Thank you so much for your support - protection for Flaminio Onogama Gutierrez

"Thank you so much for your support!" Flaminio Onogama Gutiérrez Dear Tracy, The message from Colombia was short but heartfelt. “Thank you for your support!” wrote Flaminio Onogama Gutiérrez, an Embera Chami Indigenous rights defender who had to go into hiding because of death threats and attacks on his family. Flaminio’s thanks came after we informed him that Canada’s Embassy in Colombia had expressed concern about his safety to Colombian authorities, and obtained a commitment that the threats he faces would be carefully investigated. This is crucial if Flaminio is to be protected from harm, and able to carry on working to defend his people. The Canadian Embassy also reported back that they had called on the Colombian government for an investigation to bring to justice those responsible for the killing of Flaminio’s nephews Berlain Saigama Gutiérrez and Jhon Braulio Saigama. Embassy staff relayed news that an investigation is now underway.   Your activism is behind these positive steps! Some 10,000 of you signed our petition action to the Canadian government calling for precisely these measures to protect Flaminio and his people. Your appeals were heard! As Amnesty supporters know, Indigenous peoples are facing a profound crisis, one you have helped us to make visible. Click here to learn about what we have achieved together!   Tragically, the threats to Flaminio are not isolated.  Dangerous threats to Indigenous women defenders Write now to protect Wayúu women and their daughters  Just last month, 15 year-old Génesis Gisselle Gutiérrez Romero in the Wayúu Indigenous Reserve of Zahíno was traumatized by a phone call warning that she and her family would be killed. The teenager’s mother Jakeline Romero Epiayu is a leader of a courageous women’s organization called Fuerza Mujeres Wayúu and recently travelled to Europe to speak out about the many dangers that Wayúu families now face since large-scale coal mining was imposed in their region. Colombia’s highest court ruled in 2009 that the Wayúu are “threatened with physical and cultural extermination.” Take action now!  You have helped us to protect Indigenous human rights defenders like Flaminio Onogama. Help us now to protect Génesis Gisselle, Jakeline and the courageous women of Fuerza Mujeres Wayúu. Thank you for raising your voice now! Together we can defend life and dignity! Sincerely,   Alex Neve Secretary General, Amnesty International Canada P.S. To stay informed about other ways you can continue to take action to support the rights of threatened Indigenous peoples in Colombia, visit www.amnesty.ca/makeitvisible. New actions are posted in the right hand column. If you have more time, organize a showing of our beautiful Colombia photo messages from threatened Indigenous peoples at a school, library or other space in your community. Or create your own photo message so we can make visible demands from Canada for action. For more information, contact our Colombia campaigner Kathy Price at kprice@amnesty.ca