Please email your Representative (find your Representative here) and ask them to sign onto a “Dear Colleague” letter initiated by Representatives Jim McGovern and Mark Pocan. You can go to their website and click on the “Contact” tab and then on “Email me” in the dropdown list.

The letter calls on Secretary of State Pompeo to urge Colombian President Duque to protect Colombia’s human rights defenders; to identify and prosecute those who threaten and murder them; dismantle the paramilitary successor networks behind much of the killing; hold accountable Colombian military intelligence officers who conducted mass surveillance of journalists, human rights defenders, political leaders, judges and military whistleblowers with U.S.-supplied equipment; and fully implement the Peace Accords.

CRLN signed onto a letter to the State Department calling for systemic reform of Colombia’s military intelligence unit in response to the mass surveillance scandal referenced above. Click here for a copy of the letter.

Colombia is the most dangerous country for human rights defenders. At least 107 were killed in 2019. During the first month of Colombia’s coronavirus lockdown alone, 23 social leaders were killed. During this “stay at home” period, perpetrators knew exactly where to find social leaders, increasing the danger that they would be assassinated.

You can direct your Representative to contact Cindy Buhl (Rep. McGovern) at cindy.buhl@mail.house.gov or Leslie Zelenko (Rep. Pocan) at leslie.zelenko@mail.house.gov for further information or to sign onto the letter. Ask your Representative to let you know if they sign on.

Please contact shunter-smith@crln.org to let her know that you have sent your message so that we can track our network’s progress on getting signatures for this letter.