Thank you to all of you who signed your names to the letters in an attempt to stop the deportation of Wilder Peña, a 31-year-old Afro-Colombian male, I wrote about last week, originally from Jamundi, Department of Valle del Cauca, Colombia who fled to the U.S. to seek asylum in 2001.

Supporters set up a Facebook page on Wilder’s behalf and are calling for people, in an act of love for human rights, make calls tomorrow, Valentine’s Day, so that Wilder can stay with his familia in the U.S.

· If you are a Washington, DC resident or a member of a Colombia, human rights or solidarity organization please contact the office of Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton at phone number:   (202) 225-8050  and urge the Congresswoman to intervene on Wilder’s behalf.  On Friday, the Congresswoman received a letter from U.S. activists, NGOs and constituents earlier today calling upon her to act. When you call say that you are greatly concerned about Wilder Peña’s safety and hope that she will intervene to protect Wilder’s life. If you are a Washington, DC resident you can also send your own letter to the Congresswoman via email through her site :  https://forms.house.gov/norton/webforms/issue_subscribe.htm

You can also contact the following persons and ask them to take action:

· Contact Vincent Cochetel, Regional Representative for the U.S. and the Caribbean of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at (202)296- 5191.

· Contact Eric Schwartz, Assistant Secretary, Bureau of Population, Migration and Refugees, U.S. State Department by calling the State Department switchboard at            202-647-4000       and asking to be connected to his office.

· Contact , Libia Mosquera Viveros, Consul, Colombian Consulate in Washington, DC, herself Afro-Colombian, at (202) 332-7476/(202) 332-7573 or consuladowash@gmail.com

For more information about Wilder and his case please keep reading.

Thank you/Mil Gracias

He fled his home after being physically threatened following a massacre of ten persons and the assassination of three members of his family and several friends at the hands of illegal armed groups between 2000 and 2001. Mr. Peña was targeted by illegal armed groups due to his military service and experience. Rather than follow the commands of these groups, considered terrorists by the U.S. State Department, and due to a well founded fear for his life, Mr. Peña left his country. Once in Washington, DC both Mr. Pena’s father and uncle were violently killed at the hands of these illegal armed groups. Unfortunately, due to poor legal representation he was denied asylum. Two appeals were made by the same lawyer years later, which were also denied.

Filled with fear and faced with limited options and a pending deportation, and in a desperate act to not be sent back to a country where he could potentially be killed, Mr. Peña fled to Canada. While crossing the border he was detained by officials and sent to a detention center in New York. He is currently being held at an immigration detention facility in Batavia, NY. We have learned that he is scheduled to be deported back to Colombia on February 28th, 2011.

We ask that you stand in solidarity with Wilder and his family by contacting the individuals listed below. Please encourage these persons to immediately intervene in Wilder’s deportation by taking steps so that his life is protected. We fear that if Wilder is deported the risk of his being harmed is very high. Colombia contains one of the highest number (5 million) of internally displaced persons in the world. Afro-Colombians are disproportionately affected by this phenomenon. Despite the incoming Colombian Administration’s more favorable attitude towards human rights, the internal armed conflict remains robust and an estimated 6,000 regrouped right wing paramilitaries and 8,000 left wing FARC guerillas continue to operate throughout the country. The rate of assassinations, intimidation and threats against afrodescendants remains high. If Wilder is deported at this time, the likelihood of his history of persecution and time spent away from the country raising suspicion and reprisal from these illegal armed groups is high. Valle del Cauca remains a conflict hot spot and Wilder’s return to other parts of Colombia due to his history is not likely to guarantee him protection or safety. Wilder has a one year old son, Femi, and an Afro-Colombian partner in Washington, DC for whom he must care for.