The All-Party Parliamentary Human Rights Group (PHRG) was pleased to host this roundtable meeting with Alexander López-Maya, a prominent senator of Colombia’s Polo Democratico party and a former trade union leader. He represents the Department of Valle del Cauca and one of Colombia’s most important port cities, Buenaventura.

The PHRG would like to thank Mark Durkan MP for chairing this meeting.

The key points raised by Senator López:

• Buenaventura is home to Colombia’s most important port; 60% of all exports leave from there.
• The city’s humanitarian situation is very serious. There is a lack of basic sanitary facilities, access to clean water, health care and education.
• Violence in the city has also worsened. In the last 20 years 6,000 people have been murdered, 140,000 displaced and more than 26 massacres have taken place. Each month up to 20 houses are burnt down.
• “Chop houses” have been discovered, where young men and women are dismembered alive and their remains thrown back into communities.
• The areas planned for the port’s expansion directly coincide with the areas where violence by criminal gangs is most pronounced.
• Government action to protect the citizens of Buenaventura has been minimal and it is believed that the Government is benefitting from terror and displacement because of its economic interests in the city.
• López has received death threats for his work in Buenaventura. He told us that so far 3 military officers have been convicted and 3 others are on trial in connection with the threats made against him.
• Parliamentarians are encouraged to contact President Santos to encourage him to do more to improve the human rights and humanitarian situation in Buenaventura.

The PHRG will relay information on López’s case to IPU Committee on the Human Rights of Parliamentarians, which is already examining the matter, and continue to monitor the situation in Buenaventura. We also hope to welcome Senator López back to Parliament next year.