CPTnet
12 February 2005
COLOMBIA: Update January 2005
The communities of the Opon have experienced a
relatively calm month this January as CPT members have
continued their accompaniment of the area. At the
same time, the continued presence of the gasoline
cartel* signifies the presence, at times, of armed
groups. Team members have decided to keep track of
the days they see the gasoline cartel in the Opón
region. Although the number of boats and armed
groups' activities have varied, in this update we will
note 'Gasoline Cartel' each day team members saw
cartel canoes in the area around Barrancabermeja and
through the Opón.
Another on-going aspect of the team's work not
reported specifically in this update is the continued
meetings with partner organizations in Barrancabermeja.
3-7 January
Two team members attended the General Assembly of the
Colombian Mennonite Church in Cachipay, near Bogotá.
They participated in workshops and meetings and used
exhibition space to talk about the work of CPT in
Colombia and to promote national delegations.
4-5 January
Team members saw one of the valves of the gasoline
cartel on river close to the area of accompaniment and
later saw cartel boats moving in the area. Team
members had a short conversation with a pair of
paramilitaries who wanted to, but did not, inspect the team members'
backpacks.
6 January
Gasoline Cartel
7 January
Gasoline Cartel. The CELHI, or the Hydrocarbon
Police, the force in charge of reducing the illicit
gasoline trade, responded to cartel action in the area.
8 January
CPT team members met with Coronel Rios (Commander of
the Special Energy Plan of Route 7 of the National
Army, PEEV7) and discussed the situation in the Opón
area and the cartel. They emphasized several parts of
the conversation they had with members of the PEEV7 in
the final days of 2004 (see December Update).
10 January
Gasoline Cartel
11 January
Gasoline Cartel
16 January
Gasoline Cartel
22 January - 1 February
Team members Adaía Bernal and Keith Young traveled to
Micoahumado, a community in the south of the province
of Bolívar. Along with other organizations, they took
part in a community verification of the demining of
their main road by walking between the town and
villages (see CPTnet article, Demine the Road). The
process of demining completed an agreement between the
community and the guerilla group ELN (National Liberation Army).
Team members also attended the first Assembly of the
leaders from the south of Bolívar with over 200
representatives present from agricultural and mining
communities. The goals of this meeting were to connect
the communities so that they could learn from each
other and to look toward organizing on regional and
provincial levels. The team had the opportunity to
observe the preparation and organization of the event
and processes of community organizing in the area.
23 January
Gasoline Cartel
26-28 January
There were a number of threats made against leaders of
the Organización Femenina Popular (OFP, Popular
Women's Organization). After conversations with
leaders in the organization, members of the team began
visiting their office and other 'Women's Houses' run
by the OFP in Barranca to be a visible presence and
stand with them in their work against violence and for the rights of women.
27 January
Team members met with Major Londoño of the CELHI to
discuss CPT's work and presence in the area of the
Opón. The major described the role of the CELHI.
27-30 January
Some members of La Florida and Los Ñeques, communities
of the Opon, expressed concerns over rumors that the
guerrilla entered the area, threatened individual
community members with a list of names, harassed and
abused others, and threatened the area in general.
Two families who felt threatened by the comments
displaced from the area. Team members visited many
families who had expressed fear. After all the
conversations it became apparent that the rumors were
only rumors and that no one in the communities had
been hurt. The displaced families returned to the
communities. Community and team members think that
the rumors may be a part of the efforts of
paramilitary groups to justify their presence in the
area or a mode of maintaining instability in the area.
29 January
An international delegation of six people from Canada
and the United States arrived in Barranca to learn
more about the situation in the city and in the Opón
region. After many meetings with local organizations
and visits to the communities of the Opón, the
delegates decided to hold a public action in support
of the work of the Organización Femenina Popular (OFP,
Popular Women's Organization) and other organizations that work in the
region.
* The people in gasoline cartels steal gasoline from
pipelines, refine it and sell it in order to fund
their armed groups.
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Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) brings both
international and Colombian christians to the
Magdalena Medio region of Colombia to accompany
unarmed citizens building lives of hope, dignity and
respect. We follow the call of Jesus to love our neighbors and our enemies.
We use non-violent tools and public action to build relationships and create
space for Colombians recuperating their autonomy from violent forces.
--------
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