Colombia | We too demand peace

As Colombians march for peace in their country on 26 July, we echo their call for a permanent end to the war that claimed 260,000 lives and forced 8 million people, the majority from Afro-descendant and indigenous communities, and mostly women and children, to flee their homes. 

We join their call for the Colombian government to protect the social leaders building peace in their communities. Hundreds have been killed since the peace accords were signed in 2016, while many more live under the constant pressure of daily threats and attacks. This tragedy must end.

We vigorously support their demand that the Colombian government fully and faithfully implement the peace accords signed between the government and the FARC guerrillas—or this once-in-a-lifetime chance for peace will be lost.

Finally, we call on the United States and the international community at large to back the effective implementation of the peace accords wholeheartedly.

We stand in solidarity with the millions of Colombians who are struggling to build a just, complete, and lasting peace and who tomorrow say #26deJulioElGrito. 

Signed,

350.org

Abogadas y Abogados para la Justicia y los Derechos Humanos

Acción Solidaria

ActionAid USA

AFL-CIO

ÁGORA Espacio Civil Paraguay

Amazon Watch

Asistencia Legal por los Derechos Humanos A.C. (ASILEGAL)

Asociación Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente (AIDA)

Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL)

Center for Reproductive Rights

Centro de Derechos Humanos Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, A.C. – México

Centro de Derechos Humanos y Ambiente (CEDHA)

Centro de Documentación en Derechos Humanos “Segundo Montes Mozo S.J.” (CSMM)

Chicago Religious Leadership Network on Latin America (CRLN)

Christian Peacemaker Teams

Ciudadanos en Apoyo a los Derechos Humanos, A.C. (CADHAC)

CIVICUS – World Alliance for Citizen Participation

Colombia Grassroot Support, New Jersey

Colombia Human Rights Committee, Washington DC

Comisión Ecuménica de Derechos Humanos

Comisión Mexicana de Defensa y Promoción de los Derechos Humanos

Comité de América Latina y el Caribe para la Defensa de los Derechos de las Mujeres

Convergencia por los Derechos Humanos

Coordinadora Nacional de Derechos Humanos

Corporación Humanas Chile

CSW

Defensor de derechos humanos en México 

Equipo de Reflexión, Investigación y Comunicación de la Compañía de Jesús en Honduras (ERIC-SJ)

Global Witness

International Institute on Race, Equality and Human Rights (Race and Equality)

International Labor Rights Forum

International Rivers

International Service for Human Rights (ISHR)

InterReligious Task Force On Central America and Colombia 

Latin America Working Group (LAWG)

Movimiento Autónomo de Mujeres, Nicaragua

Mujeres Libres COLEM, A.C.

Grupo de Mujeres de San Cristóbal Las Casas, A.C.

NJ Peace Council

Not1More

Oxfam

Paz y Esperanza

Presbyterian Church USA

Presbyterian Peace Fellowship

Red Para la Infancia y la Adolescencia de El Salvador (RIA)

Redes por los Derechos de la Infancia (REDIM)

Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights 

United Church of Christ, Justice and Witness Ministries

Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA)

Witness for Peace Solidarity Collective

_{Photo credit: ISHR}