AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Media Advisory

AI Index: AMR 18/003/2003 (Public)

News Service No: 054

10 March 2003

Bolivia: Amnesty International delegation to visit the country

Published

An Amnesty International delegation is to visit Bolivia from 13 to 24 March to investigate the country’s human rights situation.

The delegates, Rafael Barrios, a lawyer, and Virginia Shoppee, from the Amnesty International Secretariat in London, will visit La Paz, Santa Cruz, Cochabamba and El Chapare region.

During their visit, the delegates will meet with national and local authorities to discuss the promotion and protection of human rights in the country and to present the organization’s concerns with regard to human rights in the Republic of Bolivia. Among the issues to be discussed during these meetings will be the human rights violations recorded during January 2003 in El Chapare, Cochabamba department and other towns in the country and during the demonstrations in La Paz on 12 and 13 February this year, along with the progress of investigations initiated in this regard.

The delegates will meet with non-governmental organizations, representatives of civil society and victims of human rights violations and will visit prisons and detention centres to gather information on prison conditions.

The delegates will present the preliminary conclusions of their visit to the organization’s directors.

Public Document

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