Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro, several leftist congressmen and human rights defenders have received a letter notifying prominent leftist political politicians they have been “sentenced to death” in a letter signed by the Bloque Capital of neo-paramilitary group “Aguilas Negras.”
In the letter, partially shown on the socialist party’s website, the alleged paramilitary group warns it “has the order to execute” “the FARC guerrilla bitches who oppose the policies of our government and brainwash the displaced to act as human rights leaders.”
“Stop screwing with the issue of land restitution because he who promotes this will be assassinated by us no matter their protection,” the letter warns.
According to the party, the letter was also sent to human rights lawyers of the Jose Alvear Restrepo Lawyers Collective, women’s rights organization Casa de la Mujer and former Liberal Party Senator Piedad Cordoba.
Polo said their members have not only received death threats by the Aguilas Negras, but also by drug trafficking organization the “Rastrojos.”
Illegal far-right groups have threatened numerous human rights organization and displaced leaders involved in processes to have stolen land returned in both the north and the southwest of the country over the past few weeks.
According to a human rights coalition called Somos Defensores, 49 human rights activists were killed in 2011. According to the coalition, most death threats and assassinations are carried out by groups formed from the officially demobilized AUC.
