Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- In a message dated 04/08/01 23:21:34 Eastern Daylight Time, Lahuelga writes: > ["For these events, we hold responsible President Andres Pastrana, who went > over the heads of governors and mayors and public opinion and gave an order > to crack down on the national farm strike," said the National Association for > Farm Salvation in a news release.] > > Two Colombian peasants killed in protest clash > > BOGOTA, Colombia, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Two peasant demonstrators were killed > and 24 were injured in clashes with police and soldiers trying to clear a > farm protest roadblock, protest leaders and police said on Friday. > > The police said the two protesters died on Thursday in cross-fire between > army units responding to leftist guerrillas who allegedly infiltrated the > roadblock on a stretch of highway between the towns of La Plata and Garzon in > the southwestern province of Huila. > > But leaders of the four-day-old nationwide protest -- started by peasant > farmers seeking government aid and cuts in food imports -- blamed the > authorities for the deaths. > > "For these events, we hold responsible President Andres Pastrana, who went > over the heads of governors and mayors and public opinion and gave an order > to crack down on the national farm strike," said the National Association for > Farm Salvation in a news release. > > The relatively small association -- grouping thousands of small growers of > coffee, rice, African palm, potatoes and bananas -- is demanding the > government ban farm imports and forgive farmers' debts. > > Thursday's clashes in Huila between security forces and about 10,000 peasant > demonstrators were the most violent so far in the protest. > > Police said the peasants wielded clubs and threw stones and Molotov > cocktails. They also accused leftist rebels of infiltrating the protest and > taking potshots at the security forces. > > The protest has pushed up prices of some foods in Colombia's cities, but > police action to remove roadblocks has meant that it has not affected the > country's vital exports of coffee. > > But the protest is another economic blow to Latin America's fifth-largest > economy, where growth has slipped this year due to the world slowdown and > redoubled attacks on oil pipelines by leftist rebels fighting a 37-year-old > war. > > Colombia's farm sector has been among the hardest hit by the government's > removal of trade barriers and subsidies since 1990. Protest organizers say > that food imports have grown tenfold to 7 million tonnes since 1990. > > 15:23 08-03-01 > ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: archive@jab.org T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
["For these events, we hold responsible President Andres Pastrana, who went over the heads of governors and mayors and public opinion and gave an order to crack down on the national farm strike," said the National Association for Farm Salvation in a news release.] Two Colombian peasants killed in protest clash BOGOTA, Colombia, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Two peasant demonstrators were killed and 24 were injured in clashes with police and soldiers trying to clear a farm protest roadblock, protest leaders and police said on Friday. The police said the two protesters died on Thursday in cross-fire between army units responding to leftist guerrillas who allegedly infiltrated the roadblock on a stretch of highway between the towns of La Plata and Garzon in the southwestern province of Huila. But leaders of the four-day-old nationwide protest -- started by peasant farmers seeking government aid and cuts in food imports -- blamed the authorities for the deaths. "For these events, we hold responsible President Andres Pastrana, who went over the heads of governors and mayors and public opinion and gave an order to crack down on the national farm strike," said the National Association for Farm Salvation in a news release. The relatively small association -- grouping thousands of small growers of coffee, rice, African palm, potatoes and bananas -- is demanding the government ban farm imports and forgive farmers' debts. Thursday's clashes in Huila between security forces and about 10,000 peasant demonstrators were the most violent so far in the protest. Police said the peasants wielded clubs and threw stones and Molotov cocktails. They also accused leftist rebels of infiltrating the protest and taking potshots at the security forces. The protest has pushed up prices of some foods in Colombia's cities, but police action to remove roadblocks has meant that it has not affected the country's vital exports of coffee. But the protest is another economic blow to Latin America's fifth-largest economy, where growth has slipped this year due to the world slowdown and redoubled attacks on oil pipelines by leftist rebels fighting a 37-year-old war. Colombia's farm sector has been among the hardest hit by the government's removal of trade barriers and subsidies since 1990. Protest organizers say that food imports have grown tenfold to 7 million tonnes since 1990. 15:23 08-03-01
