Members of PBI and Judith Maldonado, director of the Luis Carlos Perez Lawyer Colective (CCALCP).

Judith Maldonado has been a lawyer for 33 years and is the co-founder and current director of the Luis Carlos Perez Lawyer Collective (CCALP). She, along with three colleagues, created the organisation in order to, according to her, “confront the serious humanitarian crisis in the Northwest region of Colombia caused by the advances of the paramilitary groups.” CCALP serves as legal advisor to the victims of the region who have suffered human rights violations. For example, starting in 2004, the lawyers have worked with the indigenous community of Motilón Bari, located in the Catatumbo region (Department of Norte de Santander), to defend life, nature and their culture, and in opposition to the effects of oil and coal extraction in the region. These projects, according to Maldonado, constitute the most serious threat that the indigenous communities face. CCALCP’s legal work resulted in the Constitutional Court Sentence Y-880 that protects this community’s rights.

Because of the work these lawyers do, they have experienced at least 15 security incidents in the last 10 years, including, wire-tapping, threats, unfounded accusations, and stigmatisation. Last year, Judith Maldondo denounced two threats in particular: one that she received from the illegal armed group “Aguilas Negras,”[1] and another in which she affirms that several unidentified men robbed and verbally intimidated her.[2] Despite the fact that these incidents left her feeling “impotent and vulnerable,” the lawyer continues to “recognise, admire and respect the victims in this country” in whom she finds “force and inspiration knowing that, despite facing situations much more cruel and serious, they continue to rise up, organise and resist.”[3] Judith Maldonado recently received the Shalom 2011 prize, one of the most important prizes Germany offers in the field of Human Rights.  While she appreciates that this prizes recognises her hard work in human rights, she also points out that it is more important that it highlights how the members of her organisation continue being victims of judicial persecution.[4]