Since 1999, the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, AUC), whose activities range "from assassinating suspected insurgent supporters to engaging guerrilla combat units," have "demonstrated a growing presence in ... southwestern departments" (Patterns of Global Terrorism 2002 30 Apr. 2002), including Valle and Cauca (Semana.com 19 Dec. 2002; El Tiempo 26 Dec. 2002; Red de Derechos Humanos del Suroccidente Colombiano "Francisco Isaias Cifuentes" 11 June 2002). Documentary sources characterize both these regions as areas in which the Jaime Bateman Cayón (JBC) group is active (EFE 14 Apr. 2000; Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Progreso Humano, HABITAT and Alcaldía de Santiago de Cali 31 Aug. 2000).

According to the newspaper El Tiempo, AUC forces moved into Valle in 1999 in order to challenge the presence of the JBC, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, FARC) and National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional, ELN) units operating in this department (25 May 2000).

Furthermore, a number of reports published between 1999 and 2002 refer to incidents in which the JBC launched attacks or made threats against AUC members or suspected supporters. Examples follow.

According to an 8 August 1999 El País article summarized by the Valle Departmental Health Secretariat (Secretaría Departamental de Salud del Valle), the Jaime Bateman Cayón group issued threats against a number of municipal politicians in Valle whom the group blamed for the AUC's presence in the region (Valle del Cauca 2001). Paramilitary forces had reportedly arrived in Tuluá, Valle on 31 July 1999 (El Tiempo 25 May 2000).

In August 1999, a joint force of guerrillas from the JBC, FARC and ELN, operating in Tuluá, Valle, engaged members of the police and the AUC's Calima front in combat (ibid.; CAJ Aug. 1999).

In July 2002, a communiqué signed by the JBC's Héroes de Yarumales front was issued to news media in Tuluá declaring the city's mayor, Francisco Javier Gálvez, a "military objective" (objetivo militar) because of his alleged misappropriation of funds and contacts with the AUC (El País 11 July 2002).

No information subsequent to July 2002 on JBC activities directed against paramilitary forces or supporters could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.

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.

Comisión Andina de Juristas (CAJ). August 1999. Cronología Andina. "Colombia-Agosto 1999." http://www.cajpe.org.pe/cronolog/agoco3.htm [Accessed 21 May 2003]

EFE News Service. 14 April 2000. "Colombia-Guerrillas (1st Lead). Army Kills 14 Rebels from Fringe Guerrillas Group." (Global News Wire/NEXIS)

Fundación Arias para la Paz y el Progreso Humano, HABITAT and Alcaldía de Santiago de Cali. 31 August 2000. "Hacia la construcción de un modelo para el tratamiento integral e integrador del desplazamiento forzoso, en Cali y el Suroccidente Colombiano." http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/colombia/desplazados/2000.html [Accessed 21 May 2003]

El País [Cali]. 11 July 2002. José Luis Guzmán. "Mininterior convoca a la resistencia civil. Más seguridad para los alcaldes." http://www.procesodepaz.com/notas/Julio112002/A411N1.html [Accessed 21 May 2003]

Patterns of Global Terrorism 2002. 30 April 2003. United States Department of State. Washington, DC. http://www.state.gov/s/ct/rls/pgtrpt/2002/html/19991.htm [Accessed 21 May 2003]

Red de Derechos Humanos del Suroccidente Colombiano "Francisco Isaias Cifuentes." 11 June 2002. "Incursiones paramilitares en el sur del Valle y el norte del Cauca." http://www.tao.ca/~ccsc/june11_2002cauca-paras.htm [Accessed 21 May 2003]

Semana.com [Bogotá]. 19 December 2002. Juanita León. "La metamorfosis de las AUC." http://www.semana.com/archivo/articulosView.jsp?id=67288 [Accessed 21 May 2003]

El Tiempo [Bogotá]. 26 December 2002. "Piden investigar ataque de las Auc a policías en Ginebra (Valle)." http://eltiempo.terra.com.co/coar/noticias/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-238770.html [Accessed 21 May 2003]

_____. 25 May 2000. "Guerra por el control del Valle Cali." (Asheville Global Report. 1-7 June 2000) http://www.agrnews.org/issues/72/noticias.html [Accessed 21 May 2003]

Valle del Cauca. 2001. Secretaría Departamental de Salud del Valle. Sistema de información epidemiológica para la población desplazada por la violencia en el Valle. http://www.disaster-info.net/desplazados/documentos/sdsvalle/Capitulo1_2_3_6.htm [Accessed 21 May 2003]

IRB databases

Internet sites, including:

Amnesty International

El Colombiano [Medellín]. 2001-2003.

Diario del Huila [Neiva]. 1999-2003.

Equipo Nizkor

Human Rights Watch

Patterns of Global Terrorism. 2000-2002.

Revista Cambio [Bogotá]