Please call on Colombia’s President to release rights defenders arrested April 20-22.

CoDev partner NOMADESC (works to train members of community organizations in southwestern Colombia as human rights promotors able to document and process rights violations. In a sweep of mass arrests April 20-22, Colombian authorities arbitrarily detained dozens of elected community leaders and rights defenders in the communities where NOMADESC works. Among the charges levelled against those arrested is membership in, or association with, the National Liberation Army (ELN), an armed rebel movement currently in peace talks with the Colombian state. The accusations are reminiscent of the “false positives” human rights crimes of the past decade, where the Colombian military abducted and murdered marginalized youth and community activists in order to dress them in military fatigues and claim them as guerrilla “kills.”Please send our urgent action to Colombian President Manuel Santos, urging him to release the detainees and guarantee their safety and rights to a fair and open trial.Follow NOMADESC to learn more about their incredible work: Twitter; Facebook; Instagram; YouTube[formidable id="72" title="1"]