Brussels, June 14, 2021
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Brussels, June 14, 2021 Ms. Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission Mr. Josep Borrell High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Vice President of the European Commission Mr. Valdis Dombrovskis European Commissioner for Trade Vice President of the European Commission Re: Call for the Suspension of the EU – Colombia Free Trade Agreement Distinguished Representatives of the European Commission, The entire world has become a horrified witness to the extreme violence unleashed by Colombian security forces using weaponry of war against protestors. This violence has been described as disproportionate by United Nations experts and many other observers. More than 40 protestors have been killed since the beginning of the strike, hundreds of persons, mostly youths, have been forcibly disappeared, and sexual violence is widely used as a means of repressing women protestors, or women simply living in mobilised working-class neighbourhoods. Furthermore, almost 600 social leaders, of whom more than 100 are environmental defenders, and more than 270 ex-combatants, signatories of the Peace Agreement, have been killed since President Iván Duque took up office. In the most unequal country of South America, following an attempt to impose a tax reform that would have placed the weight of the debt on the shoulders of the poor, the Government is trying to impose reforms that would undermine labour rights and to privatise further the health and pension systems. This comes shortly after the granting of significant tax breaks to banks and mining companies. Large- scale deforestation is tolerated in the Amazon, as well as in other regions, with a view to increasing land to be used for livestock and agro-industry. The forced displacement of rural populations continues, with more than eight million internally displaced persons. Of those, 27.435 were displaced in 2021 signifying an increase of 177 percent in comparison to the same period in 2020. Instead of implementing the programmes of substitution of drug cultures as it should, according to the peace 1 Agreement, and to fight money laundering, the Government has recently decided to relaunch the programme of aerial spraying of glyphosate. This radically contravenes the Paris Agreement, ratified by both parties, as well as the sustainable development chapter of the Free Trade Agreement, signed by the EU and Colombia, as well as the roadmap adopted by the European Parliament within the framework of ratification. Moreover, they constitute a flagrant violation of Article one of the same Agreement, which establishes that human rights are a fundamental element of the Agreement. During the debates that took place in the European Parliament prior to the ratification of the Free Trade Agreement, Mr. Karel De Gucht, then Commissioner for International Trade, stated that the Free Trade Agreement would be suspended if human rights were violated1. And, in effect, article 60 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, ratified by all parties, provides that any party to the agreement may suspend it, in full or in part, if the other party violates a fundamental part of the same. As such, we request that the European Commission begin proceedings for the suspension of the provisional application of the FTA. If the Commission decides to partially suspend the agreement, it should suspend the importation of goods to the EU from Colombian business groups that approve and encourage the abuses, for example those exporting African palm-oil, meat, sugar, bananas, or highly processed food products. An action such as this on behalf of the European Union would contribute to reducing drastically the impunity for human rights violations and internal forced displacement. It would also serve to stimulate the implementation of the Peace Agreement by the Government. Our kindest regards, International organizations CADTM international La Via Campesina internacional FIAN international 1 Speech of former international trade commissioner Karel De Gucht, on behalf of the EC to the INTA Committee of the European Parliament before the ratification: "(…) Article 1 of the (free trade) agreement asserts that the respect for democratic principles, the rule of law and fundamental human rights, as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), constitutes an "essential element" of the Agreement. This means that in a situation where a government violates this essential element, the other Parties will be able immediately, unilaterally, and without prior consultation to suspend the benefits of the agreement to another Party. I do not see how this could be expressed more clearly or more strongly. " https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/SPEECH_12_142 2 Forum Civique Européen Africa Europe Faith & Justice Network (AEFJN) Red europa de Comités Oscar Romero (SICSAL-Europa) Defendamos la Paz Internacional - DLPI Members of the European Parliament Leila Chaibi , The Left - La France Insoumise, France Marc Tarabella , Socialists and Democrats - PS , Belgium Benoît Biteau , Les Verts/ALE, France Clara Ponsatí Obiols , NI - Junts per Catalunya, Spain Idoia Villanueva, The Left, Unidas Podemos , Spain Philippe Lamberts , Les Verts/ALE , Belgium Miguel Urbán, The Left – Anticapitalistas , Spain Anna Cavazzini , GREEN/EFA , Germany Helmut Scholz , The Left - Die Linke , Germany Stelios Kouloglou, The Left - Syriza , Grece Pernando Barrena , The Left - El Bildu , Spain Sira Rego, The Left, Unidas Podemos , Spain Manu Pineda , The Left, Unidas Podemos , Spain Marie Toussaint , Les Verts/ALE, France Carles Puigdemont , NI - Junts per Catalunya , Spain Antoni Comin , NI - Junts per Catalunya , Spain Manon Aubry , The Left - La France Insoumise , France Tilly Metz , Les Verts/ALE , Luxembourg Manuel Bompard , The Left - La France Insoumise , France Anne-Sophie Pelletier The Left - La France Insoumise , France Emmanuel Maurel , The Left - Gauche républicaine socialiste , France Anja Hazekamp , The Left - Dieren's partij , Hollande Francis Wurtz , Député européen honoraire, France 3 National representatives Gustavo Petro, Sénateur , Colombia Humana, Colombia Ayda Abella , Sénatrice, Union patriotica, Colombia Wilson Arias Castillo , Sénateur , Polo Democrático Alternativo , Colombia Heike Hänsel , Députée Bundestag , Germany Gerardo Pisarello , Député , GCUP-EC-GC, Congreso de Diputados , Spain Adelina Escandell , Senatrice, Soberanists of Catalunya Enrique Santiago , Député , GCUP-EC-GC, Congreso de Diputados , Spain Lucía Muñoz, Députée ,GCUP-EC-GC, Congreso de Diputados , Spain Antón Gómez , Député, GCUP-EC-GC, Congreso de Diputados , Spain Cristina Mayor , Députée, Unidas Podemos, Parlament Balear , Spain Pablo Jiménez , Député, Unidas Podemos, Parlament Balear , Spain André Flahaut , Député, Socialist Party (PS), La Chambre, Belgique Hélène Ryckmans, Députée , ECOLO, Parlaments Wallon et Fédération Wallonie- Bruxelles, Belgium Olivier Biérin , Député, ECOLO, Parlaments Bruxelles et Fédération Wallonie- Bruxelles, Belgium Gwenaëlle Grovonius , Députée, PS, Parlaments Wallon et Fédération Wallonie- Bruxelles, Belgium Marie Lecocq , Députée, ECOLO, Parlament de Bruxelles, Belgium Christophe Clersy, Député, ECOLO, Parlaments Bruxelles et Fédération Wallonie- Bruxelles, Belgium Malik Ben Achour , Député, PS, La Chambre des représentants, Belgium Jean-Luc Mélenchon , Député à l'Assemblée nationale, Président de La France Insoumise et candidat présidentiel , France Pierre Laurent , Sénateur , PCF, Vice-président du Sénat, Commission Affaires étrangères, France Doriana Sarli , Députée à l'Assemblée nationale, Italie Paola Nugnes , Sénatrice, Italy Virginia La Mura, Sénatrice Italy Francesca Businarolo , Députée à l'Assemblée nationale, Italy Stefania Ascari , Députée à l'Assemblée nationale, Italy Yana Chiara Ehm , Députée à l'Assemblée nationale, Italy Matteo Mantero , Sénateur, Italy 4 National organizations France : Amis de la Terre - Attac - FAL - France Amérique latine - Explorer Humanity Belgium: Broederlijk Delen - FOS - SOLSOC - A Contre-Courant - Comité pour le respect des Droits Humains "Daniel Gillard" -- Solidair met Guatemala /Belgïe - INTAL, Globalize the solidarity - CETRI - Centre Tricontinental - Agir pour la Paix - Red Flamenca de Solidaridad con la Comunidad de Paz de San José de Apartadó - Casa Nicaragua - asbl Pierreuse & Ailleurs Colombie : Universidad de Paz - Comisión Intereclesial de Justicia y Paz - Fondo Lunaria Mujer - SIN OLVIDO - Red con Paz - SIEMBRA - Centro Socio-jurídico para la Defensa Territorial - Corporación claretiana Norman Pérez Bello - FIAN - Colombia - Colectivo de Abogados José Alvear Restrepo (CAJAR) - JAC Villa Inés Duitama - QuéTeUneAColombia - Fundación pijaocittaslow - APROCADE - JAC VEREDA ASCARILLAL URUMITA -GUAJIRA - Corporación Ambiental y Turística Alas del Humadea CORPOHUMADEA - Veeduria ambiental - COMUNES - CIVIPAZ - Fundación Amanecer - Unión de Ciudadanas de Colombia Seccional Cali - FUNDACIÓN PARA LA PREVENCIÓN, REBILITACION Y EDUCACIÓN EN SALUD - Colectivo El callejón del hip hop - Asociacion Mariposas de la Orinoquia y Amazonia - Asociacion Apoyo a la Mujer - Amibosque - Esfuérzate - AgroSolidaria Teusaquillo - Teusaquillo - COLOR Y ESPERANZA POR NUESTROS HEROES - Corambiente - Comité de Integración del Macizo Colombiano-CIMA - TOTAL Apple SUPPORT - Corporación para la educación y autogestión ciudadana "CEAC"- Fundagrollano - Vista Hermosa diversa - Fundación ARDECIA - Fundación Prometeo Producciones - ASODEMUC - Demujeres