archivos de los protestos globales

Repression in Colombia against the peasant movilization

PRESS RELEASE # 1
Bogota, September 16th, 2002

Arrests, food and vehicles confiscated and other forms of aggression
against the peasant mobilization.

While the Military Forces and the Police are blocking the free
movement in Cauca, Sucre, Tolima and Caldas among other regions,
paramilitary groups have installed road-blocks and are striking
terror into the population. Although the National Government has
authorised the mobilization and the UN has asked for guarantees to be
ensure the protection of people on the march, the civilian
authorities and military have not done enough to protect the right of
the peasants to protest and mobilise. Since last week, human right
organizations put in an appeal of Early Alert, because of the
declaration of paramilitary groups that the people on the march were
military target.

In different regions of the country there have been arrests of
peasants, including international observers, as happened in the Sucre
department in Chalan in the first hours of the morning today. The
Battalion of infantry # 5 of Chalan is keeping Daniel Justo Gutierrez
and Ana Andres Ablanedo, members of the NGO Sodepaz, and the general
secretary of Fensuagro, Rudy Robles, in the square of the village. In
La Maria - Piendamo, Cauca, the Army has arrested many peasants. In
the Tolima, the access routes to the main roads have been blocked by
the Army. 7000 peasants are being held by the Army in the vicinity of
Icononzo. In Pasca, Cundinamarca, the Army displayed banners
forbidding the peasant mobilization.

Only 15 minutes from Popayan, in the Tambo, the paramilitary forces
have installed a road-block where they are confiscating food,
impounding the vehicles and reiterating the death threats against
those who participate in the march. In the vicinity of Balboa, Cauca,
they have installed another blockade which has prevented the marchers
from continuing. In Totoro, the Army and the Police stopped the
mobilization coming from Inza and Paez. In the region of Chlan,
Sucre, besides the detentions by the army, the paramilitaries have
forced the population to remain inside their homes, under the threat
of death if they take part in the march.


These and other intimidatory violations of rights of mobilization and
freedom of expression will be presented in a press conference this
evening.

MORE REPORTS - COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE.

Luis Alberto Mata: cel 310- 2120722
Nelly Velandia: cel: 310 - 4812733
Olga Gutiérrez: cel: 310 - 2082453
Edilia Mendoza - 334 2921 - 2841

Noticias sobre Colombia | Plan Colombia | ALCA/FTAA | www.agp.org