URGENT ACTION

Update - GOOD NEWS!

Katherine Gonzalez Torres appears alive and well:

A full investigation of her kidnapping is called for

We rejoice with the news that Katherine Gonzalez Torres is alive and back in loving hands as of Monday, March 12th, 2007, after a month in captivity. As we reported in an earlier urgent action, Katherine disappeared on February 13th. Local human rights workers believe this event is likely linked to her sister's political work against continued paramilitary violence. However, local law enforcement authorities responsible for investigating her disappearance were reticent to recognize it as a politically motivated crime, suggesting that she may have run away with a boyfriend, a possibility people who knew her refuted vehemently.

Katherine reports that she was sedated and kept in a dark room, and routinely threatened by her captors. In the early morning hours of Monday the 12th , they left her, bound and blindfolded, near the bus terminal of Bucaramanga –about 2 hours from her home town of Barrancabermeja. She was able to free herself, and called her sister Sandra who immediately traveled to be with her. Her family reports that she is heavily traumatized and will now begin a period of physical and psychological recovery.

We wish to thank all those who responded to the original urgent action, and those who kept Katherine, her family, and the OFP in their hearts and prayers. Please continue to do so as Katherine and her family recover from this trauma.

For more information about the kidnapping and what you can do to help hold the investigators responsible see this Urgent Action

----Original urgent action below----

KATHERINE GONZALEZ TORRES is the 20 year old sister of Sandra Gutierrez Torres, a member of the leadership team of the Women’s Popular Organization (Organización Femenina Popular). The Popular Women’s Organization is an important partner in CPT’s work in Barrancabermeja.

On Tuesday, February 13, Katherine disappeared unexpectedly. We are concerned that she was abducted by an armed group because of her sister’s work with the OFP. Click here for a link to the Urgent Action on CPT’s website with more information about Katherine’s disappearance and actions you can take that may help return her to her family.