PERSECUTION IN COLOMBIA OF WELL-MEANING PEOPLE AND ORGANIZATIONS WHICH DEFEND HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE WITH SOCIAL JUSTICE
On April 13 of this year, the Attorney General’s Office of Colombia attacked Senator Piedad Córdoba with absurd and unfounded accusations while she was out of the country. She was in Europe for the European Tour for Peace in Colombia and the Humanitarian Agreement (EUROPAZ2010), seeking support to promote peace in her country and a non-military solution to the armed conflict. This happened just a few weeks after she served as a mediator, securing the freedom of soldiers being held by the belligerent forces of the FARC. Continue reading »
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By DANIEL KOVALIK
CounterPunch, April 26, 2010
In his book, Colombia: the Genocidal Democracy, Father Javier Girardo, a Jesuit priest and long-time human rights activist in Colombia, estimated that, between 1988 and 1995, more than 60,000 Colombians lost their lives to the internal conflict in Colombia – most of them at the hands of the state, either in the form of the official Colombian military or the paramilitary forces supported by the state. Continue reading »
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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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In response to the Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s call to his ambassadors to ban the screening of Insurgency of the 21st Century, Australian activist groups have started promoting the documentary.
The premiere screening took place on March 6, outside the Colombian embassy in Canberra, Australia. This coincided with a national day of protest against state terror in Colombia. Continue reading »
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 Stop criminalisation of International Solidarity!
Stop State Terror in Colombia!
Saturday, March 6th, 7:30pm
Garema Place, ACT Canberra
A documentary on the current struggles of the Colombian people will be screened, introduced by Colombia solidarity activists. Followed by the controversial documentary that Uribe does not want you to see.
At the time Colombian President Alvaro Uribe agrees to accept seven new US military bases and the US government reactivate its Fourth fleet, Colombian peasants, workers, indigenous, women and children continue to be displaced or even executed.
Internationally, all of those who denounce the criminal regime of Uribe, demand social justice or show any kind of solidarity with the Colombian people and workers, are immediately accused of supporting terrorism. In the US, Australia and other countries, activists, journalists and human rights advocates had been harassed or interrogated by the police. The Colombian government, supported by their Ambassadors and supporters around the world, is leading a campaign to suppress websites, ban films from being publicly screened and persecute political activists.
The Colombian people deserve the support of people around the world. International solidarity is not a criminal activity and all efforts to silence voices of dissent attempt against the basic civil liberties.
This night we will come together to:
- Demand justice for the victims of state terror in Colombia
- Denounce all initiatives to criminalise international solidarity
- Defend our civil rights and liberties to express our solidarity
Supported by: Revolutionary Socialist Party (Canberra), Communist Party of Australia (Victoria) and Socialist Alliance
Find the event on Facebook
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 In recent months, there had been an unprecedented escalatation of harassment and persecution of solidarity activists internationally who have shown support to the political struggles of the Colombian and other Latin American peoples. This international campaign began soon after the murder of former FARC-EP leader, Raúl Reyes and the illegal seizure of information from a “magic laptop” that did not get destroyed after heavy bombing. Law specialists have discussed the legitimacy of such source of information, as no protocols were followed while obtaining the data. Moreover there are severe doubts of its authenticity including INTERPOL reports showing improper handling of the laptop by Colombian authorities. In any case, that information —based on alias names, doubtful dates and the media interpretation of the supposed data— has been used as a base for interrogating academics, journalists, human rights advocates, unionists and solidarity activists, in an attempt to simplistically interpret social consciousness, political activism or solidarity with “terrorist activity.” Continue reading »
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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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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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