Client I.D.

1111009514 - PENA ROJAS, Sandra Yazmin

Basis of Claim Narrative of

Sandra Yazmin Pena Rojas, Carlos Javier Funeme Montanez, Paula Valetina Funeme Pena &

Zara Isabella Funeme Pena

1 My name is Sandra Yazmin Pena Rojas. I am a Colombian citizen and citizen of no other

2 country. I came to Canada with my husband Carlos Javier and my two children, Paula Valentina

3 and Zara Isabella.

5 Due to an ongoing persecution because of my being a part of a social group and political

6 opinion, I had to make the decision to flee to Canada as this might be the only way for us to be

7 safe.

8 We are claiming refugee status here in Canada based on the allegations in this narrative.

10 Back in Colombia, I worked for one of the largest governmental organizations in the region,

11 CUP. While working for CUP as a general secretary, I also was the organizations direct advocate

12 connection to the public. In my work part of my job was to participate in the distribution of

13 political statements we promoted. Unfortunately, due to the statements I provided, armed groups

14 such as ‘Aguilas Negras’ and ‘Bloque Capital’ took notice and soon began targeting me, seeing

15 myself as an associate in damaging the reputation they were trying to claim.

16

17 These armed groups actively work towards a ‘limpieza social’ pr social cleansing. Their primary

18 goal is to eradicate members of society who are considered a threat. They focus on the killing of
 Client I.D. 1111009514 - PENA ROJAS, Sandra Yazmin

19 people they see as unfavourable, fueled by the current corruption that has been ongoing in

20 Colombia through economic and social influences. Their main targets are minority communities

21 who they simply decide must be eradicated due to them not fitting the “pure” idea they want to

22 portray.

23

24 Knowing how certain these groups were with their targeting, I immediately attempted to seek out

25 help. I first reached out to the Fiscalia, who after a whole month had passed finally responded

26 only to say they would provide no active help or protection to us. We also reached out to the

27 Attorney General, the Defensoria, the Personeria and the Ombudsman office of the province, but

28 even to this day have received no proper response to our problem.

29

30 I was provided a certification as a displaced person, showing proof that I was being actively

31 targeted. This though did nothing to help our situation and the threats still continued, through

32 phone calls to my personal number, and flyers sent to my home and workplace. Altogether we

33 endured endless harassment from these groups wherever we were.

34

35 While trying to figure out our next steps, we were faced with a quarantine due to COVID-19

36 which hindered our attempts for help even further. During this time two colleagues of mine had

37 been killed by the same groups that were targeting me. This was what immediately informed me

38 that we were not going to be saved and had already been failed by our system. I decided we had

39 to flee Colombia to have any chance at life.

40
 Client I.D. 1111009514 - PENA ROJAS, Sandra Yazmin

41 I would like the opportunity to provide more information surrounding my case, including details

42 from the denunciations I had filed before the Attorney General, the Defensoria, the Personeria

43 and the Ombudsman office of the province. Also, details about the relocation, the internal flight

44 alternative and the proof that shows I had no other option but to come to Canada.

45 All of these details I would like to discuss with my counsel so we can provide more information

46 once we have reviewed all of the documentation that I will provide to IRB later on.

47

48 I am filing this application currently on my own since we couldn't have an appointment with our

49 counsel due to COVID-19. Any new additions to this narrative should be made out once we have

50 the appointment completed or once we have the interview completed with my lawyer. We still

51 plan to have Victoria Bruyn to represent us to the IRB in regard to our case.