At the same time, several social organizations from different parts of the world joined the Colombian efforts to find Sandra. Friends of the Earth International launched a cyberaction on their website, and tens of member groups of the federation have sent letters to Colombian authorities to demand action to find the activist as soon as possible.

Sandra, a 26 year-old environmental engineer, disappeared on February 17th in Cali, Valle del Cauca department. According to a statement issued by Asociación Minga and Censat Agua Viva-Friends of the Earth Colombia, the activist is 5’5’’ tall and was wearing blue jeans and a black shirt on Thursday, the day she disappeared. Her identity card and cellphone were found on

Saturday near the place where she was supposed to take a public bus to Palmira. She was last seen in Belalcazar neighbourhood, close to her parents home.

The local search committee made up by several social
organizations and Sandra’s friends called for a march on Wednesday. The call reads: “With this march we hope to raise awareness on the population, to have their support and look for information that will help find Sandra. We invite all cultural, environmental groups, university students, academics, authorities and civic organizations, and the general public, to join this demonstration.”

Meanwhile, the Colombian left-wing party Polo Democratico Alternativo issued an “urgent solidarity call to the Valle del Cauca community’’ in response to Sandra’s disappearance, and invited people to participate in the march on Wednesday.
“We call the members of the party, human rights organizations, social and peoples’ organizations to spread the word and to join efforts to find Sandra Viviana”, they add.

Also, Friends of the Earth International has published a cyberaction on their website to pressure Colombian authorities to step up the search. The action is available here: http://www.foei.org/en/get-involved/take-action/sandra-gallego where people can sign a letter that will be sent to the authorities. Sandra used to work in Censat Agua Viva – Friends of the Earth Colombia, mainly on forest issues.

The information published by Friends of the Earth reads that “too many environmentalists have been murdered or "disappeared" in Colombia. We need to send a message to the Colombian authorities to show them we are monitoring their response.”

“Sandra’s family, friends and colleagues from varying social organizations in Latin America are calling on the Colombian authorities to take urgent action and carry out police investigations to find Sandra as soon as possible.”

Sandra had been recently working in the defense of Cauca River with Yanacona indigenous people and has worked in a natural reserve near Yumbo municipality (Valle del Cauca), in addition to spending time on her spiritual education.

Photo: Censat Agua Viva – Friends of the Earth Colombia