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Dear _____,

At 10:15 AM on Friday December 29th, five paramilitaries entered the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó in Antioquia Department, Colombia and tried to assassinate Germán Graciano Posso, the legal representative of the community. This assassination attempt comes just weeks after the assassinations of Mario Castaño and Hernán Bedoya, who were both land rights leaders in the Bajo Atrato region in Northwestern Colombia.

I am extremely concerned about the safety of German Graciano Posso and the Peace Community members amidst ongoing threats and assassinations of Colombian social leaders and land claimants. As activists and communities continue to be threatened and assassinated at alarming rates, it is imperative that the international community demand their protection, as well as the appropriate prosecution of those who threaten, attempt, and carry out assassinations.

Please do all in your power to promote:
• Immediate, effective protection for Germán Graciano Posso of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, and all social leaders and human rights defenders throughout Colombia.
• Acknowledgement from the Colombian government of the grave threat presented by neo-paramilitary groups in San José de Apartadó and across Colombia, as well as the implementation of an effective plan of dismantlement of these groups, including a full implementation of point 3.4 of the peace accords with the FARC.
• A thorough and complete investigation into the attack on December 29th and prosecution of the intellectual authors of this assassination attempt.

This is a critical juncture for Colombia’s peace process. It is imperative that the voices of Colombian citizens are actively included—not repressed—throughout the implementation process. Please act now to support the just implementation of peace and encourage an end to this vicious cycle of violence.

Thank you for your attention.