[narconews] Feder and Castillo: Despite Fierce Gov’t Intimidation, Colombian Social Movement Continue its Mobilization Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 17:38:51 -0500 (CDT) October 11, 2007 Please Distribute Widely Dear Colleagues, The Government of Colombia, headed by President Uribe, continues to attempt to paint the country as one of growing prosperity with their dark past as nothing but a distant memory. However, Narco News' Dan Feder and Laura del Castillo show us the other side of that painting, the side that Uribe and his friends don't want seen. That, in reality, there is much that worries the Colombian government, like the strong rural Social Movements who are joining ranks with each other to carry out large protests against the Uribe administration. Feder and Castillo report: "But a large part of that 'other side' of the country is not staying silent. It is outraged and tired of enduring more than five years of attacks, humiliation and exclusion. That is why several diverse rural, indigenous, labor and student organizations in the country - who have come together to form the National Coordination of Agrarian and Popular Organizations of Colombia - began their National Agrarian and Popular Mobilization yesterday, with protest actions throughout the country. Marches, road blockades, office takeovers and land occupations are being carried out in villages, towns and cities. "...Since the first rumblings of the mobilization began to be heard, the government has waged a quiet war on the organizations involved. Organizers tried to keep plans secret for as long as possible, meeting infrequently in sites announced at the last minute. But by mid-September, the cat was out of the bag. On September 19, soldiers began distributing flyers and dropping them from the sky onto rural villages in Planadas, Tolima, about 200 miles southeast of Bogota. "...Since then, he said, the army has made it nearly impossible to get to the departmental capital of Ibaque, where many activities are planned. 'Cars have been blocked by the army... in San Antonio, the people are there in the municipality, they were going move in these last few days and couldn't. The state forces were letting any vehicle pass except those headed toward the mobilization... We have a quite delicate situation because they have the people blockaded in all the different municipalities, confiscating their food and supplies.'" Read the rest of the article online at Narco News: http://www.narconews.com Narco News is also currently undergoing its Fall Fund Appeal, where The Angelica Foundation has generously offered to match all donations up to $5,000. Read more about the appeal: http://www.narconews.com/Issue47/article2822.html From somewhere in a country called Amirica, David B. Briones Webmaster The Narco News Bulletin http://www.narconews.com webmaster@narconews.com Narco News is supported by: The Fund for Authentic Journalism P.O. Box 241 Natick, MA 01760 http://www.authenticjournalism.org The Fund receives online donations at this web page: http://www.authenticjournalism.org Apply for your co-publisher's account, here: http://www.narconews.com/copublisher/application.php Subscribe for free alerts of new reports: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narconews Suscribete gratis para alertas de nuevos reportajes en espanol: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narconewsandes Inscreva-se para alertas gratuitos de reportagens do ultimo minuto em portugues brasileiro: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/narconewsbrasil