According to a personal account of his assassination attempt, Wilson Borja stated that at around 6:00 a.m. on 15 December 2000, he was attacked in front of his home in Bochica, Bogota (Equipo Nizkor 12 June 2002). Borja was about to get into his vehicle accompanied by his bodyguards, Giovanni Aldana Patino and Tomas Enrique Quinonez, when gunshots were fired (ibid.).

A report from Radio Caracol explained that unionist leader Wilson Borja was attacked by three "hired killers" (sicarios) who fired shots at him (15 Dec. 2000). In addition, the location of the attack was reported to be at a traffic light near Borja's residence in the neighbourhood of Bochica Dos (Radio Caracol 15 Dec. 2000). Moreover, Bogota police commander Jorge Linares stated that the police discovered the body of one of the hired killers a few blocks away from where the incident took place (ibid.). The hired killer found by the police was identified as Elmer Humberto Rueda Daza, who was already wanted for the murder of public prosecutor Pacho Cundinamarca in 1999 (ibid. 17 Dec. 2000).

A follow-up report by Radio Caracol stated that Borja's bodyguards were injured in the attack and were in "critical condition" (estado delicado) at the hospital (ibid.). As well, a woman identifed as a coffee vendor was killed in the incident (ibid.). In Borja's personal account, the coffee vendor was identified as Maria del Pilar Bolanos Gonzalez (Equipo Nizkor 12 June 2002).

The Associated Press reported that:

The gunmen approached Borja's red four-wheel-drive vehicle and sprayed it with bullets as it was about to exit a parking lot and enter an avenue crowded with rush-hour traffic. Borja's bodyguards returned fire. A sidewalk coffee vendor was killed, and Borja, his driver and one of his bodyguards were wounded.

As bystanders cowered behind whatever cover they could find, the gunmen escaped in a car. It was found a few blocks away - riddled with bullets - near the body of a man believed by police to be one of the would-be assassins (15 Dec. 2000).

La Jornada reported that five gunmen attacked Borja, and that Borja was shot three times (16 Dec. 2000). In addition, according to the article, the attackers fled in a vehicle, later abandoning this vehicle in favour of a taxi (La Jornada 16 Dec. 2000).

No further information pertaining to details of the assassination attempt on Wilson Borja could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, the following information reports on the subsequent investigation of the assassination attempt.

In a report by Bogota Caracol Television, the office of the Prosecutor General arrested "a retired Army captain and three policemen linked to the assassination attempt against ... Wilson Borja" (27 Feb. 2001). Furthermore, the Prosecutor General "issued 15 arrest warrants for members of the Army and Police linked to this incident" (Bogota Caracol Television 27 Feb. 2001). Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of police captain Carlos Freddy Gomez for his involvement in the murder attempt against Borja (ibid. 7 Mar. 2001).

According to Amnesty International, investigations into the assassination attempt against Borja demonstrated that

several active and retired military and police officers were found to be implicated. Immediately after the attack, national paramilitary leader Carlos Castaño admitted responsibility for it (1 May 2001).

A report by the Information System of National Defence (Sistema de Informacion de la Defensa Nacional, SIDEN) stated that ten persons were linked to the Borja case, of which four were in police custody (16 July 2001). In addition, the authorities were seeking six other persons in relation to this case (SIDEN 16 July 2001).

A 12 May 2002 article in El Espectador reported that Army Lieutenant Freddy Cadavid had contacted the Office of the Prosecutor in April 2002 and "wanted to surrender and confess all he knew about the attack on Wilson Borja...". The same article explained that Carlos Castano Gil, leader of the United Self-Defense Groups in Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC) had ordered Cadavid's kidnapping because Cadavid "had information that was of vital importance for the organization [AUC]" (El Espectador 12 May 2002). Moreover, when five officials from the Prosecutor's office went to meet Cadavid at a pre-determined time and location, "Cadavid never showed up and he never again contacted the Office of the Prosecutor" (ibid.). As of 16 June 2002, "the whereabouts of the retired officer [Cadavid] is a mystery" (El Espectador).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Amnesty International. 1 May 2001. "Colombia: Mayday For Trade Unionists." http://web.amnesty.org/ai.nsf/print/AMR230482001?OpenDocument [Accessed 18 Sept. 2002]

Associated Press. 15 December 2000. Andrew Selsky. "Shootout in Bogota Leaves 2 Dead, Prominent Colombian Wounded." (NEXIS)

Bogota Caracol Television. 7 March 2001. "Bogota TV Highlights 071200: BOG 01--1032." (FBIS-LAT-2001-0307 7 Mar. 2001/WNC)

_____. 27 February 2001. "Bogota TV Highlights 271200: BOG 01--1026." (FBIS-LAT-2001-0227 27 Feb. 2001/WNC)

El Espectador [Bogota, in Spanish]. 16 June 2002. "Colombia: AUC Leader Jose Vincente Castano Gil Profiled." (FBIS-LAT-2002-0616 16 June 2002/WNC)

_____. 12 May 2002. "Colombia: Paramilitaries Kidnapped Informer in Borja Attempted Murder." (FBIS-LAT-2002-0512 12 May 2002/WNC)

Equipo Nizkor. 12 June 2002. "Denuncia publica en relacion al atentado del que fue victima el dirigente sindical y politico Wilson Borja Diaz." http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/colombia/doc/wborja.html [Accessed 17 Sept. 2002]

La Jornada [Mexico City]. 16 December 2000. "Atentado frustrado contra el maximo lider de los burocratas colombianos." http://www.jornada.unam.mx/2000/dic00/001216/023n2mun.html [Accessed 17 Sept. 2002]

Radio Caracol [Bogota]. 17 December 2000. "Identifican uno de los sicarios muertos." http://www.caracol.com.co/titular.asp?ID=38679 [Accessed 18 Sept. 2002]

_____. 15 December 2000. "Herido el sindicalista Wilson Borja." http://www.caracol.com.co/titular.asp?ID=38613 [Accessed 18 Sept. 2002]

Sistema de Informacion de la Defensa Nacional (SIDEN). 16 July 2001. "Defensa de la vida de los sindicalistas." http://www.mindefensa.gov.co/derechos_humanos/lideres/20010716boletinobservatoriosindicalistas.html [Accessed 17 Sept. 2002]

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