The situation in Colombia is worsening and solidarity from around the world is needed to change it. Implementation of “Plan Colombia” has brought more
“disappearances,” assassinations of trade union leaders, massacres and
displacements of entire communities.
The situation in Colombia is worsening and solidarity from around the world is needed to change it. Implementation of “Plan Colombia” has brought more
“disappearances,” assassinations of trade union leaders, massacres and
displacements of entire communities.
On May 3, 2001, the right-wing paramilitary group, the AUC, kidnapped Kimy Pernia, leader of the indigenous Emberra people, in the department of Cordoba. Indigenous people from all over Colombia began a march to Cordoba
to rescue Pernia alive, but the authorities in the region denied them permission to continue because it would interfere with a ranchers’ fair
going on.
In other words, cows are very important to Governor Jose Mara Lopez and other authorities, but not the life of an indigenous leader. The
indigenous organizations have rejected this decision by Lopez and are continuing their
march.
There have been new assassinations of trade union leaders from both of the major trade union organizations (CUT & CGT). At present a trade union leader is murdered every three days. So far this year, 60 leaders have been murdered, in 2000 there were 115 and in the past 15 years a total of 4,500 trade union leaders have been assassinated.
The paramilitaries of the AUC, especially the so-called Calima Block, operate with the complacency of the military authorities in Del Valle and Cauca, threatening the peasants and burning their houses so that they abandon
their lands. This group is responsible for the recent massacre in Ro Naya where 53 people got killed.
The same is occurring in Arauca, Magdelena Medio, Centro Bolivar, Sucre, Antioquia Cauca, Choco, and Cordoba. The most notorious case is the communities of Cararica where international observers and organizations around the world (including from Chicago) are supporting the people in their struggle to survive.
To all of these disturbing cases we have to add another new massacre that occurred in Putumayo on June 15th. The Auc assassinated former local
officials, civic leaders and peasants whose only crime was to have dreamed of a better country.
In the regions controlled by AUC now it is prohibited to teach the Greek classics because they are “subversive.” If you live or have lived in an area through which the guerillas sometimes pass, you will be murdered by the
AUC for “supporting the guerillas.”
Meanwhile, on May 25th 300,000 public school teachers and 150,000 health workers went out on strike against a new law that has the effect of
drastically cutting and even destroying public education and public health services. The teachers and health care workers are being strongly
supported by students and families.
FOR ALL THESE REASONS WE ASKED THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THE PAINFUL REALITY OF
COLOMBIA AND CALL THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT TO URGE IT TO BREAK ITS LINKS WITH THE AUC AND PUNISH THOSE AUC MEMBERS GUILTY OF THESE CRIMES.
In Chicago call 312.923.1196
In Washington call 202.332.7476
Support the Colombian people
No more disappearances of Indigenous peoples!
!! Kimy Pernia alive and free!!
No more assassinations of trade union leaders!
No more massacres!
No! To Plan Colombia!
No! To US money for a war against the people.
[ also see related items:
UN Confirms “Plan Colombia” as Baseless: http://theexperiment.org/articles.php?news_id=1345
700,000 Colombians Protest Neo-Liberalism: http://theexperiment.org/articles.php?news_id=652 ]
Author: JWhitfi894
News Service: IMC-Global
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