APG requests a meeting with Minister Garneau to discuss the alarming situation in Colombia

Photo : KAIROS Canada

February 3, 2021  

The Honourable Marc Garneau  

Minister of Foreign Affairs  

House of Commons  

Ottawa, Ontario  

K1A 0A6  

Dear Minister Garneau:  

On behalf of the Americas Policy Group (APG), we wish to congratulate you on your  appointment as Canada’s new Minister of Foreign Affairs. As a coalition of Canadian  civil society organizations engaged in the promotion and protection of human rights  in the Americas, we look forward to collaborating with you and your department.  

Two months ago, the APG sent a letter to your predecessor, François-Philippe  Champagne, to express the APG’s profound concern over the situation in Colombia  – a focus country for our members and one in which we have deep and longstanding  partnerships.  

In our letter (attached) we described the alarming situation in Colombia – both the  increase in targeted attacks and assassinations of human rights defenders and social  leaders, as well as the failure of the Colombian government to implement the peace  agreement signed with the FARC. We requested a meeting with Minister Champagne  to discuss in greater depth these concerns as well as ways in which Canada could  play a stronger role to address them.  

Unfortunately, to date, we have not received acknowledgement of our letter and fear  that with the change in portfolios, our request for a meeting may have gotten lost.  

Since writing to Minister Champagne in December, the situation has shown signs of  worsening. Already, in the first month of the new year, there have been six reported  massacres and at least 14 social activists and five former combatants murdered. Our  Colombian partners fear that the situation could deteriorate even further in 2021 as  political campaigning ramps up in anticipation of the 2022 congressional and  presidential elections.  

 In view of the above, we reiterate our call for a meeting to share information from our  partners on the frontlines in Colombia and explore ways to strengthen Canada’s  diplomatic efforts to promote peace and respect for human rights.  

We look forward to your response to our request.  

Sincerely,  

Robin Buyers (Co-Chair) Laura Ramirez  (Co-Chair)

CC: Ambassador Marcel Lebleu, Marcel.Lebleu@international.gc.ca Robin Larocque Roy, robin.larocqueroy@international.gc.ca Michael Chong, MP, michael.chong@parl.gc.ca , Heather McPhearson, MP, Heather.McPherson@parl.gc.ca