>smaller than Vermont and New Hampshire combined. Colombia >itself is roughly the size of Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma >combined. > >The meetings took place in a FARC encampment some distance >from San Vicente del Caguan. A FARC official known as Lucas >picked up the visitors and drove them to the camp. He had >formerly worked as an accountant in one of Colombia's large >cities. > >Lucas said that in the mid-1980s he had run for public >office as a member of the Patriotic Union party. Somehow he >managed to survive three right-wing assassination attempts. >Rather than die a useless death, he decided to join the >revolutionary army and fight for social change. The most >painful thing was not being able to see his children grow >up. > >Lucas is also a singer-songwriter. During a cultural >activity in the evening, he sang a number of songs in a >startlingly clear and appealing voice. His songs, both >romantic and political, were interrupted at 7 p.m. The >assembled young soldiers turned on the television news, as >they do daily. They laughed at the predictable references to >themselves as "drug traffickers." > >During the day, the visitors had seen yucca and plantain >cultivations and chicken coops and pigpens, of which the >soldiers were extremely proud. "This is what they refer to >as our 'drug crops' on the news," a guide told the group >with amusement. > >GOV'T CLOSED OTHER DOORS TO STRUGGLE > >What led the government to recognize the demilitarized zone? > >On many occasions during the decades-long conflict, rebel >groups have called for a negotiated settlement or a >political opening to allow them to participate in a peaceful >political process. > >The government response until recently had been either a >flat rejection, treachery, or a military ambush followed by >annihilation of revolutionaries who were branded as "armed >bandits." > >The most extreme example of this phenomenon came during the >mid-1980s, when a broad coalition of groups representing the >rural and urban working classes of Colombia formed a legal >opposition party to contest local and national elections. >The need for this kind of representation was so great that >within months, the Patriotic Union was on its way to >election victories at every level, from city council posts >to the national presidency. > >However, within a few years, over 4,000 leaders of this >group were assassinated. They ranged from small-town mayors, >trade-union leaders and rural community leaders to senators >and presidential candidates. This left no opening for >political opposition other than the path of armed struggle. >Colombia had become a democracy of assassins. > >With all other options for political representation closed, >many Colombians and leaders of popular organizations turned >to the FARC as a realistic alternative. As support for the >revolutionary movement has grown, the government of Colombia >was finally forced to agree to the FARC's demands for peace >talks aimed at a political solution. > >PEOPLE SPEAK OUT AT HEARINGS > >Part of the FARC's approach to the peace talks has been to >set up regularly scheduled hearings where people from all >over the country can present issues they want FARC >negotiators to raise on their behalf in talks with the >government. This includes everything from money for building >the local infrastructure in San Vicente to a halt to >compliance with International Monetary Fund demands for >privatizing the administration of health care and social >security. > >A major concern raised at these hearings has been the danger >of spraying Fusarium Oxysporum. This is a fungus the >Pentagon has already been using in Colombia, supposedly >aimed at wiping out coca plant cultivation. Plan Colombia >intends to implement the spraying of this fungus on a >massive scale. > >Environmental scientists who spoke with the delegation >stated that the consequences of such a campaign could be >devastating and far-reaching. > >The department of Putumayo and other areas where initial >massive sprayings are anticipated are Amazon Basin >watersheds. They said it is impossible to predict the >results of the widespread introduction of an alien fungus >into one of the planet's most biologically diverse >ecosystems. > >GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE? > >San Vicente del Caguan is a town of approximately 30,000 >people. Their main source of work is the many cattle ranches >in the area. > >During the period of demilitarization, a number of dramatic >changes have occurred. Residents said that prior to the >demilitarization, between nine and 15 homicides took place >in the town per week. Some said they were mostly due to >barroom fights and personal disputes. Others said that many >of the deaths were at the hands of right-wing paramilitary >squads who killed people suspected of sympathizing with the >revolutionary cause. > >After the zone was cleared of government troops, >paramilitary squads and police, the homicide rate dropped to >zero. Residents attributed this turnaround to a new climate >of optimism and confidence. > >The visitors arrived in San Vicente on a Tuesday night. They >found the plaza crowded with people. Vendors at dozens of >small wagons sold cooked meats, young people buzzed around >on motor scooters, youths shot hoops in the parks. At a >firehouse with doors open wide, a group of women, presumably >the firefighters on duty, played cards. > >People were friendly, eager to engage the visitors in >conversation and make them feel welcome. > >The contrast to the tension in Bogot=E1 was notable. There, at >a hotel in an upscale part of the city, alarmed hotel staff >had run after the delegates when they ventured outside to >hail a cab. The workers insisted that, for security >purposes, they should call a cab instead. > >The only armed authorities in San Vicente are occasional >FARC patrols. These are usually a pair of disciplined and >friendly uniformed revolutionary soldiers carrying automatic >weapons. Frequently, one of these soldiers is a young woman. >The civilian authority continues to be the local officials >elected prior to the demilitarization. > >As soon as the Colombian army cleared out of San Vicente, >the FARC assisted civil authorities in a series of projects, >including road paving and the construction of a modern sewer >system. By agreement of the local town council, roads were >paved in the poorest neighborhoods first. The crews that >actually performed the digging, leveling, mixing and paving >were made up of local residents and FARC soldiers. > >The removal of government forces from this zone was >recognized as a necessary precondition to serious talks >between the government and the revolutionaries. The fact >that talks took place at all was a major victory for the >rebels. It had taken several years of uninterrupted rebel >military victories to convince the government that it had to >participate in negotiations towards a political settlement. > >The rebel victories demonstrated to Colombians that the FARC >was not only a viable military force, but also that the >rebels were receiving enough active assistance from people >throughout the country to make their growth and victories >possible. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > > >From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] >Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2000 21:22:49 -0500 >Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII >Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT >Subject: [WW] Thousands March in NYC for Mumia & Peltier >Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >------------------------- >Via Workers World News Service >Reprinted from the Dec. 21, 2000 >issue of Workers World newspaper >------------------------- > >NEW YORK: ACTIVISTS RALLY FOR MUMIA, LEONARD PELTIER > >By Elijah Crane >New York > >On the weekend of Dec. 9-10, New York saw two major >demonstrations in support of political prisoners Mumia Abu- >Jamal and Leonard Peltier. > >Both cases are at a turning point. Abu-Jamal is awaiting a >decision from Judge William H. Yohn in the Federal Court in >Philadelphia on whether or not an evidentiary hearing will >be granted. Peltier is awaiting a decision from President >Bill Clinton on his petition for executive clemency. > >MUMIA ABU-JAMAL > >On Dec. 9, the International Day of Solidarity with Mumia, >over a thousand supporters from the Mid-Atlantic region and >several international representatives marched and rallied >here. Their action was in observance of the anniversary of >the day in 1981 that Abu-Jamal was shot in the chest and >then framed for the murder of a Philadelphia cop. Abu-Jamal >has been held on Pennsylvania's death row since his >conviction in 1982, over 18 years ago. > >The multinational crowd included many high-school students, >union activists and lesbian, gay, bi and trans people. After >an enthusiastic march from Manhattan's Upper West Side, they >filled the Mother AME Zion Church in Harlem for an >educational rally. > >Speakers included Pam Africa of International Concerned >Family & Friends of Mumia Abu-Jamal; Abu-Jamal's attorney >Leonard Weinglass; actors Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis; Larry >Holmes of Millions for Mumia/International Action Center; >former New York Mayor David Dinkins; and Leslie Feinberg of >Rainbow Flags for Mumia. The program also featured drumming >by Will Calhoun and performances by the Rod Rogers Dance >Company and IMPACT dancers. > >Weinglass described the conditions of sensory deprivation >experienced by Abu-Jamal and all inmates on Pennsylvania's >death row. He explained that while Texas has executed more >people than any other state, prisoners on death row there >are still allowed contact visits with family members. In >Pennsylvania, death-row prisoners are deprived of the touch >of their children and loved ones. > >Weinglass and others discussed the racist application of the >death penalty in the U.S. and specifically in Pennsylvania. >According to Weinglass, there are currently 126 people from >Philadelphia currently awaiting execution--all but 13 of >them are people of color. > >UPDATE ON ABU-JAMAL'S CASE > >Abu-Jamal's case is currently frozen due to an appeal filed >by the Chicano/Chicana Studies Center and 22 members of the >British Parliament regarding Yohn's refusal to review friend- >of-the-court briefs and a writ of mandamus submitted to the >court by those groups. > >Youth leader Leslie Jones described the briefs in detail. >She encouraged everyone in the movement to look closely at >the documents, which can be found on the Web site >www.Mumia2000.org. > >In addition to discussing Abu-Jamal's case, family members >of people killed and assaulted by cops had a chance to share >their stories with the crowd. > >Former Black Panther leader Dhoruba Bin Wahad, who was a >political prisoner for 19 years, called for community >control of the police and suggested building "a coalition to >take over governance" of New York and to dismantle the >prison-industrial complex. > >"Racism is at the heart of the struggle," asserted Leslie >Feinberg, who went on to say that the young, mostly white >movement that has emerged from the "Battle of Seattle" must >bring the fight against racism to the forefront. > >Larry Holmes acknowledged a group of Middle Eastern youths >who held a sign demanding "Free Mumia, Free Palestine!" and >received thunderous applause. Holmes also reminded the group >that 2001 will mark the 30th anniversary of the courageous >Attica Prison Rebellion of 1971, and that conditions have >only worsened for the incarcerated population in the U.S. He >encouraged everyone to attend the protest at the >inauguration in Washington on Jan. 20. > >LEONARD PELTIER > >On Dec. 10, International Human Rights Day, over 4,000 >people from all over the world came together in New York for >a spirited march and rally in support of Native political >prisoner Leonard Peltier. Participants marched to the rhythm >of beating drums from Union Square to Dag Hammarskjold Plaza >at the United Nations to demand clemency for Peltier. > >Along the route, five demonstrators were singled out and >arrested after a scuffle with police. > >Speakers included Peltier's children and grandchildren; >elders from the Pine Ridge Reservation; Peltier's attorneys >Jennifer Harbury and Ramsey Clark; Glenn Marchall, president >of the Mashpee Wampanoag Nation; and Miguel Alfonso >Martinez, president of the UN Working Group on Indigenous >Peoples. Author Alice Walker, musician John Trudell and many >others also addressed the crowd. > >Supporters traveled from as far away as Washington state, >Colorado, South Dakota, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, France >and Guyana. > >Peltier has been wrongfully imprisoned for nearly 25 years >for the shooting of two FBI agents on the Pine Ridge >Reservation in 1975. The incident occurred during the "Pine >Ridge Reign of Terror" of 1973-76, when more than 60 members >and supporters of the American Indian Movement were killed. > >The federal prosecutor in Peltier's case has admitted that >he doesn't know who killed the agents. But Peltier remains >in prison. His health is deteriorating. His best hope for >release is executive clemency. > >President Bill Clinton, in a nationally broadcast interview >with Amy Goodman on Pacifica Radio Nov. 7, promised to make >a decision on Peltier's case before leaving office Jan. 20. > >Brad Wilks of Rage Against the Machine, urged supporters to >flood the White House with phone calls and faxes demanding >clem ency for Peltier. He said that people should call (202) >456-1111 every day. > >Kahn Tineta Horn of the Mohawk Nation spoke of self- >determination for Native nations. Chief Henry Wallace of the >Long Island Native American Task Force proclaimed that "Now >is the time for reconciliation and the beginning of healing >from the 'Reign of Terror,' the war at Wounded Knee." >Wallace said that clemency for Peltier would allow the >process of healing to begin. > >A Mayan theatrical group called "Colorado Sisters" gave a >moving performance that asked questions such as "Where are >all the Indians?" and "What did all those people die for?" >They spoke of the imposing border between the U.S. and >Mexico, describing it as a "steel wall of mutilated >memories" of the many people who were killed as they >attempted to cross it for such "crimes" as being Native, not >speaking English, wanting a job, being hungry and the like. > >ON TO JAN. 20 > >Throughout the weekend, participants shared information on >many struggles, such as the fight against Plan Colombia, to >free Fred Hampton Jr. in Illinois, to get the U.S. out of >Vieques, Puerto Rico, and to end environmental racism on >Native land and in oppressed communities. > >Many activists discussed their plans to fill the streets of >Washington on Jan. 20 to protest at the inauguration of the >next U.S. president. They noted that neither Al Gore nor >George W. Bush will do anything to end the racist death >penalty or stop the globalization death machine unless the >people force them to. > >For more information on Abu-Jamal's case and the march at >the inauguration, visit www.mumia2000.org. For more >information on Peltier's case, check out >www.freepeltier.org. > >- END - > >(Copyleft Workers World Service: Everyone is permitted to >copy and distribute verbatim copies of this document, but >changing it is not allowed. For more information contact >Workers World, 55 W. 17 St., NY, NY 10011; via e-mail: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] For subscription info send message to: >[EMAIL PROTECTED] Web: http://www.workers.org) > > > > _______________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki - Finland +358-40-7177941, fax +358-9-7591081 e-mail [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.kominf.pp.fi _______________________________________________________ Kominform list for general information. 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