Señor Presidente Ernesto Samper Pizano
Presidente de la República
Palacio de Nariño
carrera 8 No. 7-26
Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia

Dear President Samper:

I wish to express my concern for the safety of Juan Carlos Herrera Pregonero, Fabian Mauricio Gomez and Andres David Escobar. All are minors who were detained in the Valle de Lili Centre, a youth detention and rehabilitation center in the city of Cali, Valle del Cauca department. On 19 May, between 5:30pm and 5:45pm, five hooded armed men rushed into the center. After locating the three young men, they forced them into a car belonging to the center and drove them away. The car was later found abandoned. Juan Carlos Herrera Pregonero, Fabian Mauricio Gomez and Andres David Escobar have not been seen since.

Unfortunately, this incident was not the first of its kind. I understand there have been reports of a number of killings of so-called "social undesirables" in Colombia, frequently involving members of the national police force. In fact, just 11 days before Juan Carlos Herrera Pregonero, Fabian Mauricio Gomez and Andres David Escobar were abducted, a similar operation occurred against three other minors at the same center. They were kidnapped, and then tortured and killed. Reportedly, two former police officers and two former Valle de Lili Centre employees are currently under investigation for these killings.

I am sure you agree that the human rights of all Colombian citizens must be protected, regardless of their social status. All necessary measures should be taken to protect the lives of Juan Carlos Herrera Pregonero, Fabian Mauricio Gomez and Andres David Escobar and to ensure the safety of all minors detained at the Valle de Lili Centre. I strongly urge you to call for a full and impartial investigation into the kidnapping and "disappearance" of these three young men. The results of such an investigation should be made public and the perpetrators brought to justice.

Please stand by your pledge to protect and defend human rights in Colombia.

Respectfully yours,