Written question asked by Andrew Mackinlay (Labour) on Monday, 29 March 2010, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 6 April 2010. It was answered by Chris Bryant (Labour) on Wednesday, 7 April 2010 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Colombia: Human Rights

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will request that the Colombian authorities provide an explanation for the variation in the figures provided by different Colombian state organisations on the number of bodies in the mass grave recently discovered in La Macarena; and if he will discuss that matter with (a) his counterparts and (b) human rights organisations.

Answer: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 25 March 2010, Official Report, column 425W to the hon. Member for East Dunbartonshire (Jo Swinson) and can inform him that since then our ambassador has written a follow up letter to Carlos Franco, Director of the Presidential Human Rights Programme, requesting an update into the investigation and asking for an explanation of the difference between the Procurador General's findings and those of the Human Rights Programme."(a) Our embassy in Bogota and our representation at the EU in Brussels have constant contact with other EU member states on Human Rights issues in Colombia.""(b) As stated in my answer of 25 March I met human rights activist Carolina Hoyos on 16 March where we discussed the mass graves in La Macarena. We work closely with non-governmental organisations and human rights defenders in Colombia."

Secondary information