A MASSACRE FORETOLD IN THE MINING MUNICIPALITY OF SUÁREZ, CAUCA, COLOMBIA
Santiago de Cali, 8th April 2010
Eight miners were murdered by armed men travelling in two vehicles and a motor bike. The killings occurred in a place known as “Alto de Ovejas”, a rural zone in the municipality of Suárez, department of Cauca, southern Colombia. The place where the massacre occurred is the upper part of the Ovejas river. It can be reached by a one and a half hour journey on foot.
We, the undersigned organizations, have warned of the serious situation caused by the social and armed conflict which the municipalities in the Northwest of Cauca are experiencing, especially in the Municipalities of Suarez, Morales and Buenos Aires. We urgently demand an explanation from the National Government as to why, despite numerous demands for protection for communities in the zone and despite the large numbers of military and police contingents deployed in the areas, the perpetrators of this massacre were completely free to enter the territory, commit the crime and leave again with impunity.
A fact finding mission, composed of the Process of Black Communities, the Association of Indigenous Cabildos from the North of Cauca and the Association for Research and Social Action, NOMADESC, is in the zone in order to make more information available. Unfortunately, no international organization was able to accompany this commission. Because of this, we call upon you to briefly write to the Colombian state, demanding that it takes immediate preventative action and pays attention to the entire population in northwest Cauca. At the same time, we call on the United Nations system to carry out a fact finding visit to the zone as fast as possible. For our part, we will make the information widely available as soon as the work of the fact finding mission has completed its work in the territory. Continue reading »
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ALLIANCE FOR GLOBAL JUSTICE ANNOUNCES:
Eyewitness Investigation–Is the US Funding a War on Colombian Farmers?
August 1 through 11, 2010
Our Hosts:
- FENSUAGRO, Colombia’s largest labor federation of farmers and farm workers
- Traspaso los Muros, an organization of persons both inside and outside Colombian jails advocating for the rights of political prisoners. Continue reading »
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TRASPASA LOS MUROS: CAMPAÑA PERMANENTE DE SOLIDARIDAD CON LAS DETENIDAS Y LOS DETENIDOS POLÍTICOS
ACCIÓN URGENTE
LILIANY PATRICIA OBANDO VILLOTA, PRISIONERA POLÍTICA DE CONCIENCIA, PADECE AMENAZA DE TRASLADO POR DENUNCIAR ABUSOS COMETIDOS POR GUARDIANAS DE LA RECLUSIÓN DE MUJERES EL BUEN PASTOR DE BOGOTÁ – COLOMBIA.
La Campaña Traspasa Los Muros denuncia a la Comunidad Nacional e Internacional que el INPEC usa el traslado como represalia contra los prisioneros políticos en Colombia, cuando denuncian violaciones o amenazas de sus derechos fundamentales.
Respaldamos las peticiones de la Prisionera Política LILIANY PATRICIA OBANDO VILLOTA y exigimos al Estado Colombiano garantizar sus derechos fundamentales, especialmente su derecho a la cercanía familiar, y en consecuencia ABSTENERSE DE TRASLADARLA a otro sitio de reclusión, puesto que su núcleo familiar reside en la ciudad de Bogotá, lugar donde también se adelanta el proceso penal en su contra, dentro del cual tiene la calidad de SINDICADA, y se encuentra en detención preventiva.
Solicitamos a las Comunidad Nacional e Internacional emitir sus pronunciamientos respaldando la Acción Urgente que ha presentado la Prisionera Política, enviando sus comunicaciones a las direcciones abajo relacionadas.
Para su mayor conocimiento REENVIEAMOS el texto completo de la acción urgente: Continue reading »
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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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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 Sovereign Hager
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America
PARIS, France – Education International, a global union federation, released a report today finding that Colombian teachers face the highest rates of political violence against teachers in the world. The detailed report, entitled Colombia’s Classroom Wars details incidences of murder, disappearances, torture, death threats, forced displacement, arbitrary detention, and other violations of human rights. Continue reading »
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Comrades, organisers and those attending the Conference in Solidarity with Latin America 2009, Melbourne Australia, August 28-29 2009
I have h ad two opportunities to participate in the conference of solidarity with Latin America and the Asia Pacific organised by yourselves and I can say with an awareness of these matters that it is more than the simple realization and attendance at an event. From my experience I can say that it has been a valuable tool for building bridges for communication, to exchange experiences of resistance, to strengthen ties of fraternity and solidarity and to launch concrete initiatives between the organisers, attendees and the organisations from the countries participating.
In the case of my country, Colombia, the existence of a prolonged internal social and armed conflict, results in it being less attractive for many solidarity activists. In the space of this conference we can make known our reality, our struggle and resistance, our dreams and hopes. We also have the possibility of strengthening our previous relationships between the political, social organisations and unions in your country and ours. And it was also from our participation in the conference that we saw the birth of the solidarity organisations with our country called Peace and Justice for Colombia and the International Network in Solidarity with Colombian Political Prisoners.Furthermore, you are arranging new and important visits of delegates from various organisations from your country to their counterparts in Colombia. And it is through these conferences delegates from social and political movements of countries that are geographically so distant find common struggles and agendas. Continue reading »
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Dear comrades,
We wish to extend greetings to your forum. We also send our solidarity in your efforts to have Liliany released immediately.
Her work with The National Federation of Agricultural Farming Unions, part of which was a tour of speaking engagements in Australia, was obviously too effective in explaining the human rights crisis in Colombia. Her imprisonment is a travesty of justice, without even a trial! Continue reading »
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Thursday 6th of August, 6:00pm
@ Melbourne University Student Union, Members′ lounge (Ground Floor, enter via Tin Alley, Parkville).
Entry by donation
 Minga means “collective” or “community work”. In this session we will hear about the different social movements in Colombia, from the indigenous struggle for self determination, the Afro-Colombian opposition to forced displacement and against free-trade agreements, the people´s movement for peace with social justice.
With the participation of a Colombian Academic & member of Peace & Justice for Colombia
Plus footage & video. Continue reading »
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In June 2009, a delegation of 5 parlamentarians from Uribe´s government in Colombia visited Australia. This was a follow up from the visit in March this year of the Colombian Trade Minister.
While this delegation attended a session in the Parliament, Senator Doug Cameron (ALP- NSW) gave a speech in which he refers to the trade and human rights in Colombia. Download full document.
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