Comunicado de La Toma sobre el desalojo

CONSEJO COMUNITARIO AFRODESCENDIENTE DEL CORREGIMIENTO DE LA TOMA

NIT: 900263614-5

RESOLUCION NUMERO 2300-3-7 DE 2008

(0CTUBRE 6)

Llamado a la Solidaridad.

El próximo miércoles 18 de agosto de 2010 está programado el desalojo de los mineros afrodescendientes de. Corregimiento de La Toma en el municipio de Suarez, Norte del Cauca. Nuestras comunidades están en este territorio desde 1636 y nuestra presencia e historia esta ligada a la minería del oro. Este desalojo absurdo e inverosímil constituye una mas de las múltiples violaciones a los derechos colectivos, culturales, sociales y económicos de los que hemos sido victimas. El título minero BCF- 021, entregado el 5 de noviembre del año 2000 al señor Héctor de Jesús Sarria por parte de INGEOMINAS entidad adscrita al ministerio de Minas y Energía violo nuestro derecho fundamental a la Consulta Previa y al Consentimiento Previo Libre e Informado. Este titulo y todas la decisiones que a partir del mismo se han adoptado son ilegales.

En este territorio, en lo que nos han dejado del mismo esta nuestra historia, el rastro de nuestros ancestros traídos a esta tierra como esclavizados y los apellidos que nos heredaron. En este territorio esta parte de los que somos y lo poco que nos han dejado en esta larga historia de despojos. Nuestras palabras no han sido oídas. Nuestros derechos no han sido protegidos. La constitución y el Convenio 169 han sido violados impunemente. Las ordenes del Auto 005 de la Corte Constitucional no han sido cumplidas. Aquí hemos nacido y crecido. Por defender este territorio y nuestros derechos hemos sido amenazados y perseguidos. La mayoría de los acuerdos que hicimos con el gobierno después de asistir a la reunión de la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos en octubre del 2009 no han sido cumplidos. Las voces que solidariamente nos han respaldado han sido desatendidas también y muchos de los solidarios con nosotros han sido también amenazados de muerte acusados todos de oponernos a las empresas y al gobierno.

Cuando amanezca el 18 de agosto, aquí estaremos como hemos estado siempre. Sabemos que la solidaridad va a crecer y la voz de La Toma, que es la voz de todas la comunidades afrocolombianas mineras del Norte del Cauca va a retumbar y a hacer mas fuerte. Cuando el sol se oculte en el horizonte el día 18 aquí estaremos también. Nuestra resistencia en el territorio y la solidaridad son la clave.

Confiamos en ustedes, no nos dejen solos.

Suarez, Norte del Cauca, agosto 15 del 2010

….Resistencia en nuestros pueblos ancestrales

Principio de permanencia en el territorio…

Act Now to Stop the Eviction of Afro-Colombians from Their Ancestral Lands in La Toma

Act Now to Stop the Eviction of Afro-Colombians from Their Ancestral Lands in La Toma



The U.S. Network in Solidarity with Afro-Colombian Grassroots Communities (NASGACC) urges you to take action to prevent the eviction of Afro-Colombians from their ancestral territories in La Toma (Cauca). These communities’ ancestors established themselves in northern Cauca from the time they were forcibly enslaved and brought to Colombia in 1636. The descendants of these slaves have since carved out a living through artisanal gold mining and basic agricultural projects. Displacing these afrodescendants from their lands is not only a violation of their territorial and human rights but also an act that would lead to their impoverishment and devastation of their traditional culture.

The Afro-Colombian Community Council of La Toma was unofficially informed that they will be evicted from their ancestral territories on August 18th. As it stands the eviction will take place with the Colombian government and regional authorities not keeping its promises (see below) to the leaders of these communities. Late 2009, Colombia agreed before the Inter-America Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) that it would review the thirty-five mining permits it granted to third parties without the previous consent and consultation of the La Toma Community Council. The Regional Corporation of Cauca, the environmental authority for Cauca Department, stated that they would revoke environmental permits. Neither has taken place and no concrete actions were taken to respect the rights of Afrodescendant artisanal miners. While the Community Council has taken legal action to protect their rights, it has yet to receive a response from the authorities.

NASGACC is also concerned about the continued death threats against Afro-Colombian community council members and the human rights defenders that support them. Since April, a massacre of eight miners took place and others including Alex Quintero and Alex Gonzales. In recent weeks more killings of miners have taken place. These killings believed to be committed by paramilitaries that favor the displacement of local residents from the areas where the gold mines are situated follow a series of threats that were sent to community members, non-governmental organizations and the international group WOLA. While the government was scheduled to come up with a plan to protect La Toma community members by July 26th, it did not reveal a plan but rather put in place delay tactics to shirk responsibility further endangering the lives of civilians at risk of harm by paramilitaries.

We encourage you to contact your Member of Congress:

§ Urge him/her to take action to protect the territorial and human rights of Afro-Colombians in La Toma (Cauca). The eviction of Afrodescendants from La Toma should be halted and Colombian officials must implement all the steps they agreed to take at the December 2009 meeting. Your representative should contact the US State Department and recommend that they do not certify that the human rights conditions regarding aid to Colombia are being met. Such aid should not be certified until the threats and murders of Afro-Colombians in northern Cauca are investigated and perpetrators brought to justice.

§ Ask him/her to co-sponsor House Resolution 1224 on Afro-Colombian, Indigenous and Women IDPs.

We also encourage you to reach out to the following persons in the State Department:

Steve Moody, Foreign Affairs Officer - Human Rights and Labor, Asia and Western Hemisphere Affairs, Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor, Tel: (202) 647-8301 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 647-8301 end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (202) 647-8301 end_of_the_skype_highlighting to express the same concerns and ask him to contact also the Colombian government.

Susan Sanford, Colombia Desk Officer, Andean Affairs Office, Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs (Tel: 202-647-3142)

-State officials should take action to guarantee the safety of Afro-Colombians at risk of harm in Cauca. They should call upon the Colombian authorities to halt the eviction of the community of La Toma, review the thirty five mining titles rejected by the community and the environmental licenses granted to third parties. State ought to ask the Colombian authorities to implement Order 005 on Afro-Colombians of which northern Cauca is an emblematic community and encourage them to dialogue with the Community Councils’ elected leaders on how best to implement this order in their community. Further, State should ask Colombia about the status of the investigation into the recent murders of Afro-Colombian leaders and threats made against the community councils in northern Cauca.

-State must ask the incoming Juan Manuel Santos Administration to take bold steps to dismantle the operational (military, economic and social) structures of the paramilitary groups in Cauca.

-State should be asked not to certify that military assistance is meeting the required human rights conditions.

Finally:

Write/email/call your local media (print and broadcast) and ask that they do more to cover the human rights abuses committed against Afro-Colombian communities. Please do the same with national media outlets by writing to their editors.

We encourage you to circulate urgent action to others. Please send copies of email or letter correspondence with US officials to Charo Mina Rojas, NASGACC afro_colombians@afrocolombians.com, charo@io.com and Gimena Sanchez, WOLA at gsanchez@wola.org

Find recent background information: http://bit.ly/bOwM0t

Add yourself to the Facebook Cause on La Toma: http://www.causes.com/causes/328750

Please tweet this urgent action: http://news.afrocolombians.com/news/



In December 2009, Colombian authorities met with Afro-Colombian leaders and agreed to do as follows:



Protection:

1) Leaders who are under threat that are currently outside of the areas will be given temporary relocation assistance. This assistance will be given the week of December 21st.

2) Colombian authorities will conduct a security risk analysis so that these leaders can return to the area (Cauca).

3) Authorities will be looking out for other requests regarding security involving other members and their families of these areas.

4) The community leaders requested that the Colombian authorities provide relocation assistance for the office of PCN that is currently situated in La Balsa de Santander de Quilichao. The authorities agreed to consider this request in January so that PCN can continue to work in this area of the country.

5) Authorities will put into place protocols for how they should respond to future emergencies concerning the physical security of leaders.



Persons responsible on the part of the authorities for carrying out the above: Diana Botero-PPDDH and Flor Romero of the Protection Unit of the Ministry of Justice.



Mining and Environment Titles:



1) The organizations will send the listing of land titles that violate the previous consultation process and law 70 of the black communities to the Ministry of Mines and Energy so that this Ministry can review them and respond in terms of whether or not such titles should be suspended and whether or not new titles need to be granted to the communities in question.

2) At minimum, the Ministry of the Environment will locate the environmental plan pertaining to Salvajina and review it to assess whether or not EPSA is violating the terms of the title when it comes to Afro-Colombians and Indigenous communities' right to previous consultation.



3) They will organize the next Regional Corporation for Cauca (mixed governmental and on-governmental environmental entity responsible for Cauca) meeting.

4) They will look for and send to the communities the information they are requesting in terms of how these communities can become involved in the environmental assessments made for the use of these territories.



Community Councils and Constitutional Court Order 005 on Afro-Colombian IDPs:



1) The community councils have asked that nine of the community councils that have requested their incorporation for the past two years (with little response) are in fact incorporated. These include the following community councils located in the municipality of Buenos Aires: Cerro Teta, Brisas del Rio Cauca and Alsacia. For the municipality of Suarez these include: La Toma, Asnazu, Las Brisas, Mindala and Las Mesetas and Robles. The authorities took note of this.

2) In terms of implementing the recommendations made in Constitutional Court Order 005 of January 2009 pertaining to internally displaced Afro-Colombians in the areas of Cauca in question, it was decided that the Direction for Afro-Colombian Affairs will respond the week of December 21 on what steps will be taken to implement this Order in this area of the country.



Investigations:



1) The Public Prosecutor for Human Rights will unify the various investigations that exist concerning threats against members of these communities into one case. This will be done internally by this entity in order to streamline the response.

2) The Public Prosecutor for Human Rights will decide who should be responsible for this investigation-whether it should be dealt with in Bogota or at the regional level in Cauca. The week of December 21st the authorities will decide this.

3) The authorities will provide periodic updates on how these investigations are going.

4) A person will be appointed to serve as the liaison between the communities and the Public Prosecutor for Human Rights.



Agreements and Responsibilities Directly Attributed to the Presidential Human Rights Program:



1) Starting the week of January 4th, Hermedis Gutierrez, official from the PPDDHH program in zone 2 will be present in the areas in question every 15 days. Mr. Gutierrez will be responsible for monitoring the threats against Afro-Colombians residing in the municipalities of Buenos Aires, Suarez and Morales.

2) In January, after the 12th, this entity will convene an internal meeting whereby a contingency plan will be developed. This plan will include a general analysis of the situation and steps that will be taken to deal with issues surrounding mining licenses, environmental plan for Salvajina, protection of these communities, formal recognition of the community councils, Constitutional Court Order 005 and investigations to be undertaken by the Public Prosecutor for Human Rights.

3) Carlos Franco discussed the security situation in these municipalities with Coronel Murcia. It was decided that the liaison for these communities concerning threats and security is Coronel Chavez. He is now the person in charge of monitoring the security situation in the area and attempting to clarify where the threats against the Afro-Colombian leaders originated, as well as the person responsible for addressing the presence of illegal armed groups in this region.

4) All new incidents concerning these communities will be directed to Remedís Gutierrez, Sandra Navaez, Diana Botero and Carlos Franco. These are the persons who should receive the information first. After these authorities received the information then the municipal human rights ombudsmen or PCN must send the information to the security forces in the area.

5) The communities' request for a community ombudsman in the area will be sent to the Human Rights Ombudsman.



The authorities have not fully complied with the above agreement and are now evicting Afro-Colombians from their lands.

PCN- La Toma- Asesinatos y orden de desalojo, los temas vigentes

English/Español

Dear Colleagues and Friends in solidarity with of Afro-Colombian grassroots communities struggle,

We have received unofficial information that the eviction in La Toma, Northern Cauca, is still active and would happen in August 18th. PCN has issued a public denounce on the situation and the assassination of five miners from Suarez and Buenos Aires (Cauca), between July 21 and 24, asking for international action and demanding from the Colombian government to effectively tackle this situation.

Please read the information below and take action to prevent further loss of lives, internal displacement, and violation of the Afro-descendant communities' rights.


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The Black Communities Process (PCN) denounces the Colombian governments’ failure to guarantee the security of Afro-Colombian leaders in La Toma, Northern Cauca.

Public Statement.

On Thursday, July 22nd, between 11 a.m. and noon, were assassinated the miner Alex Gonzales, and an unidentified person, in the village Tamboral, municipality of Suarez, in the department of Cauca. Mr. Gonzales is one of the persons affected by the eviction process in La Toma (Suarez), caused by the approval of a mining license given by INGEOMINAS (governmental entity), to Hector Sarria (Lic. BCF-021 del 2000), in territory of the Community Council of la Toma. The eviction process gave rise to a series of death threats to the Community Council leaders, leaders in Buenos Aires, and the Black Communities Process (PCN acronym in Spanish), by the paramilitary group Black Eagles, for their efforts to protect their territorial rights.

The decision of the national government, in the head of the Ministry of Mines and Energy and INGEOMINAS, to approve 35 mining licenses to foreigners in the region of Suarez and Buenos Aires, which included concessions to multinational corporations such Anglo Gold Ashantio and Cosigo Resort, and the 99.4 hectares to Mr. Sarria, in violation of the right of these communities to the Previous Consultation, with free and informed prior consent as mandated by ILO Convention 169, the Colombian constitution, and Law 70 of 1993, has increased ostensibly the risk of such communities and their leaders to aggressions and death threats for defending their rights.

Between April and June this year, armed groups have assassinated thirteen miners in the municipalities of Suarez and Buenos Aires. Furthermore, on Sunday 25th between 11:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m., it was notice the presence of two foreigners on what appeared to be a suspicious surveillance around the house of the leader and member of the Community Council, Lisifrey Ararat, to whom the paramilitaries have declared “military target”. Other leaders have reported activities of this nature in different occasions. Even more concerning is the information received that the communities still are facing eviction and that this will happen on August 18.

Therefore, we urgently ask to the United Nations, the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights, the United States Congress, and the United State Department of State to call this matter to the attention of the Colombian government and pressure them to meet their responsibility to protect the life, rights, and fundamental liberties of Afro-Colombian leaders and human rights defenders.

We demand that the Colombian Government denounce these occurrences and publicly state the actions they will take to identify and take to justice those responsible.

Furthermore, we urge the government to act immediately so as to prevent the assassination of any more human rights defenders and innocent people, and put an end to the current wave of intimidations death threats.

We demand that the government respect the territorial rights and the mandate of the Constitutional Court through the Order 005 to protect the communities of La Toma. The eviction of the communities must be stopped.

Background

Since August 2009, the community of La Toma and their Community Council have been leading actions for the protection of their ancestral territory and rights, in front of the Colombian government and international organisms such the Inter American Court of Human Rights (IACHR), against the mining concessions. In August, INGEOMINAS ordered the first eviction of artisan miners from the area conceded to Hector Sarria. In October, the Community Council exposed before the IACHR the violation of their rights and the high-risk situation of the communities cause by these concessions. As a result, the eviction order was stop and the government agreed to review the mining licenses approved in the area, for which it was conformed the “Mining Table” (Mesa Minera, a negotiation setting between government and communities). Despite some meetings, concrete measurements to revoke the licenses, protect the leaders, end impunity and ensure respect of the communities’ rights have not yet been defined. The process has not advanced.

In response to the Community Council actions, the threats against the community leaders intensified. Between August and December, the leaders received multiple text messages and threatening pamphlets from the paramilitary groups Aguilas Negras and Los Rastrojos-Nueva Generacion.

In April 30th, 2010 the Mayor of Suarez, Luis Fernando Colorado, issued the Resolution No. 2864-3-30 to order again the eviction of “anybody within the area of the license” approved by INGEOMINAS to Mr. Sarria. The order named nine artisan miners that were regularly working in the area, and from where many families obtain their daily living. The name of Alex Gonzales appeared in the order among the nine miners.

On May 19, 2010, several miners and community leaders received a threatening text message from a cell phone with the number 312 760 9693, after the Community Council of La Toma filed a writ of guardianship, demanding the revocation of the mayor’s eviction order, and launched a mobilization campaign on May 20th urging local communities to pressure the Colombian government into action. Although the threat was publicly denounced by various organizations at the national and international level, the Black Eagles paramilitary group made on May 23rd good on their threat through the assassination of the community leader Alex Quintero in Santader de Quilichao (Cauca).

In June 11, the Black Eagles extended new death threats, in which also were included internally displaced organizations, labor union organizations, indigenous and other Afro-Colombian organizations that work for the defense of Buenos Aires Communities rights, and international human rights organizations that have strongly denounced the situation in La Toma, such WOLA.

Between July 21 and 24, five persons were massacred in the area.

The eviction continued active

Besides the threats and intimidations, the presence of armed groups, and the increasing violence in the area, the eviction has yet to be resolved. Despite the affirmations of the government that the mining licenses will be reviewed and the environmental licenses would be revoked, the Community Council does not have any sort of formal document that demonstrated the will of making these affirmations into effect, and there are not concrete actions on the matter. By the contrary, the legitimate right of the miners to work in the areas continued to be denied. On Monday, June 26th leaders of the Community Council were informally advised that the eviction would be effective on August 18.

Although the leaders of the Community Council of La Toma, the Black Communities Process (PCN), and other Afro-descendant and Indigenous leaders from Suarez and Buenos Aires, have been constantly threatened for over a year by paramilitary groups, neither the local nor national government has taken any action to publicly condemn these threats and there is not information on investigations to determine those responsible and hold them accountable for their actions. Thus, human rights violations and impunity persist.

The assassination of eight miners in April in the bank of River Ovejas, in La Toma territory, the crime against Alex Quintero in May; two miners killed in July 21 in Suarez, and three more persons massacred in July 24 in Buenos Aires, manifest the presence and actions of armed actors in the area, and the extreme vulnerability to which the communities are subject, as it was underlined by the Constitutional Court in the Order 005 of 2009.

We insist that the silence and indifference of the Colombian authorities legitimizes and empowers those violent and illegally armed actors who make these threats. Additionally, their negligence to protect those communities and citizens at risks makes the government an accomplice by omission in any crimes committed against them.

For more information, please contact Charo Mina Rojas via e-mail at charo@io.com or via phone at (434) 760-0663.

Thank you in advance for your support.

PCN
International Working Group, United States

Cc:
Government of Colombia: Alvaro Uribe, President; Carlos Franco, Director, Presidential Program for Human Rights; Fabio Valencia, Minister of the Interior and Justice; Rafael Emiro Bustamante, Director of Human Rights, Ministry of the Interior and Justice; Alejando Ordoñez Maldonado, Inspector General; Guillermo Mendoza Diago, Attorney General; Volmar Perez Ortis, Ombudsman; Horacio Guerrero Garcia, Deputy Ombudsman for Indigenous and Ethnic Minorities; Diego Molano, Director, Acción Social; Mario Gonzáles, Deputy Inspector General of Human; Hernan Martines, Minister of Mining and Energy.

United Nations: Navanethem Pillay, High Commissioner for Human Rights; Radisha Manjoo, Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women; Gay McDougal, Independent Expert on Minority Issues; James Anaya, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples; Margaret Sekaggya, Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights Defenders; Alvaro Tirado Mejia, Independent Expert for Colombia on the Committee on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

Inter-American Commission on Human Rights: Santiago Canton, Executive Director; Maria Silvia Guillen, Special Rapporteur for Afro-Descendant Rights and Special Rapporteur for Colombia; Rosa Celorio, Special Rapporteur for the Situation of Women

Members of the United States Congress
Luis Fernando Colorado, Mayor, Municipality of Suarez, Cauca Department
Víctor J. Meléndez Guevara, Regional Ombudsman, Cauca Department
Gabriella Habtom, Human Rights Officer and Secretary, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Sindu Thodiyi, Administrative Assistant, Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Ken Yamashita, Mission Director, USAID – Colombia
Carolina Barco, Embajadora de Colombia en Estados Unidos

Black Communities Process (PCN)
International Working Group United States
"Resistir no es Aguantar"
Mandato de la IV Asamblea Nacional PCN

_____________________________________________________________________

Apreciados colegas y Amigos en solidaridad con la lucha de las comunidades de base Afrocolombianas,

Hemos recibido informacion no oficial de que el desalojo en La Toma continua vigente y podria hacerse efectivo el 18 de Agosto. PCN ha hecho una denuncia publica sobre la situacion y el asesinato de cinco mineros artesanales en Suarez y Buenos Aires, entre el 21 y el 24 de Julio, pidiendo accion internacional y demandando del gobierno Colombiano que tome control y pare esta situacion de manera efectiva.

Por favor lea la informacion y tome accion para prevenor que se sacrifiquen mas vidas, se genera mas desplazamiento interno y se violen los derechos de los Afrodescendeintes.


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Afro-Colombian News
Rising Awareness on Afro-Colombian Grassroots Communities Struggle
http://www.afrocolombians.com/Afro-Colombian%20News/Main%20Page.html

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EL Proceso de Comunidades Negras (PCN) denuncia la negligencia del Gobierno Colombiano para garantizar la seguridad de lideres y lideresas Afrocolombianos en La Toma, Norte del Cauca.

Comunicado Publico.

Julio 29 del 2010


El dia 22 de Julio, entre las 11 a.m. y el medio dia, fueron asesinados en la vereda el Tamboral, Consejo Comunitario de Mindala, municipio de Suárez, departamento del Cauca, el minero Alex Gonzales y una persona que lo acompañaba, sobre la cual no se tiene información. El señor Alex Gonzales, estaba vinculado al proceso de desalojo en La Toma (Suárez), causado por la concesión otorgada por INGEOMINAS para explotación minera a Héctor Jesús Sarria (Lic. BCF-021 del 2000), en territorio del Consejo Comunitario. Este proceso ha desencadenado amenazas por parte de las Aguilas Negras a los lideres del Consejo Comunitario de La Toma, del municipio de Buenos Aires y del Proceso de Comunidades Negras (PCN), por su decidida acción de proteger el territorio y los derechos de las comunidades.

La decisión del Gobierno Nacional en cabeza del Ministerio del Minas y Energía e INGEOMINAS, de entregar 35 permisos de explotación minera en la región de Suárez y Buenos Aires a foráneos, entre las que se encuentran concesiones a las multinacionales Anglo Gold Ashanti y Cosigo Resort y las 99.4 hectáreas concedidas al señor Sarria, violando el derecho de las comunidades a la Consulta Previa con consentimiento previo, libre e informado como lo demanda el Convenio 169 de la OIT, la Constitución y la Ley 70 de 1993, ha aumentado ostensiblemente el riesgo de las comunidades y sus lideres de ser agredidas y amenazadas por defender sus derechos.

Entre Abril y Julio de este año, trece mineros han sido asesinados por grupos armados en los municipios de Suárez y Buenos Aires. Por otra parte, el Domingo 25 de Julio, entre las 11:00 p.m. y las 12:00 a.m., se noto la presencia de dos personas sospechosas merodeando la casa del líder y miembro del Consejo Comunitario de La Toma Lisifrey Ararat – a quien las Aguilas Negras han declarado también objetivo militar, Actividades de esta naturaleza han sido observadas por otros lideres de la región en otras ocasiones.

Igualmente es de gran preocupación la información recibida de que la orden de desalojo continua vigente y se hará efectiva el 18 de Agosto.

Por lo anterior, de manera urgente solicitamos de los organismos de Naciones Unidas, la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH), el Congreso de los Estados Unidos y el Departamento de Estado, llamar la atención del gobierno Colombiano para que cumpla con su responsabilidad de garantizar y proteger el derecho a la vida y las libertades fundamentales de los lideres y lideresas en la región del Norte del Cauca y en general de los Afrocolombianos defensores de derechos humanos.

Demandamos que el gobierno Colombiano se pronuncie condenando estos hechos y enunciando las medidas que tomara para identificar a los responsables y llevarlos ante la justicia. Igualmente le exigimos que tome de manera inmediata las medidas efectivas que prevengan la continuación de la ola de amenazas, intimidación y asesinatos contra lideres y lideresas defensores de los derechos humanos y personas inocentes.

Exigimos que se respeten los derechos territoriales y el mandato de la Corte Constitucional a través del Auto 005 de proteger a las comunidades de La Toma. El gobierno debe actuar para prevenir el desalojo de las comunidades inmediatamente.


Antecedentes
Desde el 2009, la Comunidad de La Toma y su Consejo Comunitario vienen adelantando acciones de protección del territorio ancestral y sus derechos frente a los gobiernos local y nacional, e instancias internacionales como la Corte Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH), en contra de las concesiones mineras. En Agosto INGEOMINAS dio la primera orden de desalojo del área concedida a Hector Sarria. En Octubre, el Consejo Comunitario expuso ante la CIDH la violación de derechos y situación de riesgo de las comunidades a raíz de estas concesiones. Como resultado de esa audiencia se detuvo la orden de desalojo y el gobierno Colombiano se comprometió a adelantar un proceso de revisión de los títulos mineros expedidos en la zona, para lo cual se constituyo una “Mesa Minera” (espacio de negociación entre el gobierno y las comunidades). Sin embargo, a pesar de varias reuniones ya sostenidas, no hay medidas concretas para revocar las licencias concedidas, proteger a los lideres, terminar la impunidad y garantizar los derechos de las comunidades. El proceso a la fecha no ha avanzado.

Frente a las acciones del Consejo Comunitario, las amenazas contra los lideres comunitarios se intensificaron. Entre Agosto y Diciembre del 2009, los lideres recibieron mensajes de texto y panfletos amenazantes de los grupos paramilitares las Aguilas Negras y Los Rastrojos-Nueva Generación.

En Abril 30 del 2010, el Alcalde del Municipio de Suárez, Luis Fernando Colorado, mediante Resolución No. 2864-3-30, dio orden de desalojo de “cualquier otra persona dentro del área de la licencia” concedida por INGEOMINAS al señor Sarria. La orden identifica en forma directa a nueve mineros artesanales que regularmente venían trabajando en esta área y de la cual derivan su sustento muchas familias de la comunidad. Entre estos mineros figuraba el señor Alex Gonzales.

En Mayo 20 del 2010, los mineros artesanales y otros lideres de la zona recibieron nuevas amenazas por medio de un mensaje de texto desde un celular con numero 312-760-9693, después de que el Consejo Comunitario de La Toma interpusiera una Acción de Tutela el 19 de Mayo pidiendo la revocatoria de la orden de desalojo y, de que las comunidades se movilizaran en reacción a la falta de respuesta del gobierno frente a esta situación el día 20. Esta amenaza fue denunciada públicamente por organizaciones a nivel nacional e internacional, sin respuesta por parte del gobierno Colombiano. En Mayo 23, las Aguilas Negras hicieron efectiva una de sus amenazas asesinando al líder comunitario Alex Quintero en Santander de Quilichao (Cauca).

En Junio 11, las Aguilas Negras extendieron una nueva amenaza en la que se incluían además organizaciones de población internamente desplazada, organizaciones sindicales, indígenas, otras organizaciones que trabajan por la defensa de los derechos de las comunidades mineras de Suárez y Buenos Aires y organizaciones que trabajan por los derechos humanos a nivel internacional y, que han hecho fuertes denuncias sobre la situación de La Toma, como WOLA.

Entre Julio 21 y 24, cinco personas fueron masacradas en el área.


El desalojo continua vigente
Aparte de las amenazas e intimidación, la presencia de actores armados ilegales y la creciente violencia en toda la zona, la orden de desalojo de los mineros artesanales tampoco ha sido derogada. A pesar de las afirmaciones de las entidades gubernamentales de que se revisaran las licencias de explotación y se revocaran las licencias ambientales, el Consejo Comunitario no tiene ningún documento formal que demuestre la voluntad de hacer efectivas estas afirmaciones, ni se conocen acciones concretas al respecto. Por el contrario continua negándose el derecho legitimo a los mineros artesanales de continuar trabajando en el área. El día Lunes 26 de Junio, lideres del Consejo recibieron información no oficial que la orden de desalojo se hará efectiva el 18 de Agosto.

A pesar de que los lideres del Consejo Comunitario de La Toma, la organización Proceso de Comunidades Negras –PCN, y otros lideres y lideresas Afrodescendientes e indígenas de Suárez y Buenos Aires, han recibido reiteradas amenazas por mas de un año por grupos paramilitares y se han adelantado toda clase de acciones de denuncia y llamados de organismos internacionales, hasta el momento no se conoce un pronunciamiento publico de los gobiernos locales y nacional ni se tiene conocimiento de investigaciones adelantadas o responsables llevados ante la justicia. La violación de los derechos humanos y la impunidad persisten.

El asesinato de ocho mineros en Abril 7 a orillas del Rió Ovejas, territorio del Consejo Comunitario de La Toma, el de Alex Quintero en Santader de Quilichao en Mayo, el de las dos personas asesinadas en Suárez el 21 y el de tres mas masacradas en Buenos Aires el día 24 de julio del 2010, manifiestan la presencia y el actuar de actores armados en la zona y la extrema vulnerabilidad a que están sometidos todos los pobladores de la zona y sus derechos, como bien lo destaco la Corte Constitucional en el Auto 005 del 2009

Insistimos en que la ineficacia de las autoridades competentes y su silencio, legitiman y empoderan a los violentos y convierten al gobierno en cómplice por omisión de sus actos en contra de las comunidades y ciudadanos en riesgo.

Para mayor información contacte a Charo Mina Rojas a charo@io.com o 434-760-0663


PCN
Equipo de Trabajo Internacional, Estados Unidos


C.c;
Gobierno de Colombia: Alvaro Uribe, Presidente; Carlos Franco, Director del Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos; Fabio Valencia, Ministro del Interior y Justicia; Rafael Emiro Bustamante, Director de derechos Humanos, Ministerio del Interior y Justicia; Alejando Ordoñez Maldonado, Procurador General de la Nación; Guillermo Mendoza Diago, Fiscal General de la Nación; Volmar Perez Ortis, Defensor Nacional del Pueblo; Horacio Guerrero Garcia, Defensor Delegado para los Indígenas y Minorías Etnicas; Diego Molano, Director de Acción Social; Mario Gonzáles, Procurador Delegado en material de Derechos Humanos y Asuntos Etnicos; Hernan Martines, Ministro de Minas y Energía.

Naciones Unidas: Navanethem Pillay, Alta Comisionada para los Derechos Humanos; Radisha Manjoo, Relatora Especial sobre la Violencia contra la Mujer ; Gay McDougal, Experta Independiente para asuntos de las Minorías; James Anaya, Relator Especial sobre la situación de los derechos humanos y libertades fundamentales de los pueblos indígenas; Margaret Sekaggya, Relatora Especial para la situación de los Defensores de Derechos Humanos; Alvaro Tirado Mejia, Experto Independiente para Colombia en el Comité para los Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales.
CIDH: Santiago Canton, Director Ejecutivo de la CIDH; Maria Silvia Guillen, Relatora Especial sobre los Derechos de los Afrodescendientes y Relatora Especial para Colombia; Rosa Celorio, Relatora Especial para Asuntos de la Mujer,
Miembros del Congreso de los Estados Unidos.
Luis Fernando Colorado, Alcalde del Municipio Suárez, Departamento del Cauca

Víctor J. Meléndez Guevara, Defensor Regional del departamento del Cauca

Gabriella Habtom Human Rights Officer and Secretary of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Sindu Thodiyil, Administrative Assistant Secretariat of the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Ken Yamashita, Mission Director, USAID – Colombia

Carolina Barco, Embajadora de Colombia en Estados Unidos


Black Communities Process (PCN)
International Working Group United States
"Resistir no es Aguantar"
Mandato de la IV Asamblea Nacional PCN