§ Dr. TongeTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Colombian Government concerning paramilitary incursions into peace village communities in the Cacarica region of Colombia. [2019]
108W
§ Mr. MacShaneThe British embassy in Bogota is in regular contact with the Colombian authorities on the safety and protection of vulnerable groups, including the peace communities. On 27 June, the Colombian ambassador to London wrote to me in order to outline the measures that his Government are taking to protect displaced communities in the Cacarica river basin as they return to their homes. He also assured me that the Colombian Government are aware of the need to strengthen the protection mechanisms for a civilian peace scheme in the region, and will adopt the measures necessary to protect vulnerable communities there. Also on 27 June, British embassy officials met members of the San Francisco peace community close to Cacarica, and experiencing similar serious problems, to listen to their concerns first hand. The UK and Dutch Governments are sponsoring a project to build a refuge in the town of Rio Sucio where members of the peace community can stay.
We remain very concerned about the activities of all the illegal armed groups in Colombia. We have called upon the Government of Colombia to continue their efforts to combat paramilitarism effectively and to continue taking concrete action to dismantle such groups by arresting, prosecuting and punishing all those involved.