In a surprise visit to Colombia, the president of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights declared that crimes committed against women continue to remain in impunity.
Tracy Robinson is the president of the Commission. Robinson is from Jamaica and a lawyer by trade. Robinson’s first time in Colombia will take her to Cali, Tumaco, and Buenaventura in the southwest, and Cartagena in the north.
In an interview with El Pais newspaper, Robinson said the surprise visit was meant to be just that. “That was the point. Arrive without notice so that more than one person who wouldn’t dare to tell their case because they didn’t know how to do so could do so. This is the opportunity of the IACHR to known up close the situation of afro-colombian women and the LGBTI community,” Robinson told El Pais.
Colombian NGOs have worked closely with IACHR to expose the dire situation of Colombia’s women victims.
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The visit is part of an investigation for a report that is being organized by IACHR on the access to information in Colombia, women’s rights, and the impact of violence.
Robinson explained that the report is a follow-up on a 2013 report called “Truth, Justice, and Reparation.” The current visit is to check if the recommendations from the report are being implemented to improve the human rights’ situation of victims and curb impunity.
“It is a difficult situation that Colombian women live. One of the messages I have received on this trip is that the crimes that are committed against women continue to remain in impunity, among those, many cases involving afro-Colombian women,” reflected Robinson.
Many of the women Robinson talked to have little access or even knowledge about Colombia’s legal system. Many victims also get easily confused by Colombia’s complex legal system. As a result, very few women report rape, abuse, displacement, and discrimination.