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Colombia: An organization called Con El Pueblo Por La Paz y La Democracia M-19 Movimiento 19 de Abril; its mandate, history, activities and the names of its leaders; whether this group is targeted by paramilitaries; whether it is affiliated with the Democratic Alliance M-19 (Alianza Democratica M-19, AD M-19) (1996-2002)

No information about an organization called Con El Pueblo Por La Paz y La Democracia M-19 Movimiento 19 de Abril could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. Attempts to contact the group's phone number provided in the Request were also unsuccessful. However, the following provides information about the April 19th Movement (Movimiento 19 de Abril, M-19) political party and its relationship with the

The Europa World Year Book 2002 stated that the M-19 was a "left-wing urban guerrilla group" until it "formally constituted as a political party in Oct. 1989" (2002). The same source names Antonio Navarro Wolf and Otty Patino as the party's leaders (ibid.). The Compromiso Civico Cristiano Con La Comunidad (C4) Website lists German Rojas Nino as the Legal Representative (Representante Legal) of the M-19 (n.d.), while the Gerencia Politica Website names Otty Patino as the President of the party (6 Nov. 2002).

According to the Leftist Parties of the World Website, the M-19 political party, led by German Rojas Nino, "split" from the Democratic Alliance M-19 (AD M-19) in 1997 (20 Feb. 2003). Current sources indicate that the M-19 political party is a separate organization from the AD M-19 party (Political Database of the Americas 17 Jan. 2002; Gerencia Politica 6 Nov. 2002; Europa World Year Book 2002 2002; C4 n.d.).

Europa World Year Book 2002 noted that, historically, AD M-19 "supported the M-19 campaign for elections to the National Constituent Assembly in December 1990" (2002). Moreover, Political Parties of the World stated that, in the 1990 Constitutional Assembly elections,

[t]he M-19 won the majority of the 19 seats secured by the AD M-19 in the Constitutional Assembly ... and as the largest opposition block made an important contribution to the drawing-up of the constitution which came into effect in July 1991 (2002)

No information about whether members of the M-19 political party have been targeted by paramilitaries 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.

References

Compromiso Civico Cristiano Con La Comunidad (C4). n.d. "Listado de partidos politicos: Con personeria juridica vigente." <http://www.pc4.org/archi/listado.htm> [Accessed 10 Mar. 2003]

Europa World Year Book 2002. 2002. 43rd ed. Vol 1. London: Europa Publications Limited.

Gerencia Politica Latinoamerica. 6 November 2002. "Colombia." <http://gerenciapolitica.fiu.edu/spanish_pages/Paises/colombia.htm> [Accessed 11 Mar. 2003]

Leftist Parties of the World. 20 February 2003. "Colombia." <http://www.broadleft.org/co.htm> [Accessed 10 Mar. 2003]

Political Database of the Americas. 17 January 2002. "Colombia: Political Parties." <http://www.georgetown.edu/pdba/Parties/Resumen/Colombia/desc.html> [Accessed 10 Mar. 2003]

Political Parties of the World. 2002. 5th ed. Edited by Alan J. Day. London: St. James Press.

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB databases

Usuccessful attempts at contacting the April 19th Movement (Movimiento 19 de Abril, M-19) and the Democratic Alliance M-19 (Alianza Democratica M-19, AD M-19) political parties.

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites:

Agencia de Noticias Nueva Colombia (ANNCOL)

Alianza Democratica M-19

Colombia, Presidencia de la Republica

Colombia Update

El Colombiano [Medellin]

Country Reports

Electorales.com

Freedom House

Radio Caracol [Bogota]

El Tiempo [Bogota]

Votebien.com

Search engine:

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Topics: Militias,