts of this report, Yomaira Mendoza and Enrique Cabezas, land claimants from Curbaradó have since January been victims of various threats and surveillance that have ocurred after        Yomaira gave testimony to the prosecution service against illegal land occupants in the zone.[35] In addition, CIJP has reported threats to community leaders and the presence of neo-paramilitary groups in the area.[36]

While the government reports to have begun the eviction process of the illegal land occupiers in various parts of the river basin this past February, a verification commission confirmed the existence of plantations and cocaine laboratories in the community of Montería (close to the Caño Manso humanitarian zone) which, according to the reports, belong to known paramilitaries in the area.[37]

In the Curbaradó and Jiguamiandó River basins (Chocó Department), there were continued reports of attacks against the leaders of the Humanitarian Zones, such as the harassment of Raúl Palacios on 14 April[38] and the death threat against Manuel Denis Blandón, elected representative to the High Council of Jiguamiandó,[39] which demonstrate that these leaders have few security guarantees.

CIJP also reported on the presence of armed men in Apartadocito and the vicinity of the Argenito Díaz Humanitarian Zone in the Llano Rico area.[40] Furthermore, on 17 June, indigenous Emberra people and Afro-Colombians were forced to identify themselves at a neo-paramilitary checkpoint that impeded freedom of movement between Pavarandó y Mutatá.[41]

In mid-June, a particularly serious event took place: the collective land of the Lower Council of Andalucía was appropriated by businessman and bad-faith occupier Dario Montoya. This action violates Law 70 and Constitutional Court orders that seek to protect collective territory of the Afro-descendant communities of the region.[42]

There has been no progress in the process of land restitution in either of these areas. Nevertheless, attacks on community leaders continue: land claimants Yomaira Mendoza and Enrique Cabezas were displaced to Bogotá due to threats received during this period. We should remember in the first months of this year, these land claimants were victim to over 80 different types of attacks including threats, being followed and attempts on their lives. These attacks attempted to block their return to their land and their reports against illegal occupants. In Bogotá, the two were the object of further harassment and threats.[43] As CIJP explains, these actions have affected many aspects of Yomaira and Enrique’s lives. They have become ill and required emergency medical attention and psycho-social accompaniment as well as methods of reducing stress, anxiety, physical tension and sleep disturbances and dietary difficulties, among others. For these reasons, they have found it necessary temporarily go into exile.[44]

Enrique Cabezas’ family, who are still in Curbaradó, have continued to be the object of threats and harassment. For instance, a plan to assassinate Enrique’s father, Emilio Cabezas,[45] and other community leaders like Enrique Petro, Ligia María Chaverra and Raúl Palacios was discovered (see further details above).

Footnotes:

[1] CIJP: Reclamante de tierra amenazada después de declaraciones en la Fiscalía, 24 January 2014
[2] Ibid.
[3] CIJP:Arrecian amenazas paramilitares a reclamantes de tierras, 31 January 2014
[4] CIJP: Incapacidad de Estado para proteger a lideresa en Curvaradó, 26 February 2014
[5] Ibíd.
[6] CIJP: Seguimiento ilegal a líder de tierras Yomaira Mendoza desde Urabá a Bogotá, 5 March 2014
[7] CIJP: Persiste plan contra líder de restitución Yomaira Mendoza, 6 March 2014
[8] CIJP: Nueva amenaza a lideresa Yomaira Mendoza, 2 April 2014
[9] CIJP: Nueva amenaza de muerte en Zona humanitaria de Camelias contra Yomaira Mendoza, 4 April 2014
[10] CIJP: Amenazan a dos lideresas de restitución, 16 April 2014
[11] CIJP: Urgent: Registran y amenazan nuevamente a Reclamante de tierras Yomaira Mendoza, 6 May 2014
[12] CIJP: Amenazado líder de restitución de tierras en Jiguamiandó, 6 May 2014
[13]CIJP: Intento de atentado a líder de restitución Enrique Cabezas, 21 May 2014
[14] Ibíd.
[15] CIJP: Amenazado de muerte líderes y familias, 22 May 2014
[16] CIJP: Nueva amenaza a reclamante de tierras Enrique Petro, 3 July 2014
[17] CIJP: Amenazas de muerte, seguimientos ilegales, mecanismo turbios para imponer agronegocios y extracción minera, daños ambientales y sociales, 10 July 2014
[18] CIJP: Amenazan a líder Enrique Cabezas al salir del Foro sobre Víctimas, 6 July 2014
[19] CIJP: Frustrado atentado y seguimientos ilegales a líderes comunitarios, 9 July 2014
[20] CIJP: Frustrado atentado y seguimientos ilegales a líderes comunitarios,10 July 2014
[21] CIJP: Nuevo intento de atentado contra Yomaira Mendoza y Enrique Cabezas, 25 July 2014
[22] Ibíd.
[23] CIJP: Planean asesinato de Emilio Cabezas, 3 August 2014
[24] CIJP: Cuatro líderes de restitución amenazados de muerte, 18 August 2014
[25] CIJP: Amenazas de muerte, hostigamientos, seguimientos, planes de atentados, 12 December 2014
[26] Ibíd.
[27] CIJP: En riesgo Manuel Garzón, abogado de dh, 14 February 2014
[28] CIJP: Reclamante de tierra amenazada después de declaraciones en la Fiscalía, 24 January 2014
[29] CIJP: Seguimiento a líderes amenazados en Curvaradó, 27 January 2014
[30] CIJP: Seguimiento ilegal a líder de tierras Yomaira Mendoza desde Urabá a Bogotá, 5 March 2014
[31] CIJP: Frustrado atentado y seguimientos ilegales a líderes comunitarios, 10 July 2014
[32] CIJP: Empresarios y paramilitares reinventan fórmulas para evitar restitución, 28 August 2014
[33] CIJP: Amenazas de muerte, hostigamientos, seguimientos, planes de atentados, 12 December 2014
[34] CIJP: Sin igualdad ni participación, Comunicado de los consejos comunitarios de Curbaradó, 25 February 2014
[35] CIJP: Reclamante de tierra amenazada después de declaraciones en la Fiscalía, 24 January 2014; CIJP: Seguimiento a líderes amenazados en Curbaradó, 27 January 2014; CIJP: Incapacidad de Estado para proteger a líderesa en Curbaradó, 27 February 2014; CIJP: Seguimiento ilegal a líder de tierras Yomaira Mendoza desde Urabá a Bogotá, 5 March 2014; CIJP: Persiste plan contra líder de restitución    Yomaira Mendoza, 6 March 2014
[36] CIJP: Arrecian amenazas paramilitares a reclamantes de tierras, 31 January 2014; CIJP: Amenazas de operaciones paramilitares, 26 March 2014
[37] CIJP: Plantaciones y laboratorios de coca en predios despojado del Curbaradó, 5 March 2014
[38] CIJP: Hostigamiento a Raúl Palacios, 15 April 2014
[39] CIJP: Amenazado de muerte líder de restitución de tierras en Jiguamiando, 6 May 2014
[40] CIJP: Ronda de intimidación paraempresarial, 24 May 2014
[41] CIJP: Retén paramilitar en Jiguamiandó, 17 June 2014
[42] CIJP: Empresario amplia ilegalmente tierras en Curvaradó, 18 June 2014
[43] CIJP: Una expresión de la guerra psicológica, 10 September 2014
[44] Ibíd.
[45] CIJP: Planean asesinato de Emilio Cabezas, 3 August 2014