COLOMBIA: State attacks ongoing indigenous protest Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2007 09:50:16 -0600 (CST) ----- Forwarded message from ldxar1@tesco.net ----- Date: Mon, 24 Dec 2007 23:28:02 -0000 From: Andy Reply-To: stateyourcause@yahoogroups.com Subject: [stateyourcause] COLOMBIA: State attacks ongoing indigenous protest Colombian indigenous people send an SOS from Cauca Since the 13th of Decemeber 2007, 64 people have participated in this protest action. The treatment of the Indigenous people of Colombia by successive governments has been complex and unfair. Recently announcements from the Organization of Antioquia (OIA) indicate that government's future projects threaten the survival and livelihood of a significant proportion of the local indigenous people. 22 projects in South America using an Integrative Infrastructure are going to be developed in indigenous territories. More than 80 oil exploitations are on 30 indigenous territories. The canalization of Meta and Putumayo Rivers will adversely affect 37 Indigenous Nations. Oil palm plantations will affect five millions hectares of claimed land and 5 dams will inundate ancestral lands. With the New Law of Rural Development (Law 1152 of 2007), the Colombian Government and the Congress have abolished the holding of legal title by the indigenous people of the Pacific region and other municipalities. Yet the Government have not intervened on the four million hectares that drug traffickers and big landowners (supported by paramilitaries) have illegally taken by violent means from the indigenous peoples, the Afro-Colombian and the peasant people. With other newly created Laws in Mines and Forestry, the Colombian Government is about to abolish indigenous rights to their lands that were recognized in national and international treaties (the 1991 Constitutional Reform and the169 Agreement of the ILO (International Labour Organisation). In 1991, the Colombian army killed 23 people at "El Nilo" Farm. In 1998, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights adjudged the Colombian government's responsibility, and ruled that 10,000 hectares be handed back to the original indigenous people of Cauca. Nothing has been done to date to redeem this land. That is why the indigenous people have made a call to free Mother Earth during the last few weeks. CRIC has sent an SOS informing how Colombian army and police forces have attacked the protest movement of indigenous peoples on the Caloto-Corinto Road at the Department of Cauca. Four people were seriously injured. "People had to retreat to avoid more injuries," stated Feliciano Valencia, a commoner from CRIC. Colombian government is using excessive force. During the last few weeks, military tanks have been sent to the communities; indigenous leaders have been detained in their homes without legal representation and commoners (men, women and children) have been attacked with tear gas sprayed directly in their faces. Helicopters have been flying over schools and indigenous cultural centres have been destroyed." "However ─according to regional leaders─, none of these actions will be enough to stop our legitimate claim to our lands. None of these actions will shut up our voices to denounce the Colombian Government's lack of justice to give us back territories that have been taken by big landowners some of whom are relatives of current Cauca governor, Juan Josi Chaux. "Our brothers and sisters will continue to fight to recover the land that was forcefully taken from us." According to OIA press release, "In November 25, 2007, Cauca's governor, supported by President Uribe's Security Council, accused the indigenous protest as an act of delinquency, dismissing legitimate right to protest and claim land that rightfully and historically belonged to the indigenous people. He also intended to associate the indigenous protest to the guerrilla movement FARC-EP, calling terrorists our brothers and sisters, trying to de-legitimate the social movement". "We are not land thieves; you can not steal what is yours", OIA added. ACIN also reports that "the community feels annoyed and sad because of this tragedy produced by the repressive action of Government. However, we will keep resisting until the government arrives at a decision that benefits indigenous people and Mother Earth - not multinationals. We will maintain the rituals to free Mother Earth. Our goal is to defend and maintain our freedom to use our lands for our benefit and to support other indigenous people's fight as well." The Eastern Cauca Territorial Council of Indigenous Authorities (COTAINDOC) rejects Colombian Government's response and demands that serious attention be given to legal agreements previously signed with the Cauca indigenous people. Jointly with other indigenous organizations, "we plead the national and international society, the Human Right organizations and other social organizations to be alert and ready to attend any situation that can occur to the eastern Cauca indigenous people in their legitimate claim for their lands. We make responsible the departmental and central government for the consequences of the violence used against our people." The Indigenous Parliament is peacefully functioning in the Territory of Dialogue, Convergence and Negotiation "La Marma" at Piendams County, since November 22, 2007. We do not accept any violent response from the government and we plead the national and international solidarity. You can read the public proclamation from CRIC Major Council, November 13, 2007 in http://www.nasaacin.net/desafio_no_da_espera.htm More information: http://www.nasaacin.net If you want to support our protest, expressing your concern to Colombian authorities, please fill the form at the bootom of the following weblink: http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/protestaktion.php?id=229 Please send immediately to the following addresses: ADDRESSES Colombian President S.E. Alvaro Uribe Vilez Carrera 8 # 7-26, Palacio de Nariqo Santa Fe de Bogota Fax: +57.1.566.20.71 E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co Colombian Vice-president Sr. Francisco Santos Tels.: +571334.45.07, +573.7720130 E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co ; buzon1@presidencia.gov.co Director of the President Program for Human Rights Dr. Carlos Franco E-mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co Director of the Vice-president Program for Human Rights Email: ppdh@presidencia.gov.co Observatory for Human Rights from the Vice-president office Email: obserdh@presidencia.gov.co Ombudsman Dr. Volmar Antonio Pirez Ortiz Calle 55 # 10-32, Bogota. Fax: + 57.1.640.04.91 E-mail: secretaria_privada@hotmail.com; agenda@agenda.gov.co National Prosecutor Doctor Mario Hernan Iguaran Arana Diagonal 22-B # 52-01, Bogota Fax: +57.1.570.20.00; +57.1.414.90.00 (Extensisn 1113) E-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co Colombian permanent mission in United Nations Chemin du Champ d'Anier, 17-19, 1209 Ginebra, Suiza. FAX: + 41.22.791.07.87 TEL.:+ 41.22.798.45.55. E-mail: mission.colombia@ties.itu.int Juridical Office from Cauca Department Doctor Norbey Ivan Ortiz lara juridica@gobcauca.gov.co Government Secretary of Cauca Department Doctor Carlos Horacio Gsmez gobierno@gobcauca.gov.co Please take part in an urgent email alert to call on the Colombian authorities to protect the rights of indigenous peoples. Some 10,000 indigenous people in Cauca state have recently begung a civil protest to recover their land, which another 90,000 are waiting to support. They have formed an Indigenous and Popular Parliament which includes delegates from other Colombian social organizations. The Colombian authorities have responded with violence and prosecution. Land is being taken away from indigenous communities in Colombia for palm oil (which is being expanded rapidly for biofuels), for oil drilling and for mining. To take part in the action, please go to http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/protestaktion.php?id=229 Assessment for Indigenous Peoples in Colombia: http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/mar/assessment.asp?groupId=10004 ----- End forwarded message ----- * Juxtaposeur http://memes.org/blog/juxtaposeur http://www.youtube.com/smileycoyote http://eeng.net/CS/blogs/smileycoyote/default.aspx http://www.liveleak.com/user/juxtaposeur Colombian indigenous people send an SOS from Cauca Since the 13th of Decemeber 2007, 64 people have participated in this protest action. The treatment of the Indigenous people of Colombia by successive governments has been complex and unfair. Recently announcements from the Organization of Antioquia (OIA) indicate that government's future projects threaten the survival and livelihood of a significant proportion of the local indigenous people. 22 projects in South America using an Integrative Infrastructure are going to be developed in indigenous territories. More than 80 oil exploitations are on 30 indigenous territories. The canalization of Meta and Putumayo Rivers will adversely affect 37 Indigenous Nations. Oil palm plantations will affect five millions hectares of claimed land and 5 dams will inundate ancestral lands. With the New Law of Rural Development (Law 1152 of 2007), the Colombian Government and the Congress have abolished the holding of legal title by the indigenous people of the Pacific region and other municipalities. Yet the Government have not intervened on the four million hectares that drug traffickers and big landowners (supported by paramilitaries) have illegally taken by violent means from the indigenous peoples, the Afro-Colombian and the peasant people. With other newly created Laws in Mines and Forestry, the Colombian Government is about to abolish indigenous rights to their lands that were recognized in national and international treaties (the 1991 Constitutional Reform and the169 Agreement of the ILO (International Labour Organisation). In 1991, the Colombian army killed 23 people at "El Nilo" Farm. In 1998, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights adjudged the Colombian government's responsibility, and ruled that 10,000 hectares be handed back to the original indigenous people of Cauca. Nothing has been done to date to redeem this land. That is why the indigenous people have made a call to free Mother Earth during the last few weeks. CRIC has sent an SOS informing how Colombian army and police forces have attacked the protest movement of indigenous peoples on the Caloto-Corinto Road at the Department of Cauca. Four people were seriously injured. "People had to retreat to avoid more injuries," stated Feliciano Valencia, a commoner from CRIC. Colombian government is using excessive force. During the last few weeks, military tanks have been sent to the communities; indigenous leaders have been detained in their homes without legal representation and commoners (men, women and children) have been attacked with tear gas sprayed directly in their faces. Helicopters have been flying over schools and indigenous cultural centres have been destroyed." "However ─according to regional leaders─, none of these actions will be enough to stop our legitimate claim to our lands. None of these actions will shut up our voices to denounce the Colombian Government's lack of justice to give us back territories that have been taken by big landowners some of whom are relatives of current Cauca governor, Juan Josi Chaux. "Our brothers and sisters will continue to fight to recover the land that was forcefully taken from us." According to OIA press release, "In November 25, 2007, Cauca's governor, supported by President Uribe's Security Council, accused the indigenous protest as an act of delinquency, dismissing legitimate right to protest and claim land that rightfully and historically belonged to the indigenous people. He also intended to associate the indigenous protest to the guerrilla movement FARC-EP, calling terrorists our brothers and sisters, trying to de-legitimate the social movement". "We are not land thieves; you can not steal what is yours", OIA added. ACIN also reports that "the community feels annoyed and sad because of this tragedy produced by the repressive action of Government. However, we will keep resisting until the government arrives at a decision that benefits indigenous people and Mother Earth - not multinationals. We will maintain the rituals to free Mother Earth. Our goal is to defend and maintain our freedom to use our lands for our benefit and to support other indigenous people's fight as well." The Eastern Cauca Territorial Council of Indigenous Authorities (COTAINDOC) rejects Colombian Government's response and demands that serious attention be given to legal agreements previously signed with the Cauca indigenous people. Jointly with other indigenous organizations, "we plead the national and international society, the Human Right organizations and other social organizations to be alert and ready to attend any situation that can occur to the eastern Cauca indigenous people in their legitimate claim for their lands. We make responsible the departmental and central government for the consequences of the violence used against our people." The Indigenous Parliament is peacefully functioning in the Territory of Dialogue, Convergence and Negotiation "La Marma" at Piendams County, since November 22, 2007. We do not accept any violent response from the government and we plead the national and international solidarity. You can read the public proclamation from CRIC Major Council, November 13, 2007 in http://www.nasaacin.net/desafio_no_da_espera.htm More information: http://www.nasaacin.net If you want to support our protest, expressing your concern to Colombian authorities, please fill the form at the bootom of the following weblink: http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/protestaktion.php?id=229 Please send immediately to the following addresses: ADDRESSES Colombian President S.E. Alvaro Uribe Vilez Carrera 8 # 7-26, Palacio de Nariqo Santa Fe de Bogota Fax: +57.1.566.20.71 E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co Colombian Vice-president Sr. Francisco Santos Tels.: +571334.45.07, +573.7720130 E-mail: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co ; buzon1@presidencia.gov.co Director of the President Program for Human Rights Dr. Carlos Franco E-mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co Director of the Vice-president Program for Human Rights Email: ppdh@presidencia.gov.co Observatory for Human Rights from the Vice-president office Email: obserdh@presidencia.gov.co Ombudsman Dr. Volmar Antonio Pirez Ortiz Calle 55 # 10-32, Bogota. Fax: + 57.1.640.04.91 E-mail: secretaria_privada@hotmail.com; agenda@agenda.gov.co National Prosecutor Doctor Mario Hernan Iguaran Arana Diagonal 22-B # 52-01, Bogota Fax: +57.1.570.20.00; +57.1.414.90.00 (Extensisn 1113) E-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co; denuncie@fiscalia.gov.co Colombian permanent mission in United Nations Chemin du Champ d'Anier, 17-19, 1209 Ginebra, Suiza. FAX: + 41.22.791.07.87 TEL.:+ 41.22.798.45.55. E-mail: mission.colombia@ties.itu.int Juridical Office from Cauca Department Doctor Norbey Ivan Ortiz lara juridica@gobcauca.gov.co Government Secretary of Cauca Department Doctor Carlos Horacio Gsmez gobierno@gobcauca.gov.co Please take part in an urgent email alert to call on the Colombian authorities to protect the rights of indigenous peoples. Some 10,000 indigenous people in Cauca state have recently begung a civil protest to recover their land, which another 90,000 are waiting to support. They have formed an Indigenous and Popular Parliament which includes delegates from other Colombian social organizations. The Colombian authorities have responded with violence and prosecution. Land is being taken away from indigenous communities in Colombia for palm oil (which is being expanded rapidly for biofuels), for oil drilling and for mining. To take part in the action, please go to http://www.regenwald.org/international/englisch/protestaktion.php?id=229 Assessment for Indigenous Peoples in Colombia: http://www.cidcm.umd.edu/mar/assessment.asp?groupId=10004