HI everyone,
Colombia is now a bomb. The peasant are resisting. The army and the paramilitars are attacking them, confiscating food...and now 5 people have been killed.
Please, I know that it looks like always, letters and stupid simbolic actions in front of consulates... but it really important that we keep on supporting this movilization.
Thanks to the international pression the people from Belgium has been released.
The direct attact of the colombian goberment against the internationalis shows that this is disburbing them.
STRONG SOLIDARITY IS NEEDED IN THIS MOMENT. IT IS REALLY URGENT. Please, send faxes to the colombian consulate of your country and to the fax number:
(++57 1) 3342921-- 2431023 - 3342841
Below I copy the call for the international team, and after reports of the situation in different regions.
AT THE END OF THE MESSAGE I COPY A MODEL LETTER TO BE SENT.
Solidarity,
Dear friends,
the peasant movilization in Colombia continue with facts of violence more serious every day. On 17th September, 5 peasants were killed and the peasant organizations recive permanent threats of death. Meanwhile the national goberment doesn't show a dialogue manner to attend the peasant demmands; instead the minister Londoño offers warranties for the desmovilization of the more of 100.000 peasants.
We ask you, that please you send urgently message to the Colombian goberment:
We know that the national goberment has blocked its systems of comunication to avoid the receptions of letters and messages to the following numbers, that later will be radicated in the offices of the Republic Presidence: (57 1) 3342921-- 2431023 - 3342841
Thanks a lot for your solidarity,
International team of ANUC UR
Consejo Nacional Campesino para la Acción Rural — CNC
Coordinación Movilización del Suroccidente Colombiano
Consejo Regional Campesino de Cundinamarca y Sur de la Sabana
Consejo Regional Campesino del Eje Cafetero
Coordinadora Campesina del Tolima
Wednesday, 18th September, 2002
In the middle of the terror peasants continue with their movilization
5 desplaced peasants, who participated in the national movilization were killed.
The night of Tuesday, 17th September, 5 peasants who were part of theNational Coordination of Desplaced - CND, were kipnapped and killed. They movilized, together with other 500 peasants, in the framework of the national agrarian and popular day. Among the victims are: Manuel Córdoba Menas, Jaime Vargas, Luis Alberto Morales y Electo Manuel Estrada. We acompany their families in this dificult moment.
Intoxicated aproximatly 100 peasants, among them there are many children, who drunk water which was poisoned in the place where more than 7000 peasants were kept by the Army, in the place of La Fonda in Patia.
While thousands of peasants prepare to strengthen the movilization, several social and union organizations of Popayan, solidarize with food and blanckets. These were not possible giving, because of lack of warranties. Because of that, humanitarian acompaniament of CICR (International Red Cross) is asked.
Thanks to the national and interantional pression, the belgium observers, who acompany the movilization in Cauca were realease.
About 100 peasant families who squated INCORA, ask in Pereira, through commission of negociation that teh national goberment attend their requests, due to the negation of the gobernador Elsa Gladys Cifuentes of attending theirs demmands.
The movilization in Icononzo is going on with more than 4.500 peasants, while a strenghtening of more than 7000 peasants coming from other regions is prepared. In the same way, a group of around 2000 peasants remains in El Espinal. This morning a dolegaion of Tolima was attended by the Interior and Justice Viceminister with very limited results.
Around 8000 peasants keep going the movilization in this deparment, specialy in the municipalities of Palermo and La Plata. The peasants of Huila reiterate their petitions in the deparmental and central goberment, and keep waiting for a commision of negotiation.
In Quibdo, around 2000 peasants, (desplaced most of them), concentrated in the Coliseo and in the instalations of INCORA, ask for attention to their demands and support the national movilization.
In Pasto, around 200 peasant families move from the head office of INCORA, where they were concentrated, warning that they are ready to come back if the petitions of the movilization are not attended.
Three men that identifay themselves as members of the Policy, trying to get inside of the ofice of this organization around midnight yesterday, saying that they brought a foreingner of Chilena nationality. When it was prevent that they went inside, they threated and insulted the persons who were inside.
Coordinator of the movilization has been followed in many part of the country. Two members of FENSUAGRO, in Bogota, were following by persons dresses as civilians, with unknown intentions, but in a clear expresion of frightening.
Two member of the international commision of observers, Ana Andres Ablanedo and Daniel Busto Gutierrez, were deported. Other internationalist were deported, Carlos Enjuto Gutierres. In a dictatorial actitude, the goberment of Uribe wants to aisolate the International Solidarity to facilitate the abuses and the violations of human rights and the International rights, thought this missions was completely advertice and that its caracter was humanitarian.
Noticias sobre Colombia | Plan Colombia | www.agp.org
MODEL LETTER
Doctor
ALVARO URIBE VELEZ
Presidente de la Republica
Palacio de Nariño
Santafé de Bogotá
Excelentisimo Señor Presidente,
Hemos sido informados que en desarrollo de la Movilizacion Nacional campesina, han ocurrido numerosos hechos de violencia contra la población movilizada, como decomiso y quema de alimentos, bienes personales y detenciones en numerosas regiones de Colombia.
Al 17 de noviembre en Barranquilla , 5 campesinos que integraban la Coordinación Nacional de Desplazados CND, quienes junto a otros 500 campesinos, se movilizaron en el marco de la jornada nacional agraria y popular fueron asesinados . Entre las víctimas figuran: Manuel Córdoba Menas, Jaime Vargas, Luis Alberto Morales y Electo Manuel Estrada.
Igualmente, amenazas de muerte y hostigamientos se realizan por hombres que dicen pertenecer a la policia nacional, contra la organizacion campesina ANUC UR.
Sabemos que la desición de su gobierno es « ofrecer garantias » para que la población campesina regrese a sus sitios de origen, sin resolver las causas que los han motivado a movilizarse.
Consideramos que la alarmante situación agraria que ha originado estas multitudinarias movilizaciones, exigen de su gobierno una clara voluntad de dialogo y concertación para resolver las demandas campesinas que buscan crear las condiciones reales para la paz que se merece la población colombiana.
Nos dirigimos a su excelencia con la seguridad que usará su autoridad para resolver nuestras peticiones:
De Usted, muy atentamente,