On February 5th, Peace and Justice for Colombia sent the following letter to Mr. Brendan O´Connor, Australian Minister for Home Affairs protesting the interrogation of a member of our organisation.
Mr Brendan O’Connor MHR
Minister for Home Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600
Mr. O´Connor,
Minister for Home Affairs,
We are writing to protest against the interrogation of Mr. Alejandro Rodriguez by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on February 3rd. Mr. Rodriguez is a member of our organisation, Peace and Justice for Colombia, and he is a well known advocate for workers´ rights and solidarity. Continue reading »
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In an electoral campaign that has up to now been dominated by advertising of candidates that have strong connections to paramilitaries and the drug trade, the campaign headquarters of the main opposition figure in Colombia has been raided by armed men. On the 5th of February the campaign office of Piedad Cordoba and Andrés Villamizar in Bogota was raided by armed men, the attackers ordered all the office staff into the bathrooms and stole all the telephones, lists of supporters and volunteers. In a country were supporters of opposition candidates are systematically executed or thrown in jail elections are really just a costly exercise in international publicity.
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PEACE AND JUSTICE STATEMENT
4 February 2010
Take Action: Oppose to the attempts to criminalise International Solidarity
Peace and Justice for Colombia (PJFC) is deeply concerned about the recent questioning and interrogations of activists in Australia that for years have been working in solidarity with Colombia.
On 3 February 2010, a member of our organisation, Mr. Alejandro Rodriguez, was interviewed by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) in an attempt to obtain information on individuals, the Agricultural Workers Union of Colombia (FENSUAGRO) and about the activities of our organisation. Continue reading »
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By DANIEL KOVALIK, from CounterPunch
This past summer, President Obama announced that he had signed an agreement with Colombia to grant the U.S. military access to 7 military bases in Colombia. As the UK’s Guardian newspaper announced at the time, “[t]he proposed 10-year lease will give the US access to at least seven Colombian bases – three air force, two naval and two army – stretching from the Pacific to the Caribbean.” And, these bases would accommodate up to 800 military and 600 civilian contractors of the United States. As the Guardian explained, this announcement caused outrage in neighboring Latin American nations and “damaged Barack Obama’s attempt to mend relations with the region.” Continue reading »
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Sunday 31st January 2010.
STOP THE HARASSMENT OF POLITICAL PRISONERS & THEIR SUPPORTERS. SILENCE IS NOT AN ALTERNATIVE
Dear friends:
For your information, we have become aware of an incident involving our friend Kevin Neish, a Canadian human rights observer who is currently in Colombia visiting some political prisoners and observing the trial of Liliany Obando. Her public hearing scheduled for 18/19 & 27th January was cancelled because the “Fiscalia” (Prosecution) failed to provide a copy of the prosecution evidence against Liliany to her defense team. The case was adjourned until 15/16th February. Continue reading »
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HEARING ON MONDAY, DEC. 21ST 2009
We have learned that Colombian political prisoner, Liliany Obando, will have another hearing today THIS MONDAY, DEC. 21ST. Please support her application for Home Detention. This is a basic right frequently given to those accused and convicted of a broad range of crimes, including those jailed for paramilitary and parapolitical activities. Continue reading »
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By Garry Leech, Colombia Journal
Many analysts and sectors of the mainstream media have suggested that the apparent ineffectiveness of the U.S. government to resolve the crisis in Honduras is evidence that the influence wielded by the region’s superpower is waning. They argue that the assertiveness of Brazil in its efforts to have Honduras’ coup regime step down and re-instate the country’s democratically elected president Manuel Zelaya illustrates how the balance of power in the region has shifted. But such conclusions might well be premature. After all, given the stubbornness of the coup regime headed by Roberto Micheletti, it could be argued that it is the United States, and by extension its ally Colombia, that are getting their way in Honduras and not Brazil and its leftist allies Venezuela and Bolivia. Continue reading »
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From the Permanent Campaign in Solidarity with Political Prisoners, “Traspasa los Muros”
libertadpresxspoliticxs.jimdo.com
The Permanent Campaign in Solidarity with the Political Detainees transcribes and resends the following:
PUBLIC DENUNCIATION
MINISTRY OF THE INTERIOR OF COLOMBIA THREATENS THE HUMAN RIGHTS REPRESENTATIVE OF THE WOMEN PRISONERS OF THE TRAMACUA PENITENTIARY OF VALLEDUPAR-COLOMBIA
From The Women Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War of the High Security Penitentiary of Valledupar-La Tramacua: Before the national and international community we denounce and reject the authoritarianism and abuse of power of the Colombian Senior Minister of the Interior, FABIO VALENCIA COSSIO, as a result of the following deeds: Continue reading »
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TO ALL DEFENDERS OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE LOVING PEOPLE
Peace and Justice for Colombia (PJFC) calls on you to protest recent actions by Australian and Colombian police agencies that violated the human rights and prisoner conventions of labour activist and political prisoner, Liliany Obando. We denounce the attempts by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to obtain information on organizations and individuals that Ms Obando met while touring Australia. This is an attempt to internationalize the so-called FARC-Politics and criminalize international solidarity.
On 2nd September 2009, prison guards told Liliany Obando that social services wanted to interview her. Once at the interview room she was informed the interview would be with personnel from the Colombian General Prosecutor’s office. In the room she found a woman and two men, one of whom appeared to be a foreigner, waiting. Continue reading »
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Hon Brendan O’Connor MP
Minister for Home Affairs
PO Box 6022, Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2601
Fax: (02) 6273 7098
Cc: Tony Negus APM
Commissioner of the AFP
PO Box 401
Canberra City ACT 2601
Dear Minister O’Connor,
We are writing to protest recent actions by Australian Federal Police (AFP) violating international prisoners’ rights conventions and the human rights of labour activist and political prisoner Liliany Obando in Colombia. Continue reading »
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