Written question asked by Martin Horwood (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 10 March 2015, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Monday, 16 March 2015 (named day). It was answered by Lord Swire (Conservative) on Monday, 16 March 2015 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Colombia

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, whether the Government has raised with the Colombian government the further threats to the life of Irreal Aguilar Solano; and what steps the Colombian government has informed the Government it is taking.

Answer: Our Ambassador in Bogota raised the case of Irrael Aguilar Solano on 3 February 2015 during a meeting with the Presidential High Adviser for Human Rights, Guillermo Rivera. Mr Rivera informed the Ambassador that they will engage with the Colombian Authorities to ensure that full protection measures are afforded.

More than 1300 Human Rights Defenders have received protection measures from the Colombian Government, 300 of them at the highest level. The Presidential High Adviser for Human Rights also informed our Ambassador that as a result of the improvement in protection measures, deaths of Human Rights Defenders are decreasing.

Secondary information