WOLA Statement
November 20, 2013
On Thursday, November 21, Colombians in the cities of Buenaventura, Medellin, Bogota, and Cali, will participate in demonstrations demanding an end to the alarming trend of killings of women in the port city of Buenaventura. They will also call attention to the equally alarming state neglect of this growing phenomenon. The Washington Office on Latin America stands with the victims, the residents of Buenaventura, and human rights defenders throughout the country in calling for a coherent state response to these atrocious crimes.
We echo the conclusion of the report by U.S. Representatives George Miller and James P. McGovern on the grave state of the humanitarian crisis in Buenaventura and the widespread human rights violations. Local and national authorities must take action to investigate the crimes committed and ensure the safety and well-being of the women of Buenaventura.
See also: Statement from the Afro-Colombian Women Human Rights Defenders Project