[PEN-L:5231] Stop the Murders Now/June 14 Action

[Colombia Support Network <csn@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

/* Written  3:59 AM  May 27, 1995 by csn in igc:soc.culture.co */
/* ---------- "Stop the Murders Now/June 14 Action" ---------- */
Urgent  Response  Called  for Against Skyrocketing Escalation of
 Paramilitary Violence in Uraba', Colombia; STOP ALL US AID TO COLOMBIA! 		

Background: Apartado', a town of (~50,000 souls) in the heart of the
Uraba'  region of northwest Colombia, has been the sister community of
Dane County  (Madison), Wisconsin since 1990. Apartado' is located in
the most violent  region of the Colombia, where there has historically
been much violence and  repression against political and union
activists, plus armed actions by  guerrillas and paramilitary
gunmen.  	
	The current mayor of Apartado', Gloria Cuartas,
visited Wisconsin the last  week of April, 1995, as a guest of the
Colombia Support Network (a Madison  group) and the Dane
County-Apartado' Sister Communities Project. This was a  continuation
of exchanges aimed at fostering cooperation, good will, and  support of
efforts to bring peace and prosperity to this backwater region  of
Colombia.  	
	On May 18, the Colombia Support Network received an urgent
phone call from  Ms. Cuartas, stating that the paramilitary groups in
the area were  virtually running wild with an escalation of murders and
horrible  mutilations, with the large number of police and army members
present in  the area (thousands) doing nothing to stop the
homicides. That  initial phone call has been followed by several
others, including  conversations with Msgr. Isaias Duarte, the Bishop
of Apartado'. Here is  what has been learned: 	
	On Sunday, May 14, 11 people were murdered by paramilitaries in
Carepa,   south of Apartado'. On Sunday, May 21, 8 were murdered in
Turbo, west of  Apartado' on the Gulf of Uraba'. In Turbo, the murders
occurred one half  block from the police station. In Carepa, the
killings occurred in front of  the police station, with the
paramilitary gunmen living in the same hotel  as the police. In another
location,  a meeting of fishermen was in  progress, when the
paramilitaries arrived; they called out for one person,   "Severino" --
he was murdered in front of the others.  Buses have been  stopped, and
people pulled off and executed.  	
	The murders appear to be focused on grassroots leaders,
including  indigenous peoples plus the marginalized Black population,
as well as  militants from a variety of competing political movements
-- who, very  significantly, have recently put aside their own
bickering and come  together in a 'consensus' of local cooperation for
peace. This 'consensus'  resulted in a statement by the various mayors
of the various towns in this  part of Uraba', and backed by the Bishop
of Apartado', which said simply: "No  To Violence;  Respect the
Consensus; Respect Civilians".  	
	The local Army Commander, General Alvarez, expressed his
disapproval for this statement of the mayors and bishop; previously he
had taken much displeasure  at   Mayor Cuarta's exposure of the Colombian
Army's looting of a nearby local town,  saying "she should stay out of
the Army's business". For that reason, we  greatly fear for Mayor
Cuarta's safety. 	
	The Uraba' mayors and Bishop of Apartado' have stated publicly
that they are very   upset that the Colombian Army and Police are not
exercising their constitutional duties of protecting the civilian
population, and at the least are guility of  negligence if not worse.
Stating this is Colombia is a very brave act, and puts them at  severe
risk to reprisals from the military and its agents. 	
	Why the escalation of violence at this time? We feel that two
important  social/political/economic currents are at play. First, is
the upcoming  multibillion dollar economic development slated for this
region of  Colombia, which is situated at both the Darien Gap, the last
gap of the Pan  American Highway, and the Gulf of Uraba', a deep water
port and free trade  zone. A handful of rich and powerful people want
to displace the residents, grab their  land, and install a "stable"
political machine. The paramilitaries are  tools of the big landowners,
the big cattlemen, as well as narcotraffickers  (who have also turned
into the first two) with the support and assistance of  certain
military officials.   	
	Second, at exactly this time, there are two important
initiatives for peace  occurring in Colombia; one is a Peace Process
for Uraba' which includes  international figures (Roger Fisher,
international negotiator from  Harvard; Oscar Arias, ex- president of
Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize  winner,  and Shafick Handal, ex-
comandante of El Salvador's FMLN and  negotiator of peace there). The
other is a negotiation between the Bogota  government and the several
guerrilla groups, to reach a cease fire with  hopes of a real ending of
armed insurgency.   	
	There are apparently wealthy and powerful forces who want to
grab up as  much land in Uraba' as they can, situated in the correct
locations (e.g.  Turbo, Carepa, Apartado') for the expected economic
boom of the next decade.  The paramilitaries are just their pawns. What
else can explain the huge  payrolls bankrolling the gunmen? There are
reported to be 500 paramilitary  gunmen, with each receiving the
unheard of salary of $300,000 pesos a  month! There is suspicion that
not only are local or regional wealthy  individuals behind the
paramilitaries, but organs of the National  "security" apparatus, who
have traditionally been instrumental in the  organization, funding,
provision of intelligence to, training and supply of  personnel.  	
	The paramilitary thugs, who operate under the name "Autodefensa
de Uraba' y  Cordoba" (~"Self-defense group or militia") have issued
their own  proclamation in response to the mayors and bishop: they
state that they  have declared war on the guerrillas and their
sympathizers, and that they  do not accept the truce between the
government and the guerrillas. They  have a counterinsurgency plan, and
will not stop the war until they win.   	
	In the past, one of Colombia's main narcotrafficers, Fidel
Castano, has  been behind much of the paramilitary activity in the
Uraba' region, and is  assumed to still be involved, although he has
dropped from sight (there  have been rumors that he is dead -- "how
convenient" Saturday Nite Live's 'churchlady might say.)
There have been warrants out for his  apprehension by the Colombian
government, and there are suspicions that he  may reappear using a
different name. Castano is believed to have  possible ties to U.S.
and/or Colombian intelligence agencies, as he was a  founder of the
"PEPES", an anti-Pablo Escobar terrorist unit, which  apparently
co-operated with the U.S. (CIA) backed Bloque de Busqueda elite
"hunter-killer" military unit that hunted down Escobar. Castano was
selected in early 1995 to be the supreme commander of the Colombia's
paramilitary units, at a confab held in the Magdalena Medio region,
where  high ranking Colombian military officers were reportedly in
attendence.	
	We call on people of good will to rise to the occasion, and
speak truth  power, to demand safety and protection for the Mayors of
Uraba', the Bishop of Apartado' and other religious leaders attempting
to stop the bloodbath,   by sending faxes to the following Colombian
and U.S. officials, and making clear our intention of demanding a
freeze on ALL US and multilateral aid to Colombia until the bloodbath
stops (since appeals to humanity and kindness mean nothing to the
forces behind this violence):
 Dr. Ernesto Samper P.,
Presidente de la Republica de Colombia Fax : (011) 571 2867434

Dr. Fernando Botero, Ministro de Defensa
Fax: (011) 571 2220930

Warren Christopher, US Secretary of State
Fax: 202 647-7120

(cc to Colombia Suppport Network)

	   We call on people of good will to support these demands,
with a call upon  our own elected officials:  	
	Stop the Violence Immediately -- Or Stop All U.S. Aid to Colombia	

1) We call on the US Congress to Hold Immediate Hearings on the
Violence in  Uraba' and elsewhere in Colombia
2) We call on the US Congress to Stop all US Aid to Colombia (except
humanitarian aid) until Hearings are held and the situation improves
3) We call for an immediate investigation into the funding of the
paramilitary  gunmen, including exposure of any collaboration of US
DEA, CIA and military   agents in any aspect of their operations.
4) We call on the Commerce Dept, the InterAmerican Development Bank,
and  World Bank to hold up all trade and financing deals with
Colombian  companies and financial institutions until the
paramilitaries are disarmed  and the Colombian authorities have
restored peace to Uraba'
5) We declare that we will organize international opposition to all
development schemes for the Uraba' region (Plan Pacifico) that benefit
the  rich landowners, the cattlemen and the narcotrafficers to the
detriment of  the indigeneous, Black and poor population of Uraba'. And
we will oppose  Colombia's entrance into NAFTA until the human rights
violations cease.	

	We call for Vigils, Rallies, Press Conferences, etc at the
Colombian Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. on June 14. 	

	For more info contact    Colombia Support Network
PO Box 1505  Madison WI 53701  Phone  608 836-5107  or   255-6554  Fax
608 255-6621  Email csn@xxxxxxx