Tomorrow marks four month since the death of Nallelly Sepúlveda and Edison David, members of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó (CdP), Colombia, who were shot on 19 March 2024 in their home in Las Delicias, La Esperanza. In spite of its name, La Esperanza (in English, The Hope) and, in general, the Serranía del Abibe (the CdP founded its project of peace, return, community self-management and life in some of the territories of this mountain range) are today one of the scenarios of the reformulation of the logic of violence in the Urabá Antioqueño, which responds mainly to the economic interests of illegal armed groups and a paramilitary culture, increasingly capable of penetrating and dividing social organisations, and of conditioning the choices of local institutions.
The Tribunal met the Community on the occasion of the international delegation of the European Network in support of the CdP, which visited Colombia in the second half of March to celebrate the 27th anniversary of its foundation. The double murder took place a few days after the recognition of some territories of the Community as Environmental Preservation Zones, one of which, called Porvenir (or Future), now is named after Lelio Basso.
The news of the killing of Nallely and Edinson, aged 31 and 15, sparked outrage from central government institutions, diplomatic representations in Colombia, the Church, social organisations and the academic world. As Pope Francis recalled on 25 March, the Community is internationally recognised for the path of peace it took before and after the 2016 agreements. There is no doubt that the tragic event is a manifestation of the difficult implementation phase of the agreements and the increasingly evident disconnection between central and local institutional will.
On the occasion of this anniversary, the PPT refers to the analyses and recommendations of the letter promoted by the international delegation of the European Network and signed by numerous academics. The guarantee of existence of the Community’s life project necessarily passes through a territorial pacification plan that requires joint actions by national and local institutions and the careful accompaniment of the international community. It is time to recognise and guarantee the right to peace of the Community and of Colombia as a whole.
Download the appeal here.