The Ombudsman's Office, the Victims Unit and the National Registry complied with the election of the Departmental Table for the Effective Participation of Victims of Caldas, closing the democratic process of these organizations in the Coffee Axis.

More than 100 victims gathered at the Coffee Cultural Fund to comply with the election process of the Departmental Board for the Participation of Victims of Caldas, effective 2019 - 2021.

This exercise was developed by the Ombudsman's Office and was accompanied by the Victims Unit, the national Registry office, the Regional Attorney General's Office, several municipal offices and the Government of Caldas.

Laura Moreno Mejía, territorial director of the Unit in this area of ​​the country, said that the purpose of the Unit is that “all these election days are made with the greatest transparency and cordiality possible, this is a celebration of democracy, we invite you to vote with the heart and awareness that you should choose the most suitable representatives for the departmental table, always remember that the doors of the Unit are open to support them and move the processes forward”.

One of the main objectives of this new Bureau is to achieve, together with State entities, the extension of Law 1448, as leaders argue that there are still many projects to be executed so that victims can actually exercise their citizenship.

“You have a great responsibility as representatives of the victims of Caldas department, the Office of the Ombudsman has worked, works and will continue working with you to enforce your rights, we need to confirm a good team and be able to promote projects that will help all of you get ahead”, said Jazmín Gómez Agudelo, defender of the Town of Caldas.

“First I want to thank God and the people who chose me to be representing them, it is a very big job that we have to do at the Board, since La Dorada we have made important efforts to influence and guarantee the rights of victims with disability in the territory”, said Hincler Ber Morocco, representative for disability in this body.

Other members of the Board of Caldas are: Luis Carlos Mejía Alberto Ospina, Freddy Lemus Machado, (forced displacement), Uber Freddy Gaviria (LGBTI), Karen Lizbeth Nieto, Ancízar Soto Mejía (physical integrity), Darío Alonzo Zapata Marín (life and freedom), Óscar Ocampo (young people), Flor Angela Reina Galeano (elderly) Idaly Quintero Sinisterra (woman), Diana Patricia Arias (disappearance), Ludirlena Pérez (sexual violence), Jairo Coronado and Rociber Cifuentes (antipersonnel mines).

“I think that we still have many things to fulfill within the framework of the Victims Law and that is why we will work to carry out projects that can benefit us the most, the main thing now is to meet the objective so that the term of the Law and in this way guarantee the right to comprehensive reparation that we have”, concluded Uber Gaviria, new member of the Board.

(End/EHB/LMY)