In the night of Tuesday, 17th September, 5 peasants who were part of the National Coordination of Displaced - CND, were kidnapped and killed. They had demonstrated, together with other 500 peasants, for the national agrarian and popular day. Among the victims are: Manuel Córdoba Menas, Jaime Vargas, Luis Alberto Morales and Electo Manuel Estrada. We accompany their families in this dificult moment.
Cauca
Approximately 100 peasants were harmed, among them many children, by drinking water which was poisoned in the place where more than 7,000 peasants are held by the Army, at La Fonda in Patia.
While thousands of peasants prepared to strengthen the mobilisation, several social and union organisations from Popayan, offered solidarity with food and blankets. It was not psossible to give these items, because of lack of warranties [presumably blocked by the Army]. Because of that, humanitarian accompaniment of CICR (International Red Cross) has been asked for.
Thanks to national and international pressure, the Belgian observers who accompanied this mobilisation in Cauca were released.
Risaralda
About 100 peasant families who occupied INCORA offices [state organisation for land reform] in Pereira demand through a negotiating commission that the national government attend their requests, due to the refusal of governor Elsa Gladys Cifuentes to address their demands.
Tolima
The mobilisation in Icononzo is going on with more than 4,500 peasants, and reinforcements of more than 7,000 peasants coming from other regions are being prepared. Meanwhile, a group of around 2,000 peasants remains in El Espinal. This morning a delegation from Tolima was met by the Interior and Justice Viceminister with very limited results.
Huila
Around 8,000 peasants keep the mobilisation going in this deparment, especially in the municipalities of Palermo and La Plata. The peasants of Huila reiterate their demands to the deparmental and central government, and remain waiting for a negotiating commision.
Chocó
In Quibdo, around 2,000 peasants, (most of them displaced off their land), assembled in the Coliseum and in the INCORA premises, asking for attention to their demands and in support of the national mobilisation.
Nariño
In Pasto, around 200 peasant families move from the head office of INCORA, where they had gathered, warning that they are ready to come back if the demands of the mobilisation are not attended.
Agression against ANUC-UR in Bogota
Three men who identified themselves as members of the National Police tried to get inside of the office of this organisation around midnight yesterday, saying that they brought a foreigner of Chilean nationality. When they were stopped from entering, they threatened and insulted the people who were inside.
Co-ordinators of the mobilisation have been followed in many parts of the country. Two members of FENSUAGRO, in Bogota [agricultral workers union], were followed by persons dressed as civilians, with unknown intentions, but in a clear attempt to frighten them.
Two members of the international commision of observers, Ana Andres Ablanedo and Daniel Busto Gutierrez, were deported. Carlos Enjuto Gutierres was another internationalist deported. In a dictatorial atitude, the government of Uribe wants to isolate the mobilisation from International Solidarity to facilitate the abuses and the violations of human rights and international rights, though this mission was openly announced and that its caracter was humanitarian.
MODEL LETTER
Doctor ALVARO URIBE VELEZ
Presidente de la Republica
Palacio de Nariño
Santafé de BogotáSeptiembre 18 de 2.002
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:
- Establecer dialogo y concertación para atender las demandas de las organizaciones campesinas
- Liberación de los campesinos (as) detenidos (as)
- Ivestigación y castigo a los autores de los crímenes cometidos y detener de la represión hacia la población campesina movilizada
De Usted, muy atentamente,
SEND TO
ALVARO URIBE VELEZ Presidente de la República Fax 00571 337 5890, 00571 566 2071 Try also (00571) 3342921-- 2431023 - 3342841 FERNANCO LONDOÑO HOYOS Ministro del Interior y de Justicia Fax 00571 286 8025 mininteriormyrealbox.com; minisint
* We are the Peasant, Indigenous, and Afro-Colombian Organisations and other popular sectors who have prepared our mobilisation for different areas of the country. We intend to protest against the imposition of the neoliberal economic model; the social and political discrimination in our country; and our exclusion from direct participation in the key decisions of the country.
Declaration of Public Opposition To the opening of the internal market to agricultural products; to the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas; to the Fast Track authority to try to tie our country to treaties with the US and Canada, which is tantamount to the absorption of Latin America by the US through inequitable commercial treaties and investments in megaprojects.
Demands of the Mobilization Recognition of the peasant economy and support of Food Security and Colombian 'food sovereignty'; a Renegotiation of the public debt; Access to low-interest credit for small and medium agricultural and artisan producers; Coordination of agrarian policy with the affected social organizations; Stabilisation and strengthening of the legal and financial situation of the public agricultural sector; fulfilment of the agreements the government has made for: guarantees of human rights of the communities and their leaders, the right to organisation and social expression.