Mario Calixto

Mario Calixto
Born	c. 1959
Residence	Spain
Nationality	Colombian
Occupation	human rights activist
Organization	Human Rights Committee of Sabana de Torres
Awards	Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award (1998)

Mario Calixto (born c. 1959^[1]) is a Colombian human rights activist.

In the 1990s, Calixto was the president of the Human Rights Committee of Sabana de Torres and was repeatedly threatened by paramilitary groups for his denunciations of their activities. On 23 December 1997, two armed men attempted to kidnap him from his home, but were prevented by the presence of observers from Peace Brigades International.^[2]

In 1998, he won the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award along with fellow Colombian activists Berenice Celeyta, Gloria Florez, and Jaime Prieto Mendez. As of that year, he was living in exile in Spain.^[3]

References

1. "Four Activists Deplore Tide of Violence". The Miami Herald. 10 November 1998. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
2. Reychler, Luc; Thania Paffenholz (2001). Peacebuilding: A Field Guide. Lynne Rienner Publishers. p. 28. ISBN 978-1555879372. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
3. "1998: Berenice Celeyta, Gloria Florez, Jaime Prieto, and Mario Calixto". Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights. Retrieved 5 July 2012.