martes, diciembre 22, 2009

Colombians Refuse to Be Displaced: Over 5,000 Occupy the Piñuña Negro Police Inspectors Office in Putumayo


Indigenous and Afro-Colombian Campesinos Demand an End to Coca Eradication and Plan Colombia

By James Jordan
Special to The Narco News Bulletin

December 21, 2009

Over 5,000 indigenous, AfroColombian and farming community members are occupying the community center of Piñuña Negro in the department of Putumayo, Colombia. Using tactics of nonviolent resistance, a crowd of all ages has gathered at the highest government office in the area—the Police Inspector’s office—to demand negotiations with local and national government representatives and an end to military and paramilitary harassment and coca eradication programs that are causing thousands of residents to be displaced. The affected communities say that after three years of unfulfilled promises and unanswered calls for dialogue, there have been no lasting efforts by the government to develop replacement crops, markets and the infrastructure to get crops to markets. Instead, community leaders and residents are being falsely accused of being operatives of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-FARC) and subjected to ongoing repression.

With no means to earn a livelihood, rural communities are enduring widespread malnutrition, disease and lack of educational or economic opportunity. The local population has been subjected to rampant abuses by the military, including unprovoked and random armed assaults against civilian populations, the forced procurement of crops and other resources, occupation of homes and farms and a military blockade prohibiting the entry of food and other daily necessities into the area. Paramilitary death squads have operated with impunity, threatening the population and, worse, committing assassinations and other acts of violence. The Vice-President of ASCAP and member of the National Directorate of FENSUAGRO was assassinated after numerous threats just last year.

Since October 19th, at least 5,263 residents of the region have occupied the Police Inspector’s Office of Piñuñu Negro, part of the municipality of Puerto Leguizamo, by the Colombian/Peruvian border, and near where these nations meet with the Ecuadorian border. The occupation is being led by the Putumayo Agricultural Association of Farmers and Farm Workers (Asociación Campesina Agrícola del Putumayo-ASCAP). ASCAP is a member of The Federation of United National Agricultural and Aquacultural Unions (Federación Nacional Sindical Unitaria Agropecuaria-FENSUAGRO), the largest organization of farmers and farm workers in Colombia. It is also Colombia’s most targeted union. Three out of five union members who are assassinated in the world are killed in Colombia.

A recent survey of the popular occupation reveals a diverse gathering of people, including 1,024 girls, 828 boys, 1,828 men and 1,543 women, with 20% of the women being pregnant. Many of the adults are also elderly. They are protesting eradication efforts and military/paramilitary attacks in Putumayo, especially around the municipalities of Puerto Leguizamo and Puerto Asís, the most important port towns on the Putumayo River.

Putumayo has been one of the departments most adversely affected by US/Colombian coca eradication efforts, including the indiscriminate spraying of Monsanto’s herbicide Round-Up Ultra. This has included fumigations not only of coca, but, due to the arbitrary and generalized manner in which it is applied, a wide variety of crops, forests and places of human habitation. These eradication efforts are part of Plan Colombia, which has received more than $7 billion in funding from the US government. Eradications efforts are co-administered by the Colombian government and the US Department of State.

Recently, eradication efforts have been by hand, accompanied by military and paramilitary troop movements. They have not included promised programs to rehabilitate the area for other types of cash crops, including the infrastructure and markets required to sell produce. Also missing is any kind of adequate system of education, health and other basic social services. There are no roads leading into and out of places like Piñuña Negro that can handle the ongoing movement of harvests. The only business concerns willing to make the trip into this remote part of Colombia are elements of the coca trade.

However, it is speculated that mining companies are interested in developing the area because of its rich mineral resources, including deposits of gold, silver and platinum. Such interests often precede large-scale efforts to displace populations to open land up for corporate development.

Threats against leaders of the occupation and labor, indigenous and AfroColombian representatives have been escalating. One of the main concerns of the protesters is the safety of these leaders. ASCAP and FENSUAGRO are calling for international observers and accompaniment to help provide security before, during and after negotiations.

The indigenous, AfroColombian and farming community members who are occupying Puerto Piñuña are doing so because they do not want to become one of the more than four million displaced persons in Colombia today—the largest population of refugees in the world. More than 60% of all displaced persons in Colombia are farmers and farm workers, and the primary reasons for these displacements are military and paramilitary threats and assaults and the destruction of farms through eradication efforts—the same conditions being resisted by the communities gathered in Piñuña Negro.

Responding to the ongoing occupation and growing national and international pressure, on the 13th, 14th and 15th of December, officials from Colombia’s Ministry of the Interior and Jusitce visited Piñuña Negro to listen to the concerns of the popular occupation and to assess the general situation. Although the report released by the ministry provided details and anecdotal evidence, no concrete plans for follow-up were given. Instead, the representatives promised the creation of a governmental commission to address the complaints and demands made by the community. However, no date was given as to when the commission would be constituted and no concessions were made
regarding the establishment of negotiations with the community.

The popular occupation of Piñuña Negro is asking the national and international communities to join them in support of their demands. Two important actions people in the US can make are to email and/or call international human rights organizations, Colombian authorities and the US White House and Representatives to demand:

· An end to coca eradications in Putumayo until authorities have negotiated and enacted a plan with Colombian authorities that includes an adequate and just crop replacement component;

· A guarantee of safety for protest leaders and community negotiators;

· An end to Plan Colombia and the triple threat of military and paramilitary repression and eradication programs that are the root causes of displacement of indigenous, AfroColombian and farming communities.

Following is relevant contact information:

Colombian Ministry of the Interior and Justice’ Human Rights Office:

dhdirector@mij.gov.co

Colombian Embassy in the US:

embassyofcolombia@colombiaemb.org or call 202-387-8338

Interamerican Commission for Human Rights:

cidhoea@oas.org

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights:

oacnudh@hchr.org.co

To Write Your US Representative:

https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml

The Alliance for Global Justice is the primary contact in the United States for communications with the union center that is backing this popular occupation. Those wanting to learn more about this situation should write james@afgj.org or call either 520-243-0381 or 202-544-9355.

martes, diciembre 15, 2009

Climate Change Poses Threat To Colombian Coast

by Tom Gjelten
For more than 300 years, residents of Colombia's Pacific Coast area of Tumaco have mostly been left alone to fish or grow bananas, cacao or other crops, often cultivating communal plots. Their part of southwestern Colombia is isolated from the rest of the country, and the largely Afro-Colombian population lived peacefully in relative autonomy...

miércoles, diciembre 09, 2009

En Mi Idioma

Where Does US Military ‘Aid’ to Colombia Go?

by John Lindsay-Poland
http://www.forcolombia.org/where-US-aid-goes-Dec09

The United States continues to assist Colombian military units that have reportedly violated human rights, a review of recently released State Department documents shows. FOR obtained the list of 353 Colombian military and police units that the United States approved for aid in 2008-09 and 2009-10. US law requires the State Department to review all foreign military units proposed for assistance and exclude those with histories of gross human rights abuses.

According to US officials who spoke to FOR, military aid this year is concentrated in three geographic “bands”: in a long band across southern Colombia, from Meta, Tolima and Huila departments – where the Army-FARC war is focused – west to Buenaventura on the Pacific coast; in the southwestern state of Nariño; and in the northern Montes de Maria area.

The United States continues to fund military units reported to have committed large numbers of civilian killings, including the macabre practice known as “false positives,” in which civilians executed by the army are reported as guerrillas killed in combat. This includes the Codazzi Engineering Battalion of the 3rd Brigade, which operates in Valle and Cauca states and reportedly killed 12 civilians in 2007 and 2008. The battalion’s commander during this period was Coronel Elmer Peña Pedraza, a graduate of the School of the Americas. The Colombian Prosecutor General is investigating nearly 2,000 cases of extrajudicial killings reportedly committed by the army since 2002.

A good deal of current assistance is to increase Colombian military training capacity. Twenty different military training centers and schools, for everything from infantry and special operations to aviation and officer training, are approved for US assistance this year, as well as two police training centers. Colombian officials have stated that the military base agreement signed with the United States on October 30 will strengthen Colombia’s military training program and help it to sell training to other nations, despite the Colombian military’s history of systematic human rights violations.

The United States is also assisting Colombian intelligence units. For the fourth year in a row, three regional army intelligence units in Medellín, Bogotá and Villavicencio have been approved for assistance, despite histories of abuse and scandal. The 6th and 7th Regional Military Intelligence Units have produced specious reports accusing human rights defenders, university professors, and community leaders in Medellín and in the southern department of Caquetá of being members of the FARC guerrillas. On December 3, FOR and Human Rights First wrote a letter to Assistant Secretary of State Arturo Valenzuela urging suspension of US assistance to these units.

The concentration of US aid in Nariño and Cauca is of special concern, given the escalation of violence and reports of military-paramilitary collaboration in the area. In those two states, the United States supports the 19th Mobile Brigade, 23rd Brigade, 6th Mobile Brigade, and battalions in the 29th and 3rd Brigades, as well as police units from both states and Barbosa municipality.

On August 26, armed men killed 12 A’wa indigenous people in a remote settlement of Tumaco, Nariño in the jurisdiction of the 23rd Brigade. Human Rights Watch said “Initial reports suggest that members of the Army may have massacred these people.” The commander of the US-assisted 23rd Brigade, two-time SOA graduate Colonel Joaquín Hernández, said that his troops did not participate in the massacre.

The United States is also funding units that operate in the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, specifically the 11th Mobile Brigade and its counter-guerrilla battalions. US officials have long asserted that the 17th Brigade, which has nominal jurisdiction in San José de Apartadó, does not receive funding, in part because of its history of violations against members of the community. However, in the last year a new task force that combines army units has been formed to patrol an area that includes San José. The 11th Mobile Brigade is reportedly part of the task force.

The United States no longer vets assistance to a number of brigades in the oil-rich areas bordering Venezuela, which had been a focus of assistance from 2002 to 2007. The 30th Brigade in Norte de Santander, approved for assistance in 2007, was implicated in the most prominent cases of “false positives,” by which poor young men in Bogotá barrios were recruited for work and claimed shortly after as guerrillas killed in combat in Norte de Santander. The 18th Brigade in Arauca and 16th Brigade in Casanare received training and other assistance especially as part of an oil pipeline protection initiative, which has apparently expired. But the US still assists the 5th Mobile Brigade, which operates in Arauca and to which eight extrajudicial killings have been attributed, according to the Colombia Human Rights Coordination.

In addition, the United States finally suspended assistance to the Pigoanza and Magdalena battalions in the Ninth Brigade, operating in Huila state, with among the worst records for killing civilians in Colombia. In 2007 and 2008 alone, the two units reportedly committed 51 extrajudicial killings. US aid flowed to the two battalions in 2005, 2006, and 2007. However, the United States continues to assist the Ninth Brigade’s support battalion and its command staff, to whom the two battalions report. The Colombian Supreme Court ruled recently that commanders are responsible for abuses committed by their subordinates. And judicial investigations into most of the killings reportedly committed by the two US-assisted battalions have not advanced.

In Meta, the state with one of the worst problems of “false positives” in 2006 and 2007, the United States supports the 28th Brigade, 4th Mobile Brigade, and the 9th Mobile Brigade, and has for most years since 2000. In fact, the United States supports most of the army’s mobile brigades, which have been a focus for the counterinsurgency war.

The United States also approves aid to all six Colombian regional air bases, including the base in Palanquero where the United States will be increasing its presence, despite base personnel’s involvement in the 1998 attack in Santo Domingo, Arauca, in which 17 adults and children were killed by cluster bombs.

The US Congress reduced funds for the Colombian military in 2007, and the response appears to be to suspend aid to many of the worst units. But aid is still flowing to many military units with histories of abuse, and there is to date no accountability for US complicity in violations committed by units that were formerly trained by the United States.

LOS LINKS DE EL QUIMBO (ENTREVISTAS)



Estos son los links de entrevistas realizadas por el Comunicador social de Valencia, Cataluña España Paulet Soler sobre El Megaproyecto Hidroeléctrico El Quimbo en el Huila.


http://www.ivoox.com/no-a-represa-del-quimbo-primera-parte-audios-mp3_rf_163738_1.html

http://www.ivoox.com/no-a-represa-del-quimbo-segunda-parte-audios-mp3_rf_166429_1.html

http://www.ivoox.com/no-a-represa-del-quimbo-tercera-parte-audios-mp3_rf_166437_1.html

http://www.ivoox.com/no-a-represa-del-quimbo-cuarta-parte-audios-mp3_rf_166440_1.html

http://www.ivoox.com/no-a-represa-del-quimbo-quinta-parte-audios-mp3_rf_166443_1.html

domingo, diciembre 06, 2009

Banana Land Campaign Kickoff Party and Press Event


Date: Sunday, December 6, 2009
Time: 6:30pm - 11:00pm
Location: The Harlem School of the Arts
Street: 645 Saint Nicholas Avenue at W. 141st Street
City/Town: Manhattan, NY

First...NO COVER and no compulsory donations and...Free Drinks.

6:30pm-7:30pm
Meet and greet: Free drinks and Colombian food. Music provided by DJ Sambarella.
Performance of traditional and original music by trio Sebastian Cruz, Alejandro Florez and Sam Sadigursky.
Wine provided by Oriel.

7:30pm-8:30pm
Kick off of the campaign: Presentations by Daniel Koeppel, Terry Collingsworth, Jason Glaser, a spokesman from the NYC Colombian Community and a reading of the evidence we have garnered that refutes both Dole’s and Chiquita’s claims regarding their payments to the AUC.

8:30pm-8:45pm
Question and Answer: Time to answer questions from both the press and public.

8:45pm-later
Party: A chance for networking for all interested parties with beats and rhythms supplied by DJ Sambarella.

For Immediate Release: (New York City, NY) December 6th, 2009 will mark the launch of the Banana Land Campaign at the Harlem School Of The Arts on Sunday, December 6th, 2009 at 6:30 pm. This event will provide new details regarding payments made to a Colombian terrorist organization by Chiquita and Dole.

Speakers will include leaders from the Colombian community in NYC, filmmaker Jason Glaser, lawyer Terry Collingsworth and special guest Dan Koeppel, author of the book Banana.

The world's largest producers of bananas, Chiquita (formerly United Fruit Company) and Dole, are in US courts defending themselves against allegations of payments made to AUC (United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia) paramilitaries who murdered, displaced and maimed their workers in the interest of global business. The AUC was officially designated a terrorist organization by the US State Department in 2001.

Copies of a breakthrough declaration by former AUC Commander Carlos Tijeras will be available at the event. This affidavit provides definitive proof that Chiquita and Dole used the AUC, a designated terrorist organization, as a mercenary force that murdered thousands of innocent people in and around the banana plantations. Select quotes from the affidavit are found on the last page of this press release.

We are launching the Banana Land Campaign to build a bridge between the consumer and the Colombian communities affected by this continuing tragedy. By linking mothers with mothers and workers with workers the campaign will provide concrete information that will educate banana consumers in both their hearts and minds, inspiring them to make sure that justice is served in both US and Colombian courts and that meaningful reparations are made.

For more information, a full press-packet, a trailer for the feature documentary The Affected: Banana Land please visit our website at www.bananalandcampaign.org or contact Jason Glaser at laislafoundation@gmail.com.

“My men were contacted on a regular basis by Chiquita or Dole administrators to respond to a criminal act or address some other problems. We would also get calls from the Chiquita and Dole plantations identifying specific people as “security problems” or just “problems.” Everyone knew that this meant we were to execute the identified person. In most cases those executed were union leaders or members or individuals seeking to hold or reclaim land that Dole or Chiquita wanted for banana cultivation, and the Dole or Chiquita administrators would report to the AUC that these individuals were suspected guerillas or criminals.” -Carlos Tijeras
2009

Urgent Action-Again death threats against Afro-Colombian leaders in the Norte del Cauca Region / SE INCRTEMENTA EL RIESGO CONTRA COMUNIDADES DEL CAUCA

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

AFRODES USA and WOLA urge you to contact Colombian authorities immediately and urge them to take action to guarantee the safety of Afro-Colombian, Indigenous and human rights leaders in northern Cauca.

On December 4, Lisifrey Ararat of the Community Council of La Toma and the Black Communities Process (PCN) received a text message that stated:“Hp no decidan por la comunidad que si quieren tienen 8 dias pasalir sigue la lista *** fin **. This translates into English as “Motherfucker don’t decide for the community what they want. You have eight days to leave the area. The list remains active.”

The same text message which came from the telephone number 310 8964370 was also sent to Yair Ortiz, Edwar Mina (both leaders from the Community Council of La Toma), Arley Gonzalez (mining leader), Enrique Guetio (traditional indigenous leader from the Cabildo Cerro Tijeras) and Edwar Villegas (member of the human rights group CUT-Valle and Association NOMADESC). This threat follows another threat that was received by the Aguilas Negras-Nueva Generacion paramilitaries to these same groups on October 22nd.

PCN, NOMADESC and others recently participated in a round of visits to the US Congress and an OAS hearing on the right to previous consultation for Afro-Colombian and Indigenous Communities. For details of this visit, got to: http://actualidadetnica.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=8500:gimena-sanchez-garzoli-&catid=57

Please contact the following offices immediately and urge them to protect the lives of these activists, investigate these threats and prosecute those responsible for making them. Also recommend to these offices that they take bold steps to strengthen the right of previous consultation for these communities. The Colombian authorities’ information is as follows:

- Colombian Vice President’s office: Francisco Santos 57-1-560-1195
- Ministry of Interior and Justice: Fabio Valencia Cossio 57-1-444-3100 (Executive Secretary)
- Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Program: Carlos Franco 57-1- 595-1853 o 57-1595-1888.

For further information, please be in touch with Charo Mina Rojas of AFRODES USA at (434) 760-0663.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Solicitamos a todos ustedes pronunciarse a la mayor brevedad por los graves hechos que atentan contra las comunidades, afrocolombianas, indigenas y campesinas del norte del cauca.


ACCION URGENTE

AMENAZADO LICIFREY ARARAT LIDER MIENERO DEL MUNICIPIO DE SUAREZ QUE SE REUNIO CON EL ALTO GOBIERNO EL PASADO 5 DE NOVIEMBRE
EN AUDIENCIA DE LA OEA EN WASHINTONG

Las organizaciones abajo firmantes altamente preocupadas por los últimos hechos que se han presentado en el Municipio de Suarez Cauca y en particular por la amenaza que en el día de hoy recibió el dirigente minero LICIFREY ARARAT y otros líderes de la región solicitamos a la comunidad nacional e internacional efectuar todas las acciones necesarias para prevenir nuevos hechos que atenten contra la integridad física y sicológica de las comunidades ubicadas en el noroccidente del Cauca.

LOS HECHOS.

  1. El día 4 de diciembre de 2009, siendo las 9: 31 a.m., LICIFREY ARARAT, dirigente minero del Consejo Comunitario del Corregimiento de La Toma y miembro del PCN, recibió un mensaje de texto que decía: “Hp no decidan por la comunida que si quieren en los recurs tienen 8 dias pasalir sigue la lista *** fin **
  2. *” (SIC). Este mensaje que provenía del número de teléfono 310 8964370, también fue recibido por YAIR ORTIZ, EDWAR MINA dirigentes del Consejo Comunitario de La Toma, ARLEY GONZALEZ, líder minero, ENRIQUE GUETIO, Autoridad Indígena Tradicional del Cabildo Cerro Tijeras y contra EDWAR VILLEGAS, miembro del equipo de derechos humanos de la CUT-VALLE y de la Asociación NOMADESC.

  1. Esta nueva amenaza se suma a la que fue hecha el día 22 de octubre de 2009 por vía fax, en la que el grupo autodenominado “AGUILAS NEGRAS NUEVA GENERACION” declara objetivo militar a 8 organizaciones de la región y 5 lideres afrocolombianos, indígenas y defensores de derechos humanos. Estas amenazas se han materializado en los siguientes hechos: El día 29 de Octubre de 2009 fue asesinada MARLY CAROLINA HUILA GUAMANGA, hechos sucedidos en la vereda Damián del Resguardo Cerro Tijeras, Municipio de Suárez, Cauca; El día 11 de noviembre de 2009 fue asesinado REINALDO BOMBA en la Vereda Bella Vista del Resguardo Cerro tijeras, Municipio de Suárez, Cauca; El día 13 de Noviembre de 2009 fue asesinado el comunero indígena NILSON CAMPO y herido de gravedad EGIDIO OVANDO HUILA, en el sitio denominado “El Tanque” ubicado en el

  1. Cerro Damián del Resguardo Cerro Tijeras, Municipio de Suárez, Cauca. Anotamos que el comunero indígena EGIDIO OVANDO HUILA, murió el día 28 de noviembre de 2009, en la clínica Valle de Lili, de la ciudad de Santiago de Cali.


5. Los territorios de las comunidades negras, indígenas y campesinas de los municipios de Suarez, Morales y Buenos Aires, en los que han ocurrido múltiples hechos de violación de los derechos humanos, están amenazados por los intereses de las multinacionales, que ponen en riesgos los derechos territoriales y culturales, particularmente el derecho a la vida y la integridad de las comunidades ancestrales que habitan la zona de noroccidente del Cauca.


6.
En los últimos meses la comunidad se ha manifestado y ha exigido respuesta al estado colombiano por la presencia de multinacionales de exploración y explotación de minerales, en particular de oro, como la Sur Africana Anglo Gold Ashanti y la Canadiense Cosigo Resurces. Estas multinacionales y algunas decisiones arbitrarias del Ministerio de Minas y Energía e INGEOMINAS, han pretendido desalojarlos de la zona y despojar al territorio de sus riquezas.



El Ministerio de Minas y Energía realiza trámites de otorgamiento de títulos mineros en esta zona a empresas y a particulares, violando el derecho a la consulta previa y al consentimiento previo libre e informado. Por efecto de estos títulos hoy se pretende desalojar a la comunidad de la Toma.


  1. La comunidad de la toma tiene una presencia ancestral desde 1635, el gobierno ha otorgado títulos en el corregimiento de la toma y en otros territorios de los municipios de Suarez, Morales y Buenos Aires, violando los derechos consagrados en la ley y en el convenio 169. Por estos títulos miembros de esta comunidad entre ellos YAIR ORTIZ ha sido denunciado ante la Fiscalía por supuesta explotación minera ilegal. De igual manera, es importante anotar, que estas comunidades se han manifestado al lado de las comunidades indígenas y campesinas de los municipios de Suarez, Morales y Buenos Aires, afectadas por la hidroeléctrica de La Salvajina, operada por EPSA en consorcio con la multinacional Española UNION FENOSA.
  2. El 5 de noviembre de 2009, la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos de la OEA, convoco a las partes para celebrar audiencia, sobre la situación de derechos humanos en los municipios de Suarez, Morales y Buenos Aires. En la audiencia por parte de las comunidades participaron los líderes del Proceso de Comunidades Negras, PCN, CLEMENCIA CARABALI, Asociación de Mujeres Municipales de la valsa, Municipio de Suarez Cauca, LICIFREY ARARAT, Consejo Comunitario de la Toma; por parte de las comunidades Indígenas, participo el ex gobernador del Cabildo Honduras JOSE GOYES y por parte de las Organizaciones no Gubernamentales de derechos Humanos BERENICE CELEYTA de la asociación Nomadesc. Por parte del Gobierno la viceministra del Interior BIBIANA MARQUEZ, el representante de la Vicepresidencia CARLOS FRANCO, un representan te del Ministerio de Defensa y el Director de Acción Social.
  3. Durante esta audiencia fue evidente la responsabilidad del estado Colombiano frente a los hechos de despojo territorial, entrega de los recursos naturales a las multinacionales, violación a los derechos de la consulta previa, ley 70, legislación indígena e incumplimiento a las directivas 004 y 005 de la corte constitucional y ocurrencia de graves crímenes de lesa humanidad. El gobierno nacional no tuvo ninguna respuesta clara, excepto evasivas frente a su responsabilidad, por las demandas que hicieron los peticionarios ante los comisionados de la OEA.
10. Por otro lado manifestamos nuestra preocupación por la actitud agresiva de la Empresa Electrificadora del Pacifico, EPSA, contra las comunidades que asistieron el día 1 de diciembre de 2009, a una reunión convocada por esta empresa para “SOCIALIZAR LA FORMULACION DEL PLAN DE MANEJO AMBIENTAL Y CONSULTA PREVIA, DE LA OPERACIÓN DE LA CENTRAL HIDROELECTRICA DE SALVAJINA” cuando aun no se han cumplido los procedimientos que exige la ley y el convenio 169. Esta reunión se efectuó en el sitio conocido como Casa de Teja y en presencia de toda la comunidad la EPSA expreso: “los líderes y organizaciones de la región se están oponiendo al progreso y están obstruyendo el trabajo que la EPSA y AMBIOTEC venimos haciendo hace 2 años”. Ante todo, nos alarma la curiosa coincidencia entre lo expresado en esta reunión por EPSA y las amenazas que en el día de hoy llegaron vía mensaje de texto a los celulares de los líderes que participaron en esta reunión.


SOLICITAMOS.

A LAS ORGANIZACIONES DE DERECHOS HUMANOS NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL

Pronunciarse a la mayor brevedad y exigir del estado colombiano una respuesta clara y oportuna para prevenir cualquier hecho que atente contra la integridad de los miembros de las organizaciones amenazadas.

Convocamos al Sistema de Naciones Unidas, organismos de Derechos Humanos, a las organizaciones Sociales, Instituciones del Estado, ONGs Internacionales organismos de control pronunciarse a la mayor brevedad y acompañar en los territorios a las comunidades amenazadas, de los municipios de Suarez, Morales y Buenos Aires.

Solicitamos a las organizaciones internacionales en todo el mundo acompañar a las comunidades, afrodescendientes, indígenas y campesinas mediante una veeduría permanente de la situación de derechos humanos exigiendo el cumplimiento de normas nacionales e internacionales de respeto, a las comunidades y su territorio.

EXIGENCIAS
Exigimos a los diferentes actores armados (Ejercito Nacional, Paramilitares e insurgencia) respeto a la vida y derechos de las comunidades ubicadas en los municipios de Suarez, Morales y Buenos Aires.
A las multinacionales respeto al territorio, autonomía y autodeterminación de los pueblos.

A LOS ORGANISMOS GUBERNAMENTALES Y ESTATALES
Al Ministerio de Minas e INGEOMINAS, revocar Las licencias mineras otorgadas a particulares y a las multinacionales.

A la Corporación Autónoma Nacional del Cauca, abstenerse de otorgar licencias ambientales sin el debido proceso de consulta previa, libre e informada.

Al Gobierno Nacional exigir la aplicación del derecho fundamental a la consulta previa y consentimiento libre e informado y revocar todos los títulos mineros otorgados violando las normas nacionales e internacionales que protegen los derechos de las comunidades afrocolombianas, indígenas y campesinas.

Al Ministerio del Interior y de Justicia pronunciarse públicamente si ha autorizado a la Empresa EPSA adelantar proceso de consulta sin que EPSA cumpla con todos los procedimientos. De ser afirmativa la respuesta se sirva informar a la Procuraduría General de la Nación y a las comunidades Cómo? cuando? Donde? y con quienes? se protocolizo este proceso de consulta. De no ser afirmativa se proceda de manera inmediata a frenar los procesos de implementación de mega proyectos en la zona.

Al Ministerio del Interior y de Justicia, brindar los mecanismos de prevención suficientes y necesarios para frenar cualquier hecho que atente contra la integridad de las comunidades, afro descendientes, indígenas y campesinas amenazadas.

A los Organismos de Investigación del Estado efectuar de manera oportuna las investigaciones necesarias para esclarecer los hechos y aplicar las medidas penales, disciplinarias y administrativas a que haya lugar contra los responsables intelectuales y materiales de las amenazas y los hechos que atentan contra vida de las comunidades de la zona. Así mismo le solicitamos entregar los resultados públicamente en el menor tiempo posible y mostrar públicamente sus resultados.

Al Gobierno Nacional, al Estado y a todas las instituciones, generar condiciones de atención y protección adecuadas, a favor de las comunidades, afrodescendientes, indígenas y campesinas de Colombia y cumplir con los mandatos constitucionales y normas nacionales e internacionales de protección a los derechos humanos.

Al Ejército Nacional que en el desarrollo de sus operaciones observe el estricto cumplimiento de las normas de Derechos Humanos y de DIH.

A todas las instituciones del estado dar cumplimiento al Auto 004 del 26 de enero de 2009 y 005 febrero de 2009, en el cual se ordena la protección de los derechos fundamentales de las personas y los pueblos indígenas y afro descendientes desplazados por el conflicto armado o en riesgo de desplazamiento.

Finalmente, hacemos responsable al gobierno nacional por los hechos que atenten contra las comunidades sus líderes y sus territorios.

Sus pronunciamientos los puede enviar a:

ALVARO URIBE VELEZ
Presidente de la República
Carrera 8 No. 7 -26 Palacio de Nariño Bogotá
Fax. 5662071

FRANCISCO SANTOS
Vicepresidente de la República
Carrera 8 No.7-57 Bogotá D.C.

fsantos@presidencia.gov.co

General FREDY PADILLA
Ministro de la Defensa (E)
Avenida El dorado con carrera 52 CAN Bogotá D.C.

siden@mindefensa.gov.co com/mc/compose?to=siden@mindefensa.gov.co>

infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co com/mc/compose?to=infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co>

mdn@cable.net.co com/mc/compose?to=mdn@cable.net.co>

FABIO VALENCIA COSSIO
Ministro del Interior y de Justicia
Avenida El dorado con carrera 52 CAN Bogotá D.C.
Fax. 2221874

ministro@minjusticia.gov.co com/mc/compose?to=ministro@minjusticia.gov.co>

MARIO IGUARAN
Fiscal General de la Nación
Diagonal 22B No. 52-01 Bogotá D.C.
Fax. 570 20 00

contacto@fiscalia.gov.co com/mc/compose?to=contacto@fiscalia.gov.co>

denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co com/mc/compose?to=denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co>

WOLMAR ANTONIO PEREZ ORTIZ
Defensor del Pueblo
Calle 55 No. 10 – 32 Bogotá D.C.
Fax. 640 04 91

defensoria@defensoria.org.co com/mc/compose?to=defensoria@defensoria.org.co>

secretaria_privada@hotmail.com com/mc/compose?to=secretaria_privada@hotmail.com>

ALEJANDRO ORDÓÑEZ
Procurador General de la Nación
Cra. 5 No.15 – 80F Bogotá D.C.

anticorrupción@presidencia.gov.co com/mc/compose?to=n@presidencia.gov.co>

reygon@procuraduría.gov.co com/mc/compose?to=reygon@procuradur%C3%ADa.gov.co>


Dirigir copia de sus comunicaciones a:

ASOCIACION NOMADESC

Accionjuridica.nomadesc@gmail.com nomadesc@gmail.com>

CAMPAÑA PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR

dhprohibidolvidar@yahoo.com yahoo.com>

pcnkol.bogota@renacientes.net

ASOCIACION NOMADESC
CONCEJO COMUNITARIO DE LA TOMA
PROCESO DE COMUNIDADES NEGRAS
COORPORACION SEMBRAR
ASOCIACION DE MUJERES MUNICIPALES DE LA BALSA
PALENQUE EL ALTO CAUCA
ASOCIACION KU-MAHANA
CAMPAÑA PROHIBIDO OLVIDAR

Siguen firmas



jueves, diciembre 03, 2009

S.O.S. - Amenazas en Inzá, Cauca de parte de las Águilas Negras


Este es un comunicado que apareció hoy sábado 28 de noviembre en diferentes lugares del municipio de Inzá, en donde el "grupo emergente Águilas Negras" anuncia su llegada a los municipios del oriente caucano (Inzá y Páez), y señala como objetivos a varios representantes de organizaciones sociales, docentes, comerciantes, e incluso miembros del gobierno municipal, por ser, según ellos, colaboradores, testaferros o milicianos de la guerrilla o auspiciadores de paros. Es urgente activar las alertas tempranas y emprender todas las acciones tendientes a la protección de las personas y organizaciones. Favor difundir!!!