Soziologieprofessor ermordet

Die Vereinigung der kolumbianischen Universitätsstudenten (ACEU) und die Gewerkschaft der kolumbianischen Universitätsmitarbeiter (SINTRAUNICOL) verurteilen den Mord an dem Universitätsprofessor Alfredo Correa de Aldreis am 17. September. Der Ingenieur und Soziologe hatte über Zwangsumsiedlungen, die in der Region Barranquila ein besonderes Problem darstellen, geforscht. ACEU und SINTRAUNICOL sehen das Verbrechen als Teil einer systematischen Repression gegen Studenten und Mitarbeiter kolumbianischer Hochschulen, und fordern daher eine unabhängige Untersuchung des Mordes, eine Garantie für die physische Sicherheit von Akademikern, die Garantie des Rechtes auf freie Meinungsäußerung und eine Ende der Repression, welche in den letzten zehn Jahren bereits 65 Studenten, Professoren und Verwaltungsangestellten an kolumbianischen Universitäten das Leben gekostet hat. Siehe „Urgent Action: Prominent Colombian Sociologist assassinated“ von Colombia Solidarity Campaign vom 27.9.04 mit Protestaufrufen und -adressen

Urgent Action: Prominent Colombian Sociologist

September 17th 2004, Barranquilla, Colombia

The Association of Colombian University Students (ACEU), the Union for Colombian University Workers (SINTRAUNICOL) and participating organisations in the human rights campaign “So that the University can live in Colombia” denounce before the national and international community, the assassination of professor and researcher ALFREDO CORREA DE ADREIS on the 17th of September 2004 in the city of Barranquilla, Colombia.

Alfredo Correa de Aldreis was a prominent and respected academic in the North of Colombia, an engineer and sociologist, professor in the University of the North and the Simón Bolivar University and Vice Chancellor of the University of the Magdelena. He had carried out various investigations into forced displacement, an acute problem in the region.

Mr. Correa de Aldreis had previously been detained on the 17th of June of this year (2004) in a joint operation by the Procurator Fiscal and the Department of Security Administration (DAS) on a charge of rebellion. He was later released with no charge due to lack of evidence. This singling out by State authorities of Mr. Correa de Aldreis seriously compromised his personal security by making clear to other armed groups that while officially nothing could be done to silence him it was unlikely that if something were to happen to him that there would be any official recriminations.

This crime is part of the systematic repression against the Colombian University Community in an attempt to silence the dissenting voices of students, academics and administrative staff. The university is a place where freedom of expression, social criticism and research into solutions to the Country’s problems should flourish cannot continue being victim to the violations of human rights which aim to eliminate opposition.

We demand:

• A comprehensive investigation to uncover and bring to justice the material and intellectual authors of this crime.
• The development of mechanisms to guarantee the physical safety of the Colombian University Community
• That the constitutional rights of assembly, protest, of freedom of thought and of expression are guaranteed in practice as they are on paper.
• That the State put a stop to and to explain the reasons for, the systematic repression of the Colombian University Community which has cost the lives of some 65 students, professors and administrative staff over the past ten years.

Please send letters to:

President of the Republic
Dr. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Cra. 8 No..7-26, Palacio de Nariño, Santa fe de Bogotá.
Fax: (+57 1) 566.20.71
E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co

Vicepresidencia de la República Dr. Francisco Santos
E-mail:fsantos@presidencia.gov.co

Minister of Education, Germán BULA, Centro Administrativo Nacional (CAN), Bogotá, COLOMBIA
Conmutador: 222-2800

Minister of Defence Dr. Jorge Alberto Uribe
El Dorado con Carrera. 52 CAN,
Santa fe de Bogotá.
Fax: (+57 1)222.18.74
E-mail: siden@mindefensa.gov.co, infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co , mdn@cable.net.co

Procuraduría General de la Nación Dr. Edgardo José Maya Villazón
Carrera 5 No. 15-80
Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Fax: (+57 1)342.97.23
E-mail: reygon@procuraduria.gov.co; anticorrupcion@presidencia.gov.co

Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos y de Derecho Internacional Humanitario:
Dr. Carlos Franco
Calle 7 N° 5-54
TEL: (+571) 336.03.11 FAX: (+57 1) 337.46.67
E- mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co ; fibarra@presidencia.gov.co

Fiscalía General de la Nación Dr. Luis Camilo Osorio
Diagonal 22 B No.52-01
Santa fe de Bogotá.
Fax: (+571) 570 20 00
E-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co

Unidad de Derechos Humanos y de Derecho Internacional Humanitario
E-mail: elbsilva@fiscalia.gov.co

Defensoría del Pueblo
Dr. Volmar Antonio Pérez Ortiz.
Calle 55 No. 10-32
Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Fax: (+571) 640 04 91
E-mail: secretaria_privada@hotmail.com

With copies to:

Corporación Colectivo de Abogados "José Alvear Restrepo"
Calle 16 No. 6 - 66 Oficina 2506 Edificio Avianca
Bogotá D.C., Sudamérica
Fax. 571- 2824270
E-mail: colect@andinet.com

And, in the UK, to:
Colombian Embassy (UK): mail@colombianembassy.co.uk

With a copy to the Colombia Solidarity Campaign at colombia_sc@hotmail.com