Centre for Applied Human Rights
Diana M
Colombia, CAHR, Spring 2010
My name is Diana M. Ten years ago, I became a lawyer and human rights defender. I did so because I was personally affected by the murder of Colombian human rights defenders Jesus Maria Valle and Eduardo Umaña Mendoza, journalist Jaime Garzón, as well as everyday crimes committed against Colombian marginalized poor.
Judicial representation of human rights victims is risky work for human rights defenders. In 2009, it was discovered that the Administrative Security Department, Colombia's presidential internal security intelligence agency, carried out illegal wiretapping of human rights defenders, opposition politicians, community activists, union leaders, journalists, and even Supreme Court justices. This same agency also carried out "offensive surveillance" of these individuals, their colleagues, and families, as well as intimidating threats that posed further obstacles to our work in Colombia.
For several years, I was routinely followed, and my telephone numbers and e-mail accounts were intercepted. This was largely due to my research around the impact of U.S. military aid in Colombia, a subject that triggered close scrutiny from this governmental office.
For several years, I was routinely followed, and my telephone numbers and e-mail accounts were intercepted.
As with the case of many individuals, this information about my activities was to be used not only to carry out a smear campaign against our work, but also to file cases against us and even threaten our lives.
Currently, I provide legal assistance to organizations that work with communities immersed in socio-environmental conflicts, where the interests of multinational extractive industries (oil, minerals, wood, etc) undermine the State's official responsibility to protect its citizens. In addition, I contribute to the professional training of Latin American human rights defenders, in order to develop juridical strategies that better serve the fight against impunity throughout the continent.
The work I have carried out all these years would not have been possible without international support. This includes help from foreign development agencies, solidarity organizations, field accompaniment teams, human rights organizations, and engaged citizens that participated in fact-finding missions throughout Colombia. Now, I am also able to carry out my work thanks to the Centre for Applied Human Rights at the University of York.
The Centre has given me the opportunity to take some time away from a context that triggers daily fears in me given my condition as a female human rights defender. I am also able to learn about human rights methodologies and case studies, and participate in debates that are also taking place in the global South, where individuals are fighting for their rights and developing strategies to create a more just and inclusive world.