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Apr 13
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Entérese de la situación que vive hoy el municipio de Tauramena, departamento de Casanare, frente al comportamiento de la empresa transnacional BP
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Apr 13
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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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Feb 15
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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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Feb 06
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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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Aug 05
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From Upside Down World, by Helda Martínez
(IPS) – Women in the small Andean town of Cajamarca and the nearby city of Ibagué, in the central-west Colombian province of Tolima, are leading the struggle against a major gold mining venture that threatens to alter their way of life. Despite differences in social and economic conditions, one thing that unites women from these two Tolima communities – separated by only a few kilometres on the Pan-American Highway but otherwise worlds apart – is their wariness over a mining project that promises prosperity for a few while posing a threat to the natural environment and rural livelihoods.
It all began in 2006, when the South Africa-based mining giant AngloGold Ashanti (AGA) – which had prospecting permits from the Ministry of Mines to explore 27 areas in the province, including 15 in the municipality – discovered gold in a field near Cajamarca. Continue reading »
