Some thirty students of Medellín’s University of Antioquia are
threatened to death in an e-mail circulating among students.
The e-mail, sent by the self-proclaimed “Bloque Antioqueño de las Autodefensas” (Antioquia Block of Self Defense), says the supposed group for three years has been investigating the “hooded and unhooded little guerrillas who are responsible for the problems, the marches, the assemblies, the potato bombs and the strikes at the university of Antioquia.”
“We have identified them and don’t want them to continue deceiving the people with their Marxist and communist discourse,” the mail continues. The threatened students “have one week to disappear or we will make them disappear when the deadline is met.”
The list contains the names of thirty students of who the supposed paramilitary group says to have the addresses, routines, activities, places where they hang out and how they enter and leave the university campus.
Some of the threatened students say they are active as student leaders, members of human rights organizations or are involved in community projects in the poor parts of the city. Others of the threatened say they have nothing to do with any social movement and have no idea why they ended up on the list.
The board of the University reported the threat to local authorities.
Security measures on the public university were increased, also a former student was murdered on campus.
The former law student and alleged member of a local gang was shot dead Thursday in one of the hallways of the Faculty of Law. The university has no idea who is responsible for the murder.
The University tightened security and are thoroughly checking everyone entering and leaving the campus. It will denounce the threats before international human rights bodies. The threatened students have requested protection.