>STOP NATO: ¡NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.HOME-PAGE.ORG > >Colombia Support Network >URGENT ACTION FOR THE PEOPLE OF THE MIDDLE MAGDALENA >URGENT ACTION ABOUT THE RESIDENTS OF TOWNS IN THE MIDDLE MAGDALENA AND >FOR A NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT TO THE CONFLICT IN COLOMBIA >Beginning with the conversations between the National Government and the >ELN (National Liberation Army) the possible demilitarization of four >municipalities in the South of Bolivar has been suggested as a condition >required by the guerrilla group to carry out a national Convention whose >objective would be to discuss with the different sectors of civil >society the future of Colombia. The four municipalities mentioned are >Morales, San Pablo, Santa Rosa and Simiti. >The latest contacts between the parties have generated diverse reactions >on the part of the residents of these municipalities. A march by >peasants carried out on January 31 in the municipality of Morales in >support of the demilitarization was repressed by paramilitary forces >which dominate the territory. Thanks to the intervention of several >residents, the peasants were protected by the national police, but were >pressured to return to their places of origin. >One week later on February 7, in the same town, paramilitary commanders >of the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC -- United Self-Defense >Forces of Colombia), and some representatives of the cattlemen's trade >association called a meeting in which they expressed their opposition to >an eventual demilitarization and subsequently they required the >population to sign a communiqué against the demilitarization. In that >meeting they also accused the local parish priest of being a guerrilla >because he maintains his pastoral mission in zones where the insurgency >has influence. The communiqué also referred to President Andres >Pastrana as a "guerrilla" for wishing to deliver the South of Bolivar to >the ELN. >The meeting ended with an ultimatum to the population to march against >the demilitarization. It demanded that at least one person from every >home attend the march. As a mechanism of pressure the paramilitaries >carried out a house-by-house census, selecting the person or persons who >would participate in the mobilization and later blockade of strategic >highways. It threatened that those who refused to participate would have >to leave the region for good. The same pressure mechanism was used in >other municipalities, especially in the urban centers of Santa Rosa, San >Pablo and Simiti and in the rural zone of Puerto Wilches. >The places where blockades were carried out coincided in some cases with >the presence of military bases or paramilitary bases and in all the >public forces were present, to control public order and support the >provision of food and articles of primary necessity. >In the settlements where the march originated, the paramilitaries have >control of transportation, the activities of residents and in the >provision of foodstuffs. For a time public transportation on the river >was suspended, as was land transportation to and from the municipalities >of the south of Bolivar and the south of Cesar. >In spite of this, representatives of the government and the Colombian >military forces have not demonstrated a desire to arrive at a prompt >resolution of the situation. In recent declarations Col. Jimenez, >spokesperson for the command of the Fifth Brigade, with headquarters in >Bucaramanga, affirmed that those participating in the march were not >making a blockage with vehicles, but rather in a peaceful manner, and >waited for the government to listen to them. General Fernando Tapias, >the chief head of the military forces of Colombia, stated that public >forces were not going to intervene because this is a peaceful >demonstration and what were necessary is a political solution. >On February 10 the government sent the Vice Minster of the Interior to >negotiate with those participating in the march. The set of items >petitioned for includes that following: >1) social investment, through the carrying out of prior agreements, >accords which were signed by the previous government and subsequently >revoked by the negotiating table of the campesino exodus of 1998; >2) security for the residents, manifested by the creation of new >installations for the police and the army; >3) formulation of a proposal for peace; and >4) "no" to the proposed demilitarization. According to the leaders of >the march, this last request is not negotiable. >We make the international community aware of the prior events so that we >may join to seek an end to manipulation of different sectors opposed to >a negotiated settlement to the conflict may cease. These different >sectors opposed to a negotiated settlement have exercised pressure upon >the population of the Middle Magdalena and they have ended by polarizing >the population of the Middle Magdalena and national and public opinion. >The Colombia Support Network asks that you write to the persons listed >below and request that they do the following: >1) Support the presence of humanitarian organizations in the Middle >Magdalena area where the events have occurred to guarantee personal >safety and freedom of expression for residents of this area. >2) Support assistance to persons who have been displaced from their >houses in the Middle Magdalena region so that they may return to their >houses and their work. >3) Oppose the paramilitary pressure on the civilian population in the >Middle Magdalena communities and end Colombian military support for the >paramilitaries. >4) Support efforts at a negotiated peace, including formation of a >demilitarized zone in the Middle Magdalena region between the Colombian >government and the ELN guerrillas can take place. >5) Oppose the position of the paramilitaries and some Colombian >Cattlemen that town and rural residents of the region should be forced >to march and declare opposition to establishment of a demilitarized >zone. >Signed by, >The Colombia Support Network >Madison, Wisconsin >February 16, 2000 >Please contact: >ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO >Presidente de la República >Carrera 8 n. 7-26 >Palacio de Nariño >Santa Fé de Bogotá. >Teléfono. 011 57 1 562 9300 ext. 3550; 011 57 1 284 3300 Fax 011 57 1 >286 7434; 011 57 1 286 6842; 011 57 1 284 2186 >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >NESTOR HUMBERTO MARTINEZ >Ministro del interior Ministerio de Gobierno Carrera 8 n. 8-09 >Santa Fé de Bogotá, >Palacio de Nariño. >Tel-fax 011 57 1 286 8025; 334 3960 ext. 0630 >GENERAL FERNANDO TAPIAS STAHELIN >Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares >Avenida el Dorado con Carrera 52 >Santafé de Bogotá >Tele fax. 011 57 1 222 2935 >GENERAL MORA RANGEL >Comandante del Ejercito >Tel-fax. 011 57 1 315 1570 >GENERAL CARREÑO >Commander of the Fifth Brigade based in Bucaramanga Fax 011 57 7 645 >5051 >PRESIDENT WILLIAM CLINTON >1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW >Washington, DC 20500 >202/456-1414 (phone) >202/456-2461 (fax) >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >MADELEINE ALBRIGHT >Secretary of State >2201 C Street NW >Washington, DC 20520 >202/647-4000 (phone) >202/647-1533 (fax) >[EMAIL PROTECTED] >WILLIAM COHEN >Secretary of Defense >1000 Defense, The Pentagon >Washington, DC 20301-1000 >703/692-7100 (phone) >703/697-9080 (fax) >Your Senators and Representative: >The Honorable (full name) >United States Senate >Washington, DC 20510 >The Honorable (full name) >United States House of Representatives >Washington, DC 20515 >Please forward copies of your letters to the Colombia Support Network. >Colombia Support Network >P.O. Box 1505 >Madison, WI 53701 >(608) 257-8753 fax (608) 255-6621 >[EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.igc.apc.org/csn/ > > >______________________________________________________________________ >To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED] >______________________________________________________________________ >Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi ___________________________________ [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subscribe/unsubscribe messages mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] ___________________________________
