/* Written 3:59 AM May 27, 1995 by csn in igc:soc.culture.co */
/* ---------- "Stop the Murders Now/June 14 Action" ---------- */
Urgent Response Called for Against Skyrocketing Escalation of
Paramilitary Violence in Uraba', Colombia; STOP ALL US AID TO COLOMBIA!
Background: Apartado', a town of (~50,000 souls) in the heart of the
Uraba' region of northwest Colombia, has been the sister community of
Dane County (Madison), Wisconsin since 1990. Apartado' is located in
the most violent region of the Colombia, where there has historically
been much violence and repression against political and union
activists, plus armed actions by guerrillas and paramilitary
gunmen.
The current mayor of Apartado', Gloria Cuartas,
visited Wisconsin the last week of April, 1995, as a guest of the
Colombia Support Network (a Madison group) and the Dane
County-Apartado' Sister Communities Project. This was a continuation
of exchanges aimed at fostering cooperation, good will, and support of
efforts to bring peace and prosperity to this backwater region of
Colombia.
On May 18, the Colombia Support Network received an urgent
phone call from Ms. Cuartas, stating that the paramilitary groups in
the area were virtually running wild with an escalation of murders and
horrible mutilations, with the large number of police and army members
present in the area (thousands) doing nothing to stop the
homicides. That initial phone call has been followed by several
others, including conversations with Msgr. Isaias Duarte, the Bishop
of Apartado'. Here is what has been learned:
On Sunday, May 14, 11 people were murdered by paramilitaries in
Carepa, south of Apartado'. On Sunday, May 21, 8 were murdered in
Turbo, west of Apartado' on the Gulf of Uraba'. In Turbo, the murders
occurred one half block from the police station. In Carepa, the
killings occurred in front of the police station, with the
paramilitary gunmen living in the same hotel as the police. In another
location, a meeting of fishermen was in progress, when the
paramilitaries arrived; they called out for one person, "Severino" --
he was murdered in front of the others. Buses have been stopped, and
people pulled off and executed.
The murders appear to be focused on grassroots leaders,
including indigenous peoples plus the marginalized Black population,
as well as militants from a variety of competing political movements
-- who, very significantly, have recently put aside their own
bickering and come together in a 'consensus' of local cooperation for
peace. This 'consensus' resulted in a statement by the various mayors
of the various towns in this part of Uraba', and backed by the Bishop
of Apartado', which said simply: "No To Violence; Respect the
Consensus; Respect Civilians".
The local Army Commander, General Alvarez, expressed his
disapproval for this statement of the mayors and bishop; previously he
had taken much displeasure at Mayor Cuarta's exposure of the Colombian
Army's looting of a nearby local town, saying "she should stay out of
the Army's business". For that reason, we greatly fear for Mayor
Cuarta's safety.
The Uraba' mayors and Bishop of Apartado' have stated publicly
that they are very upset that the Colombian Army and Police are not
exercising their constitutional duties of protecting the civilian
population, and at the least are guility of negligence if not worse.
Stating this is Colombia is a very brave act, and puts them at severe
risk to reprisals from the military and its agents.
Why the escalation of violence at this time? We feel that two
important social/political/economic currents are at play. First, is
the upcoming multibillion dollar economic development slated for this
region of Colombia, which is situated at both the Darien Gap, the last
gap of the Pan American Highway, and the Gulf of Uraba', a deep water
port and free trade zone. A handful of rich and powerful people want
to displace the residents, grab their land, and install a "stable"
political machine. The paramilitaries are tools of the big landowners,
the big cattlemen, as well as narcotraffickers (who have also turned
into the first two) with the support and assistance of certain
military officials.
Second, at exactly this time, there are two important
initiatives for peace occurring in Colombia; one is a Peace Process
for Uraba' which includes international figures (Roger Fisher,
international negotiator from Harvard; Oscar Arias, ex- president of
Costa Rica and Nobel Peace Prize winner, and Shafick Handal, ex-
comandante of El Salvador's FMLN and negotiator of peace there). The
other is a negotiation between the Bogota government and the several
guerrilla groups, to reach a cease fire with hopes of a real ending of
armed insurgency.
There are apparently wealthy and powerful forces who want to
grab up as much land in Uraba' as they can, situated in the correct
locations (e.g. Turbo, Carepa, Apartado') for the expected economic
boom of the next decade. The paramilitaries are just their pawns. What
else can explain the huge payrolls bankrolling the gunmen? There are
reported to be 500 paramilitary gunmen, with each receiving the
unheard of salary of $300,000 pesos a month! There is suspicion that
not only are local or regional wealthy individuals behind the
paramilitaries, but organs of the National "security" apparatus, who
have traditionally been instrumental in the organization, funding,
provision of intelligence to, training and supply of personnel.
The paramilitary thugs, who operate under the name "Autodefensa
de Uraba' y Cordoba" (~"Self-defense group or militia") have issued
their own proclamation in response to the mayors and bishop: they
state that they have declared war on the guerrillas and their
sympathizers, and that they do not accept the truce between the
government and the guerrillas. They have a counterinsurgency plan, and
will not stop the war until they win.
In the past, one of Colombia's main narcotrafficers, Fidel
Castano, has been behind much of the paramilitary activity in the
Uraba' region, and is assumed to still be involved, although he has
dropped from sight (there have been rumors that he is dead -- "how
convenient" Saturday Nite Live's 'churchlady might say.)
There have been warrants out for his apprehension by the Colombian
government, and there are suspicions that he may reappear using a
different name. Castano is believed to have possible ties to U.S.
and/or Colombian intelligence agencies, as he was a founder of the
"PEPES", an anti-Pablo Escobar terrorist unit, which apparently
co-operated with the U.S. (CIA) backed Bloque de Busqueda elite
"hunter-killer" military unit that hunted down Escobar. Castano was
selected in early 1995 to be the supreme commander of the Colombia's
paramilitary units, at a confab held in the Magdalena Medio region,
where high ranking Colombian military officers were reportedly in
attendence.
We call on people of good will to rise to the occasion, and
speak truth power, to demand safety and protection for the Mayors of
Uraba', the Bishop of Apartado' and other religious leaders attempting
to stop the bloodbath, by sending faxes to the following Colombian
and U.S. officials, and making clear our intention of demanding a
freeze on ALL US and multilateral aid to Colombia until the bloodbath
stops (since appeals to humanity and kindness mean nothing to the
forces behind this violence):
Dr. Ernesto Samper P.,
Presidente de la Republica de Colombia Fax : (011) 571 2867434
Dr. Fernando Botero, Ministro de Defensa
Fax: (011) 571 2220930
Warren Christopher, US Secretary of State
Fax: 202 647-7120
(cc to Colombia Suppport Network)
We call on people of good will to support these demands,
with a call upon our own elected officials:
Stop the Violence Immediately -- Or Stop All U.S. Aid to Colombia
1) We call on the US Congress to Hold Immediate Hearings on the
Violence in Uraba' and elsewhere in Colombia
2) We call on the US Congress to Stop all US Aid to Colombia (except
humanitarian aid) until Hearings are held and the situation improves
3) We call for an immediate investigation into the funding of the
paramilitary gunmen, including exposure of any collaboration of US
DEA, CIA and military agents in any aspect of their operations.
4) We call on the Commerce Dept, the InterAmerican Development Bank,
and World Bank to hold up all trade and financing deals with
Colombian companies and financial institutions until the
paramilitaries are disarmed and the Colombian authorities have
restored peace to Uraba'
5) We declare that we will organize international opposition to all
development schemes for the Uraba' region (Plan Pacifico) that benefit
the rich landowners, the cattlemen and the narcotrafficers to the
detriment of the indigeneous, Black and poor population of Uraba'. And
we will oppose Colombia's entrance into NAFTA until the human rights
violations cease.
We call for Vigils, Rallies, Press Conferences, etc at the
Colombian Embassy and Consulates in the U.S. on June 14.
For more info contact Colombia Support Network
PO Box 1505 Madison WI 53701 Phone 608 836-5107 or 255-6554 Fax
608 255-6621 Email [EMAIL PROTECTED]
