Written question asked by Robert Flello (Labour) on Thursday, 16 March 2017, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 21 March 2017 (named day). It was answered by Alan Duncan (Conservative) on Tuesday, 21 March 2017 on behalf of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Colombia: Death

Question: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what representations he has made to his Colombian counterpart on the deaths of (a) Alicia López Guisao on 2 March 2017 in Antioquia, (b) Fabián Rivera on 2 March 2017 in Antioquia, (c) José Antonio Anzola Tejodor on 5 March 2017 in Meta and (d) Luz Ángela Anzola on 5 March 2017 in Meta; and if he will make a statement.

Answer: I last raised our concerns about increasing violence by illegal armed groups against Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) with the Colombian Ambassador to the UK on 7 February and the Colombian Minister for Labour on 14 February. She reassured me that impunity for such crimes is something the Government of Colombia will not tolerate. Ministerial colleagues and I will continue to raise our human rights concerns, including individual cases, with the Government of Colombia, as will our Ambassador in Bogota.

Secondary information