Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, if he will make representations to the Colombian authorities regarding the status of the investigation into the murder of Benicio Flor Belardo Cazar on 11 October 2015 in La Meseta, Suarez.

I was sorry to hear of the death of Benicio Flor Belalcázar. Whilst the United Kingdom cannot interfere in another country’s judicial process, we continue to encourage the government of Colombia in its efforts to prevent violence and threats against human rights defenders, trades unionists, political activists and civil society and to promptly investigate human rights violations.

As I have said to the House on a number of occasions, I am convinced that current efforts to secure peace represent the best prospect for the rights of all Colombians. This Government remains hugely supportive of this process.