New threat against Sutsuin Jiyeyu Wayuu-Wayuu women force.

On January 27th, the Early Alerts System of the Ombudsman office in Maicao issued a communiqué: Threats Report N. 002-09 which focuses on (pays special attention to) Maicao’s Arab Community, Merchants, local communities’ leaders, as well as the Wayuu communities living in Maicao’s rural areas such as the villages of Monatelara, La Majayura, Carraipia, and the women’s organization Wayuu Women Force. This last organisation is dedicated to, among other things, denouncing crimes committed against Wayuu communities by the armed forces –whether legal or not, in the Maicao area. 

Although local and regional authorities met in a security council in order to supposedly take care of the issues presented in the document, the Wayuu women’s organization was not invited to take part in the meeting, neither were any other Wayuu organizations mentioned in said document. It is important to mention that in these past weeks, leaflets have been left at the communities’ entrances, warning the population about the future “social cleansing” to be implemented in the border town of Maicao. Scared communities have responded to mobility restrictions, and after certain hours they confine themselves to their houses until the next day. Fear augments when intimidating messages; rumours and warnings reach these Wayuu communities that are fighting for truth, justice and reparation.

Hence, these communities have been persecuted and stopped from participating in activities such as the ones carried out by the Wayuu Women’s Force with regards to victims of armed conflict. It is clear that there is a definite plan to attempt on leaders’ personal security and their lives. We emphasise the fact that, in addition to life threats against Wayuu women, there have been selective assassinations committed against sectors of the civil society that had been forewarned by the Ombudsman Office Report. Therefore, we stress that in the case of real life threats against Wayuu women, we hold the National Government solely responsible, because of its omission and evading attention to warnings expressed by the Early Alerts System.  

Given the above, we call upon the presence of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to seriously assess the enhancement of precautionary measures for the Wayuu Women Force, as well as for the rest of the Wayuu communities of the Maicao municipality (Guajira Region). We have been specifically denouncing these attacks in addition to participating in activities related to the rights of victims of paramilitarism and armed conflict. We are urgently calling for a meeting with government institutions working in issues related to the Report, as well as with involved Wayuu communities to discuss the best path to follow henceforth concerning the protection and prevention of actions against our people. 

Finally, we sincerely call other human rights organizations and the national and international civil society to join us in this process of consolidating the Wayuu communities that have declared themselves in reconstruction. 

“Because in Wounmainkat, the only giants are the Wayuu”
Campaign for the elimination of any form of violence against Wounmainkat- Our Land.

Wayuu Women Force
Cuatro Vias, Maikou, 
Wajira 
March 19, 2009.