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Archives: February 2008
Today is HR 1707 Call-in Day! CLOSE SOA/WHINSEC
Contact the Capitol Hill Switchboard (202-224-3121) and they will transfer you to your Representative's office. Ask to speak with the foreign affairs legislative assistant. Below is a suggested message for you to convey, you can also click here to read the script online.
As a constituent living in _________, I am calling Congressman/woman ________ to urge him/her to contact Rep. McGovern and ask to be a cosponsor of HR 1707, legislation that would suspend operations at the School of the Americas, renamed WHINSEC, and investigate the history of human rights abuses and failed policies of the institution.
New information indicates that WHINSEC has allowed known human rights abusers to instruct and receive training at the school. Argentina and Uruguay are two of five countries that have made public announcements they will no longer send students to the school, citing the negative image and history of this institution. Despite demands by Congress to have oversight over the curriculum and promote human rights, the Pentagon is now denying all requests to provide information to human rights organizations and the public about students and graduates of the school.
I urge you to contact Cindy Buhl in Representative McGovern's office and ask that your boss be added as a cosponsor of HR 1707. I hope you will represent my views and support this legislation.
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FOUR FARMERS KILLED BY PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT - FREE TRADE IN ACTION
Santiago Lloclle [photo EFE] was a 19 years old Peruvian farmer. His family and community are in debt, because the prices for fertilizers and water are increasing at alarming levels, and local banks are charging them for late fees. His country Peru has recently signed a free trade deal with the US, which will destroy their economy because local markets will be invaded with subsidized goods.
Santiago is dead now, along with three other Peruvian farmers. He was killed after a Peruvian police officer threw a tear gas bomb and knocked him into a ravine in Pedregal, Arequipa, south of Lima. Santiago was angry because the Peruvian government is working against the interests of his people and nobody seems to care about their rights. Those who do, are called terrorists and antidemocratic rebels.
Two other farmers, Ruben Pariona and Emiliano Garcia were killed in Quinua, Ayacucho, in the central Andes mountains. That is the same area where cruel guerrilla group Shining Patch flourished taking advantage of the frustration of local Native peoples back in the 1980's. It is also the place where libertador Simon Bolivar defeated the Spaniards to assure Peru's independence in 1824.
One of the killed farmers had three bullets in his head, the other one had two in the same area. There were executed by Peruvian police. A fourth farmer was killed in Barranca, in the Andean coastal region northern of Lima. At this moment, hundreds of injured farmers are being neglected and some are hiding from the government, because of fear to be incarcerated as it has happened to 160 protesters. Prime minister Jorge del Castillo has requested four years of jail time for them.
Peruvian police "was shooting directly to kill them, like a war." said a witness.
Alan Garcia, the Peruvian president who had killed thousands of innocent Peruvians during his first government in 1985-1990, is showing no respect for the life and human rights of Peruvians in his current second term. César Lévano, one of the very few independent journalists in Peru has wrote: "The order to kill the farmers came by noon from the government highest authorities, according to a local radio station. In 2007, Garcia himself pushed legislation 982 which grants impunity to police and military that may kill or injure civilians while in duty and using weapons in a regulated way. If police are innocent this time, then Garcia is legally the killer."
I agree, it is clear that the orders came from Garcia, his prime minister Jorge del Castillo and the minister of interior, Luis Alva who is in control of national police.
Santiago, Ruben, Emiliano and the farmer from Barranca, they all descend from the Native people that were invaded by the Spaniards in the XVI century, when property was stolen from the original peoples of this continent. As a result, the ancestors of most Peruvians worked for centuries as slaves while they were forced to use Hispanic surnames. Some brave people rejected that rule like Santiago whose surname is a Quechua word.
In the 1970s, Peruvian president Juan Velasco returned the land to the Indigenous peoples, soon before he was poisoned to death. Farmers in Peru were neglected by following governments, without enough training, education and financial assistance, their production failed. Meanwhile the rest of the world was pointing towards opening free markets.
President Garcia was in Madrid last January, and while meeting king Juan Carlos de Borbon and president Jose Rodriguez, he praised genocide Cristobal Columbus and the Hispanic invaders. "I am happy to be in my homeland. We need a second wage of investors, we need the Carabelas ships to return to Peru." said while attendees were shocked. Those words hardly made the news in Lima, where the media is very much manipulated.
This time, dishonest media in Lima has called the farmers "delinquents, antisocial, angry mobs" and in most of the local news dead farmers are portraited as criminals. Meanwhile politicians praise the government for its strong reaction.
Unlike most developed countries, third-world economies do not subsidize their farmers because that goes against international economic rules, that would be called communism. But industrialized nations like the US spent billions on paying their farmers so they can assure a good production with reduced costs, and to guarantee enough food for their people, which makes sense. Then American farmers go and export the remaining goods to other nations, including poor ones like Peru, thanks to free market. Peruvian farmers cannot compete with that.
That is why the campesinos of Peru decided to go on a national strike and to protest blocking roads and towns because they were tired of waiting. In 18 months of government, Garcia had refused to meet them in person to discuss their petitions.
But what are the Peruvian farmers asking for?
Simple, they want compensations to recover from the negative impact that the US-Peru FTA will cause to them, in order to protect their livelihoods. They want a clear and solid national agriculture legislation at a government level so they know the rules of the game. They are asking for legal protections for their land against multinational corporations, especially in protected areas where mining, oil and natural gas firms are targeting the land of indigenous communities. They are asking for assistance to rebuild their communities after the 2007 earthquake. Finally, they want to keep the right to use natural water sources, rejecting the current government proposal which will charge expensive prices for it.
Now, we must be aware that human crisis in the world like the one in Peru, are caused not only by authoritarian leaders overseas, but also by abusive policies directed from rich countries like the US. The Bush administration openly supports abusive governments in Latin America like the one in Peru, led by mentally unstable people as Alan Garcia and his vice president Luis Giampietri, a retired military man with connections with racist right-wing groups and who is the intellectual author of killings of Peruvians in the past decade.
Next time you are served in an expensive restaurant in NYC, DC or LA, while you enjoy delicious Peruvian asparaguses, avocados and limes; think about the farmers of Peru, most of whom lsurvive with an income of less than $2 per day. Think about free trade and its consequences in the whole world, and think about which presidential candidate is most likely to oppose that kind of policies when elected.
As right now, the farmer unions in Peru have put their strike on hold as they have been finally invited to talk with the Garcia administration. In seven provinces of the country, Peruvian military has taken over to police streets and to reject any type of public gatherings, limiting free transit of people.
The four Peruvian farmers that were killed by the Peruvian government are now martyrs of the struggle for social justice in Peru. Their sacrifices will not be forgotten and their example will be cherished. We don't need to wait for more people to die in order to stop injustice for the poor of Peru. We can act to prevent US-backed free trade policies from expanding their negative impacts in the world.
Carlos A. Quiroz
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SOA: Bolivia officially withdraws from WHINSEC
WASHINGTON, DC - February 19 - In a letter to the Commandant of the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation, U.S. Army Col. Gilberto Perez, Bolivian President Evo Morales formally announced yesterday that he will not send Bolivian military officers to attend training programs at the institute formerly known as the U.S. Army School of the Americas.
The announcement came as confirmation of a previous statement made by President Morales in October of last year when he announced that he would discontinue sending troops to the institute based on its historical ties to oppressive military regimes in Latin America. Bolivia has now officially become the fifth country after Costa Rica, Argentina, Uruguay and Venezuela to announce a withdrawal from the Fort Benning institution due to its negative image amongst Latin Americans.
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COLOMBIA: Take Action to stop the Free Trade Agreement
President Bush is threatening to bypass law-making procedures to force a vote on the Free Trade Agreement without approval from Congressional leadership - once again disrupting the checks and balances of our system.
Call your members of Congress and ask them to oppose this move by taking a public position against the U.S.- Colombia Free Trade Agreement.
Our collective energy has stopped the FTA for a year. This is a victory that could be dashed by the powerful all-out campaign launched by the Administrations of U.S. President George Bush and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. With six official U.S. Congressional delegations already sent to Colombia to experience carefully staged tours highlighting the efforts supposedly undertaken to end the systematic assassination of Colombia labor leaders, five more are scheduled.
These delegations are clearly not seeing:
- the 3.8 million displaced people forced from their homes, a disproportionate number are Afro- Colombian and Indigenous people;
- families of union organizers, rather than labor leaders themselves, murdered so not to count in the closely watched assassination statistics;
- purportedly demobilized paramilitaries resurfacing with new names and intimidating those in the act of defending human rights; and
- increased extrajudicial executions of civilians by members of the Colombian armed forces.
Approving a FTA in a country engaged in a five decade conflict will perpetuate these abuses and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis lived out every day. Neither we nor the people of Colombia can afford a NAFTA-style trade agreement that will cause more displacement and suffering.
Movements are arising all over the world and calling for international trade and investment systems that respect and promote the dignity of the human person, ensure the development and well-being of people in all nations, foster gender and racial equity and lead to environmental sustainability. However, the U.S.- Colombia FTA takes us far away from this goal.
A few calls can sway your members of Congress to take a public stand. It's easy. Here's how.
1. Call (202) 224-3121 and ask the Capitol Switchboard operator to connect you to your member of Congress' office. Visit w ww.congress.org to find out who represents you in Congress.
2. Talking points
- Please stop President Bush from forcing a vote on the U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement by taking a public stance against it.
- Select from one of the talking points below to support your argument.
3. Call 1-202-224-3121 again and ask for one of your two senators.
Repeat the message, then call your other senator.
U.S.-Colombia FTA talking points
If Passed the U.S.-Colombia FTA will:
Undermine human rights and fuel the fires of conflict. Colombia is still a country at war. Its record on human rights is dismal. Attacks on civil society, union leaders, Afro-Colombians and Indigenous people continue with impunity. The FTA will deepen the economic disparity, which is a root cause of the conflict, and diminish human rights.
Destroy small farmers. The agreement will favor only a small sector of Colombian farmers who export to the U.S. The Colombian Ministry of Agriculture estimates that if tariffs on agricultural imports from the U.S. were eliminated, overall income for farmers would drop by more than fifty percent. This would wipe out local farmers-as happened to the 1.3 million who have been displaced in Mexico since NAFTA passed 12 years ago. This will only add to Colombia's 3.8 million internally displaced people.
Increase drug trafficking. Colombia is already the world's largest producer of cocaine. The FTA will threaten livelihoods and displace small farmers leaving, for some, no other alternative than to join the lucrative drug trade.
Harm Indigenous peoples and Afro-Colombians. The internal conflict has disproportionately displaced Afro- Colombian and Indigenous peoples from their resource-rich, ancestral territories, ignoring their constitutional and legal rights. Laws put in place in anticipation of the FTA to attract investment dismantle the legal rights related to territory, mineral and forest resources of these communities. Once the FTA is in place, under its investment rules, multinational corporations benefiting from these legal reforms will be able to sue the Colombian government for compensation for future lost profits if the laws are revoked.
Hinder access to life-saving medicines. While the amended text of the Colombia FTA removes the most egregious, CAFTA-based, provisions limiting the access to affordable medicines, it still includes NAFTA provisions that undermine the right to affordable medicines. This will further exacerbate a failed Colombian health system that only covers ten percent of Afro-Colombians.
Harm workers and environment. The nominal changes made to the labor and environment provisions are insufficient. The Colombia FTA allows FTA dispute settlement panels to interpret and apply the terms of the ILO Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work differently than the Declaration has been interpreted and applied by the ILO itself. Enforcement of the new changes will be dependent on Colombian President Uribe who has a consistent record of undermining domestic labor and environmental law enforcement. Colombia is the most dangerous country in the world for union and labor organizers.
Increase the burden on women, children, and the poor. Provisions promoting the privatization and deregulation of essential services such as water, healthcare and education are written into this trade agreement. As these services become less accessible, women and the poor suffer the consequences of increases in prices of these services.
Undermine U.S. and Colombian sovereignty. The Colombia FTA contains a NAFTA-style foreign investor chapter that allows corporations to sue governments that pass environmental and public health laws that might reduce corporate profits.
Threaten the Amazon and wildlife. The FTA will stimulate an increase in logging and other extraction projects in the Colombian Amazon rain forest that mostly reside in Afro-Colombian and Indigenous territories. This will further endanger the lungs of the globe and precious species and will be reinforced by investor rules that allow corporations to sue the Colombian government when enforcement of environmental laws results in lost corporate profits.
Pirate traditional knowledge. The FTA will pave the way for large pharmaceutical and agribusiness corporations to patent traditional knowledge, seeds, and life forms. This opens the door to bio-piracy of the Andean-Amazon region and threatens the ecological, medicinal and cultural heritage of Afro-Colombians and Indigenous peoples.
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EL SALVADOR: The Suchitoto 13 Cleared of all Charges!!
With the Human Rights Ombudsman present at the hearing, the Justice of the Peace of Suchitoto declared that the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence to uphold the current charges of Public Disturbances and Aggravated Damages. This decision comes after the prosecution dropped charges under the Special Law against Acts of Terrorism last week due to lack of evidence. The case was then moved from the Special Terrorism Court to the court in Suchitoto. Today's decision is a fantastic victory of the Salvadoran people and international solidarity over forces of repression.With the Human Rights Ombudsman present at the hearing, the Justice of the Peace of Suchitoto declared that the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence to uphold the current charges of Public Disturbances and Aggravated Damages. This decision comes after the prosecution dropped charges under the Special Law against Acts of Terrorism last week due to lack of evidence. The case was then moved from the Special Terrorism Court to the court in Suchitoto. Today's decision is a fantastic victory of the Salvadoran people and international solidarity over forces of repression.
This wonderful news comes along with another, albeit quieter, victory over the dangerous precedent that could be set by the Special Law against Acts of Terrorism. On February 5, El Salvador's Supreme Court admitted an appeal that calls into question the constitutionality of the terrorism law. One of the jurists who has been central to this process is Maria Silvia Guillen, director of FESPAD, which is a legal organization supported by SHARE. In this appeal, the Court requires that the Legislative Assembly submit a justification for this law. There is speculation that the result of the Suchitoto case could convince some members of the Legislative Assembly to retract their support for the law.
Today we want to express our appreciation to the brave citizens and activists who have had their freedom in flux for so many months; we honor their courage throughout this process. We also stand in awe of the undeterred mobilization of Salvadoran civil society in steadfast support for the Suchitoto 13. Finally, we want to thank YOU. The international solidarity community played an indispensable role in pushing for the freedom of the Suchitoto 13. Without your letter writing, your donations, and your moral support, our friends and colleagues in the struggle for justice might still be prisoners. We at SHARE also profoundly appreciated the support of Congress - especially the offices of Congressmen Capuano, McGovern, Fattah, Michaud, and McDermott for their willingness to stand up for civil liberties.
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TAKE ACTION: THE FARMWORKERS NEED OUR HELP
Once again, the Bush Administration is attempting to strip away the few protections afforded to workers who harvest our nation’s crops.
This week, the U.S. Department of Labor announced what it calls the "most significant overhaul of the nation’s agricultural guest worker program in two decades." That sounds good, but look a little closer and you will discover that instead of fixing the problem, this so-called reform is nothing more than a gutting of existing protections for both domestic and foreign workers.
The proposed plan to the H2-A/guest worker program is simply unacceptable. This so-called "overhaul" of the nation's agricultural guest worker program will result in lower wages and worsen conditions for farm workers that are already unacceptable. DOL's proposal includes an easing of the standards farmers must follow to show they have tried to hire domestic workers first. It also hurts those workers coming in under the H2-A program by lowering wages and undermining labor protections that already exist for U.S. workers.
The key to real solution to this dilemma is the UFW-backed AgJOBS. This bill will provide a stable and reliable agricultural workforce. AgJOBS has the support of growers, workers and a bipartisan majority in Congress.
In the coming days, we plan on raising public awareness about how the federal administrative changes are being forced upon us, instead of a legislative solution. We intend on engaging elected officials and community organizations across the nation to stop these changes from being enacted.
Please contact the U.S. Department of Labor TODAY. Tell them instead of gutting the current guest worker program, they should be enforcing the regulations that are currently on the books to protect farm workers.
SAMPLE LETTER:
Deputy Secretary, United States Department of Labo Howard M. Radzely
U.S. Department of Labor, Frances Perkins Building, 200 Constitution Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20210
www.dol.gov | Telephone: 1-866-4-USA-DOL
AgJOBS is the only solution that growers and farm worker organizations agree on that will resolve our nation's immigration and labor issues in the fields.
The plan you proposed on February 9th to change the H2-A program is unacceptable. At first glance, the so-called "overhaul" of this nation's agricultural guest worker program will result in lower wages and worsen conditions for farm workers that are already unacceptable. The proposed changes include an easing of the standards farmers must follow to show they have tried to hire domestic workers first. The proposed reforms also hurt those workers coming in under the H2-A program by lowering wages, not to mention undermining existing labor protections for U.S. workers.
In the coming days, we plan on raising public awareness about the federal administrative changes that are being forced upon us instead of a legislative solution. We intend on engaging elected officials and community organizations across the nation to stop these changes from being enacted.
Instead of gutting the current guest worker program, the U.S. Department of Labor should be enforcing the regulations that are currently on the books to protect farm workers.
We demand that a better approach be taken to strengthen the agricultural workforce. That approach is the approval of AgJOBS.
Check out our website at: www.ufw.org and keep up with the latest news.
Want to know more about AgJobs? Go to: http://www.ufw.org/agjobs
Check out the UFW's Social Networking pages. Visit out MySpace, Facebook Group, Facebook Cause, YouTube, Flickr, and Care2 pages. Please link to us and become our "Friend."
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EL SALVADOR: Terrorism charges dropped against Suchitoto 13!
Dear Friends,
We have some wonderful news to share with you! On Friday, February 8, time ran out for the prosecution to submit evidence to support its case against the "Suchitoto 13", the 13 peaceful activists who were arrested on July 2, 2007 in connection to a protest against water privatization and charged with terrorism.
The Prosecution could not prove the accusations, and instead, presented the Special Tribunal with a briefing in which it changed the charges from acts of terrorism to public disorder and aggravated damages. SHARE consulted with Dr. Maria Silvia Guillén, Director of FESPAD, one of the groups whose lawyers have been handling the defense. She informs us that what is likely is that the judge of the Special Tribunal will recuse herself and transfer the case to Suchitoto or Cojutepeque, where the trial should continue.
It is important to remember that this would begin a distinct case, neither under the antiterrorist law nor under the laws against organized crime, but under the penal code that was in use when the actions occurred. That penal code would punish the crimes of public disorder and aggravated damages with 1-4 years, which could be served in prison, or through probation and community service. There is still a danger that the process could be prolonged and that the people being processed could be sent to jail. It is evident, however, that the Prosecutor has had a major setback to the offensive that was launched against those accused.
Today the families of the Suchitoto 13 are beginning a pilgrimage that will last 3 days. The marchers will begin in the central park of Suchitoto and march to San Salvador, spending two nights in marginalized communities along the way. The march is intended to draw attention to the case, to ask for definitive freedom for those who have been unjustly prosecuted, and to insist that their rights be respected.
We would like to take this moment to celebrate, and to thank you all so very much for your persistent solidarity. It was the international pressure that each one of you became involved in that forced justice in this case. The several letters that went out from Congress - especially the offices of Representatives Capuano, McGovern, Fattah, Michoud, and McDermott were instrumental in making the will of the people of the United States with regard to this case known. In addition, through your generous support, SHARE has been able to send down a total of $10,000 in support for the legal defense of those accused.
In the midst of rejoicing, let us also commit ourselves once again to solidarity with the Suchitoto 13 and all those who are denied their basic right to protest. Please continue to stay alert so that together we can advocate for an end to the anti-terror law and respect for civil liberties.
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EL SALVADOR: Members of U.S. Congress Express Concern About Terrorism Charges Against Suchitoto Prisoners
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Members of the United States Congress this week sent letters to the President of El Salvador expressing concern for the state of human rights and civil liberties in that country. The letters are in response to charges of terrorism that are being applied to 13 individuals arrested at a protest against water privatization in the town of Suchitoto on July 2, 2007. These charges were made under a 2006 “Special Law Against Acts of Terrorism” that was strongly supported by the U.S. Embassy in San Salvador. The Salvadoran government is set to present its evidence in the case to a special terrorism tribunal, also established by the 2006 law, on Friday, February 8.
The letters were sent by Congressional Representatives, among them Michael Capuano of Massachusetts, Chaka Fattah of Pennsylvania, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, and Michael Michaud of Maine. Several of the letters sent this week refer to a similar letter signed by 40 members of Congress in response to the Suchitoto case in August 2007.
In his February 5 letter to President Antonio Saca, Congressman Michael Michaud states his “concern regarding the human rights situation in El Salvador with respect to the case of those arrested in Suchitoto and charged with acts of terrorism.” With the legal case against the ‘Suchitoto 13’ set go move forward this week, Congressman Michaud expresses his “hope that the actions of the Salvadoran government reflect the values of free political expression, civil liberties and the rule of law.”
Numerous human rights organizations, both in El Salvador and on the international level, denounced the Salvadoran government’s treatment of the Suchitoto prisoners and the terrorism charges themselves. In a July 13, 2007, statement, Amnesty International said it “fears that those concerned were arrested to punish them for their involvement in legitimate acts of protest and to prevent similar such acts in the future.” The report goes on to state that “any charges that impair the lawful exercise of fundamental rights should be dropped and anyone facing such charges should be released.”
U.S.-based solidarity organizations have also called for the terrorism charges to be dropped. A national “week of action” to draw attention to the issue was carried out around the United States in January. Sponsors of the week of action included the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador (CISPES), U.S.-El Salvador Sister Cities, and the SHARE Foundation. According to Burke Stansbury, Executive Director of CISPES, “as organizations that work in solidarity with the Salvadoran social movement, we have a responsibility to work against repression in El Salvador, especially when that repression is supported and encouraged by the United States.”
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NICARAGUA: Nueva Vida Coop -- land saved for the moment!
We're writing to you as long-time supporters of the Jubilee House Community and our project in Nicaragua, the Center for Development in Central America (CDCA) to ask you to take immediate action to help us prevent the theft of the land where we and our projects are located. In the last few days we have been summoned to court to respond to a demand on the part of Señora Yelba Carvajal, a person well known here in Nicaragua to be involved in several fraudulent land deals. We have been investigating, and have managed to find out that she is claiming in the courts that she is the legitimate owner of the property where we are located, even though we have legal title. On the basis of a typographical error in the title, Señora Carvajal is asking the court to invalidate our title and recognize her as the legitimate owner of the property. You will remember that we originally purchased our land from a cooperative in the 1990s, and she later purchased the rest of the land that the cooperative owned. It would appear that this is an open and shut case in our favor; however, as Father Miguel D'Escoto once said to us about land issues in Nicaragua, "You can have the law and justice on your side, and it's still not enough."
What does this mean?
It means that the Nueva Vida women's sewing cooperative, the Fair Trade Zone, is in danger of losing its land, building, and free trade zone status, therefore putting 50 people out of their jobs that they have worked so hard to maintain for the last nine years. It means that the fledgling Genesis spinning plant cooperative, only days away from setting its first post in the ground, is in danger of losing the land where they will build their factory, all the work they have put into their project for the last year, and the opportunity to create full-time employment for 60 people and their families. These are only two examples of the negative impact that this would have, resulting in the closing of all of the CDCA's projects in Ciudad Sandino.
What can you do?
We are asking you to send an email to the First Lady of Nicaragua, Rosario Murillo, requesting that she, as a strong defender of poor women throughout this country, investigate this attempt to steal from these cooperatives that are made up in their vast majority of poor women who have worked so long and so hard to better the lives of their members. Below we have included an example of an email in Spanish and in English on which you can base your message.
If you have the time, we ask that you personalize your message as we feel it's important that she receive individual emails. (Feel free to send an email in English only if you do not speak Spanish.)
Please send emails to rosario@presidencia.gob.ni and sign your name and address including country.
Please copy us on the email at jhc@jhc-cdca.org
Thank you for all your support,
The Jubilee House Community Inc.
Center for Development in Central America
www.jhc- cdca.org
jhc@jhc-cdca.org
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ACTION for COLOMBIA
February 7, 2008 (from LAWG) www.lawg.org
Dear Colombia Advocates:
Call your senators today! Senators Dodd and Feingold are currently circulating a "dear colleague" letter to Secretary of State Rice expressing concern over the alarming increase in killings by the Colombian army. Click here to read the letter.
Human rights groups in Colombia and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) in Bogotá have documented an increase in the number of civilians killed by the army over the past few years. In many cases, someone witnessed the victim being detained by soldiers. Later on, the body was found dressed in guerrilla clothing and claimed by the army as killed in combat. As paramilitary forces are being demobilized, the army, under pressure to "get results," appears to be directly involved in more human rights abuses.
Recently, a group of human rights experts participated in an international mission to investigate these civilian killings (click here to read the preliminary mission report and here to view a statement by U.S. NGOs). Staff from the Latin America Working Group participated in the mission and listened to dozens of family members bravely give heart-wrenching testimony about how their loved one was killed.
The young man, trembling, said the soldiers came into his house and took his father. They tied his hands and feet and sat him down in a chair. Then they killed him in front of the whole family.
Click here to read LAWG's story in its entirety.
The letter urges Secretary Rice to refrain from certifying military aid to Colombia until these human rights abuses are investigated, tried in civilian courts, and those responsible are brought to justice. Contact your senators through the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121. Ask them to send the message that human rights matter by signing onto this letter by February 15th.
Last year - up against the high-priced lobbyists of the Colombian government - we showed how committed citizens who raise their voices for human rights and justice can have an impact on U.S. policy towards Colombia. Let's make sure our representatives continue to hear our message loud and clear!
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COLOMBIA: A Reflection on Dignity and Community
On the hour-long truck ride home to Micoahumado I witnessed an important example of community. We had just celebrated a day together full of swimming and gratitude for four years of CPT accompaniment there. We crammed into a truck with 50 people (and a motorcycle!) constantly bumping into each other as we hung on for dear life and looked out for each other at the same time. I got to wondering who was holding up whom. Martin was bracing three people to his right, with me on his lap, a little girl on my lap, and one person on a motorcycle to our left. He was holding onto the outside of the truck until three children urgently told him to bring his hand inside. Immediately after doing so, some sharp branches smashed into the very place where his hand had been. I realized in that moment, that true communities look out for and hold onto each other.
I wonder if it’s that community spirit of commitment and purpose that gives so many in Colombia a dignity that even the worst poverty and social degradation cannot erase. So many people we’ve met here have been welcoming, hospitable, and grateful for the work of CPT. They continue to be incredibly courageous in the face of overwhelming injustices. Above all, I’ve noticed their dignity when speaking truth, giving voice to the terrible facts, and tenaciously living solidarity in the struggle for peace with justice.
Sometimes the pain of family members and torture victims can be too terrible to see, and so their stories are often hidden from view, not heard. On the contrary, the dignity of the people we have met compels us to hear them, and illustrates the worth of all human beings, regardless of their circumstances. These folks encourage and inspire me to join them in their stand against the things of this world that should be unimaginable. Their serenity and strength of purpose in the face of overwhelming odds reminds me that the Spirit of life and hope will have the final say.
Thank you to the people of Colombia, the speakers in Bogota, our host family in Barrancabermeja, and all of our new family in Micoahumado for encouragement and solidarity. Because of these experiences, I am filled with hope and certainty that we will all continue to work in our own ways and locations to assist the beloved community in becoming a reality on earth!
Members of the January 2008 delegation to Colombia: Susan Lee Barton, Richmond, Indiana, United States; Martin Bates, Salina, Kansas, United States; Mary Benson, Brainerd, Minnesota, United States; Doris Braley, New Brighton, Minnesota, United States; Tyler Braun, Montreal, Québec, Canadá; Paul Mukerji, Birmingham, England; Janie Stein, Salina, Kansas, United States; Jonathan Stucky, Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Colombia.
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MISSION STATEMENT: Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) Colombia is a
community made up of trained volunteers from different cultures that
forms part of the international, ecumenical organization, CPT. Our
work is based in, though not limited to, the Middle Magdelena region
of Colombia. We work together on grassroots initiatives to expose and
transform structures of domination and oppression through active
nonviolence in order to make possible a world grounded in respect,
justice and love, even of enemies.
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