Paramilitary group ‘Aguilas Negras’ threatened, tortured and
displaced the indigenous tribe Embera Pichinde in the Choco department
for the fourth time, indigenous representatives said
Wednesday.
Seven masked and armed men, allegedly members of the ‘Aguilas Negras’, arrived in the early morning hours of August 6 in the indigenous village Embera Dovida where the displaced families of Embera Pichinde live. The intruders tied the hands and feet of the indigenous, kicked them, hit them with their guns and fired shots next to their ears.
Then the masked and armed men threatened the indigenous and warned them if they would report the incident to the authorities or an NGO, they would come back and massacre everyone in the village.
The indigenous families have been threatened before and were displaced three times within one year. They are under constant attack of the ‘Aguilas Negras’, a report by indigenous organization ASOREWA said. The indigenous have neither received any help form the government nor have been recognized as refugees.
Accion Social, Colombia’s government agency for displaced, denies the community has been displaced by illegal armed groups claiming the indigenous moved because of an internal problem with other indigenous communities.
Meanwhile, the Embera Pichinde left their village again and sought refuge in the town of Jurado where they have no accommodation, food, health care, protection or guarantee of security.
ASOREWA requested a humanitarian mission to be sent to Jurado. So far, the government has not responded to that request.
Colombia counts between 3 and 4 million internally displaced in the country.
