WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE ON THE AMERICAS
ISSUE #536, MAY 7, 2000
NICARAGUA SOLIDARITY NETWORK OF GREATER NEW YORK
339 LAFAYETTE ST., NEW YORK, NY 10012
(212) 674-9499 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*7. US COLONEL'S WIFE SENTENCED FOR COLOMBIA TRAFFICKING
Laurie Ann Hiett was sentenced on May 5 to five years in prison
for smuggling heroin from Colombia to New York through US
diplomatic mail. She is the wife of Col. James Hiett, who was
stationed at the US Embassy in Bogota and was in charge of the US
military's anti-drug operations in Colombia at the time his wife
was engaged in smuggling. Laurie Hiett pleaded guilty to the
charges in January; Col. Hiett pled guilty on Apr. 17 for his
role in helping to dispose of the drug money after learning of
his wife's illegal activities [see Updates #497, 521, 532, 534].
Col. Hiett is due to be sentenced in June. [New York Times
5/6/00]
On Apr. 25, in a military ceremony, the Colombian government
presented Gen. Charles Wilhelm, Commander of the US Army Southern
Command, with the Order of the Cross of Boyaca. [Hoy (NY) 4/26/00
from AP]
Meanwhile, the US Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to
vote on May 9 on a package of aid for Colombia, much of which is
designated for the Colombian military, criticized by numerous
human rights groups for its links to paramilitary death squads.
Most of the aid package will be attached to the foreign
operations appropriations bill. Amendments are likely to be
offered that cut or shift funding from military assistance to
positive social investments in Colombia; that add or shift funds
for military assistance to demand reduction, drug prevention and
treatment programs in the US; and that put strong human rights
conditions on military assistance. Supporters of human rights are
encouraged to contact their senators and urge them to oppose any
military aid; back any positive amendments that cut, shift or
condition the aid; and speak out during the debate about their
concerns. [Colombia InfoinBrief Alert 05/01/00]
*8. COLOMBIAN PARAMILITARIES KILL HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Jesus Ramiro Zapata Hoyos was abducted and murdered by rightwing
paramilitaries on May 3 in Segovia municipality, Antioquia
department. Zapata, a teacher by profession, was president of the
Segovia Human Rights Committee, and was a leading member of the
Northeastern Human Rights Committee and of the Seeds of Liberty
Human Rights Collective, an umbrella organization of human rights
groups. The Antioquia Teachers Association (ADIDA) and the
Frontino Gold Mines Workers Union announced 24-hour strikes for
May 5 to protest Zapata's murder.
The day he was abducted Zapata had reported to local authorities
that between Apr. 15 and 28 "new paramilitaries in the area who
do not know me have inquired about my whereabouts eight times." A
group of about 500 paramilitaries had reportedly entered Segovia
and neighbouring Remedios municipality on Apr. 3; a large number
of government troops are stationed in the area, but did nothing
to confront them. [Amnesty International Urgent Action Appeal
5/5/00; El Colombiano (Medellin) 5/5/00]
*9. COLOMBIAN INDIGENOUS BLOCKADE TOWN
Some 3,500 to 4,000 indigenous Colombians of the Embera-Chami and
Embera-Katio tribes from the area of Andagueda, Choco department,
have been occupying and blockading the nearby town of Pueblo
Rico, in neighboring Risaralda department, since Apr. 28 to
demand that the governors of the two departments meet with them
to work out solutions to their lack of health care, education and
infrastructure. "We'll leave when the national government and the
governors of Choco and Risaralda show us with actions that our
requests for social welfare will be carried out," said one of the
indigenous leaders. As of May 5, no one had been allowed to enter
or leave the town of 26,000 inhabitants in four days. The mayor
of Pueblo Rico, Jose German Osorio Florez, has asked the national
government to intervene, and warned on May 2 that if in 48 hours
the departmental and national governments did not join the
negotiations with the indigenous protesters, he would quit his
post. [El Colombiano 5/5/00; El Tiempo (Bogota) 5/3/00]
In other news, Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
spokesperson Raul Reyes has announced that a "revolutionary
court" has found German Briceno Suarez ("Grannobles") innocent of
the March 1999 murder of three US activists who were visiting
Colombia on invitation from the U'wa indigenous community. Reyes
said that the court found that several lower-ranking rebels were
responsible for the murder. He did not identify those allegedly
found guilty, nor did he indicate how they might be punished.
"Grannobles"--who is the brother of FARC second-in-command Jorge
Briceno Suarez ("Mono Jojoy")--was indicted last year by the
Colombian government for the murder of the three activists [see
Updates #475, 476, 479, 500]. [El Colombiano 5/3/00]
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Weekly News Update on the Americas * Nicaragua Solidarity Network of NY
339 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012 * 212-674-9499 fax: 212-674-9139
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