Urgent Action: Julian Hurtado - Another University of Valle Student is Killed
The Colombia Solidarity Campaign is very sad to have to report the murder of another student at the University of Valle - Julian Andres Hurtado Castillo.
As you may remember, a Colombia Solidarity Campaign delegation of students and academics was present in the University of Valle on 22 Sept last year and witnessed police violence against the student community prior to the killing of the student Jhonny Silva by police later that day. On 22 Sept this year, the Truth Commission that was convened by human rights organisations to investigate Jhonny’s murder presented its preliminary report in an event at which representatives of Colombia Solidarity also presented the findings of the delegation.
Now, a few weeks later, Julian, one of the student members of the Truth Commission, has been shot dead by paramilitary sicarios near his home.
We especially urge students and workers in higher education to send protests to the Colombian Embassy, with a copy to the Colombia Solidarity Campaign:
Colombian Embassy E-mail:
mail@colombianembassy.co.uk with a copy to the Colombia Solidarity Campaign
E-mail: info@colombiasolidarity.org.uk
Here follows the report from local human rights defenders:
ENGLISH/ESPAÑOL
ENGLISH
The Foundation Committee for Solidarity with Political Prisoners (FCSPP), Valle del Cauca Branch denounce before national and international public opinion and governmental and non-governmental human rights organizations, the vile and cowardly murder of University of Valle Student ANDRES JULIAN HURTADO CASTILLO. This event occurred shortly before the publication of the final report of the interinstitutional truth commission into the events of 22 September 2005, when the student JHONNY SILVA ARANGUREN was killed at the hands of ESMAD (the Colombian riot police). A month ago the student community commemorated his murder in a dignified way.
FACTS
At midnight on 4 October 2005, when Julian was entering his home in the Las Granjas district of Cali, two sicarios (hired killers) - one man and one woman - fired a fatal shot at the young man's head. The killers were on foot but used a public car for their escape. The taxi driver who had just dropped Julian in front of his house took him to the Carlos Carmona hospital in the Mariano Ramos barrio. From there he was moved to the University of Valle Hospital, where he was declared brain dead. This morning, 5 October 2006, the doctors and his family announced his death.
JULIAN ANDRES HURTADO CASTILLO was 29 years old and was two weeks away from graduating in Prehospital Attention. He worked as a paramedic in the University Hospital and was an active member of the University of Valle's student council, as well as being an activist with the Polo Democratico Alternativo. In the context of his activities as a representative of the Student Council, he participated actively in the investigation of the case of the murder of the student Jhonny Silva on 22 Sept 2005 and in the denouncement of the impunity in which this case remains.
The FCSPP condemns this murder, as well as the persecution and stigmatization of those men and women who struggle for truth, justice and integral reparation for victims in a country where the social and collective life of communities and public universities has been increasingly penetrated by paramilitaries.
We demand that the organs under State control investigate this murder and devote themselves to finding the material and intellectual authors of this crime.
We reiterate our call for Truth and Justice for the murders of students in the University of Valle and to continue in the struggle against the systematic impunity in the region.
We urge the national and international community, institutions, governmental and non-governmental human rights organizations to embrace the University of Valle student community with solidarity and accompaniment in their pursuit of Truth, Justice and Integral Reparation. We also urge the respect of life, physical integrity and human dignity be guaranteed to those who participate in the construction of a new country.
Cali, 5th October 2006
ESPAÑOL
ASESINADO OTRO ESTUDIANTE DE LA UNIVERSIDAD DEL VALLE COMUNICADO URGENTE A LA OPINION PUBLICA
La Fundacisn Comiti de Solidaridad con los Presos Polmticos seccional Valle
del Cauca, denuncia a la opinisn publica nacional e internacional,
instituciones, organismos gubernamentales y no gubernamentales de derechos
humanos, el vil y cobarde asesinato del estudiante de la Universidad del
Valle ANDRES JULIAN HURTADO CASTILLO. Este hecho sucede a poco tiempo de
publicarse el zltimo informe por parte de la comisisn interinstitucional de
la verdad de los hechos acontecidos el 22 de Septiembre de 2005, donde hace
cae asesinado a manos del ESMAD el estudiante JHONNY SILVA ARANJUREN. Hace
un mes la comunidad estudiantil conmemors dignamente su asesinato.
HECHOS
El dma 4 de octubre de 2006 siendo las 12 de la noche, cuando ingresaba a su
casa ubicada en el Barrio Las Granjas frente a la bomba de Terpel de la
ciudad de Cali-Valle del Cauca; dos sicarios un hombre y una mujer que se
movilizaban a pie y que al momento de la huida utilizaron un carro de
servicio publico, dispararon discriminadamente un tiro en la cabeza del
joven, quien cayo herido de muerte y fue trasladado por el solidario taxista
que momentos antes lo habma dejado al frente de su casa, al hospital Carlos
Carmona en el barrio Mariano Ramos. De allm fue trasladado al Hospital
Universitario del Valle y fue declarado con muerte cerebral. En la maqana de
hoy 5 de octubre de 2006 los midicos y su familia anunciaron su muerte.
JULIAN ANDRES HURTADO CASTILLO tenma 29 aqos y estaba a dos semanas de
graduarse de Atencisn Prehospitalaria. Trabajaba como paramedico en el
Hospital Universitario y se caracterizs por ser un miembro activo y
propssitivo del Consejo Estudiantil de la Universidad del Valle, era ademas
activista del Polo Democratico Alternativo. En el marco de sus actividades
como representante del Consejo Estudiantil Universitario particips
activamente en la investigacisn y denuncia contra la impunidad existente en
el caso del asesinato del estudiante JHONNY SILVA ARANJUREN el 22 de
septiembre de 2005.
La FCSPP RECHAZA este asesinato, al igual que la persecucisn y
estigmatizacisn de los hombres y mujeres que luchan por la verdad, la
justicia y la reparacisn integral en un pams donde se agudizs la
paramilitarizacisn de la vida social y colectiva de las comunidades y las
universidades publicas en el pams.
EXIGIMOS a los organismos de control del Estado se investigue este asesinato
y se di con el paradero de los asesinos materiales e intelectuales del
hecho.
REITEREAMOS nuestro llamado a la Verdad y Justicia por los asesinatos
cometidos contra estudiantes de la Universidad el Valle. Y a no continuar en
la lucha contra la sistematica impunidad existente en la regisn.
SOLICITAMOS a la comunidad nacional e internacional, instituciones,
organizaciones gubernamentales y no gubernamentales de derechos humanos a
rodear de solidaridad y acompaqamiento a la comunidad estudiantil de la
Universidad del Valle en su bzsqueda de la Verdad, la Justicia y la
Reparacisn Integral. Igualmente se brinde la garantma de respeto a la vida,
la integridad y la dignidad humana de quienes participan en la construccisn
de un nuevo pams.
Fundacisn Comiti de Solidaridad con los Presos Polmtica
Seccional Valle del Cauca.
Santiago de Cali, 5 de Octubre de 2006
Julian Andres Hurtado Castillo
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