Colombian Caravana

The Colombian Caravana is a UK based charity that works to promote access to justice and uphold the rule of law in Colombia. We work together with Colombian human rights lawyers and human rights defenders to ensure respect for human rights. The Colombian Caravana believes that without lawyers and legal professionals there can be no justice. If they are compromised by infringement of their right to practise independently in the interests of their clients, then justice itself is also compromised. The work of Colombian lawyers, particularly human rights lawyers, judges, other legal professionals and human rights defenders ensures access to justice. However, in doing this work individuals are intimidated, threatened and even assassinated. The Caravana has built an international legal network to highlight and tackle the issues faced by lawyers, judges, other legal professionals and human rights defenders. In this way the Caravana seeks to contribute to positive and lasting change in the lives and work of these lawyers and other legal professionals. In doing this we aim to improve access to justice in Colombia, a country where the violation of human rights is a systematic problem. Members of the group first visited Colombia in 2008 at the invitation of the Association of Colombian Human Rights Lawyers (Asociación Colombiana de Abogados Defensores de Derechos Humanos, ACADEHUM). ACADEHUM had issued a call for an international delegation of lawyers to visit several regions of the country to meet lawyers at risk and victims who they represent. The Caravana has been organising biennial delegations to Colombia since 2008, including lawyers and legal professionals from Europe, North America and Latin America. The organisation was incorporated as a company in 2010 and achieved charitable status in 2011. We are a membership organisation run by volunteers and supported by an active board of trustees.