CPTnet
July 9, 2002
COLOMBIA UPDATE: June 22 - June 30, 2002

Saturday June 22, 2002
Carol Spring and Lisa Martens left to accompany people
living in the Cimitarra River valley. On the trip
out, they accompanied an individual who felt that he
would be in danger if he passed through the
checkpoints of illegal armed groups by himself.

Lena Siegers and Keith Young continued their
accompaniment of farmers in the Opon region.

Charles Spring patrolled the port of Barrancabermeja,
the
city where CPT Colombia keeps its office. The Port
has a heavy AUC (United Autodefenses of Colombia)
paramilitary presence. Many "disappearances" of
civilians have happened at the port.

Sunday June 23
In the Cimitarra River valley, Carol Spring and
Martens learned more details of the economic blockade
in the region from storeowners and community leaders.
The paramilitaries want to prevent guerrilla
insurgents from getting food and supplies, but unarmed
civilians suffer under the restrictions. Civilians
are required to buy groceries at specific stores,
paying a 10-15% paramilitary tax on basic necessities.
 On farming and construction supplies and equipment,
taxes can be much higher and quantities permitted
are small. Taxes on cement, for example, amount to
90%.

Monday June 24
On their way out of the valley, soldiers stopped Carol
Spring and Martens at a military checkpoint in a city
called Yondo. While Martens explained the history and
purposes of CPT, soldiers patted down the men in the
vehicle, and a soldier looked at everything in
Martens' bag, including each picture of her family.
It was one of the most thorough searches a CPT member
has experienced at the hands of the Colombian Army.
One of the soldiers said he did not have the
authorization to tell Martens the name of his
commander.

Siegers and Young continued their accompaniment of the
Opon region.

Wednesday June 26
Carol Spring and Charles Spring attended a meeting
about the growing campaign to stop the assassinations
of Coca-Cola Union workers in Colombia.

Martens and Young left to accompany the farmers of the
Opon region.

Thursday June 27
CPT members received a report of recent death threats
against homosexuals in the city of Barrancabermeja.
Paramilitaries are known for "social cleansing,"
meaning that they assassinate homosexuals, street
people, prostitutes and other "undesirables." CPT
members learned that some homosexual business people
survive by offering free professional services to
paramilitaries.

Charles Spring visited displaced families in an old
school in Barrancabermeja where a health brigade was
assessing and videotaping the degrading health
conditions. They plan to show the videotape to the
city's mayor. Paramilitary violence displaced the
people living at the school in 2000 from the Opon
region, where CPT provides accompaniment.

Schaaf discussed a pending visit from a U.S. Senator's
aide to
Barrancabermeja with one of CPT's advisors.

Friday June 28
n Bogota, Carol Spring met with Mari Tolliver, U.S.
Embassy human rights officer, and updated her on some
of the team's recent work.

In the Opon, Young and Martens monitored and conversed
with nine AUC paramilitary members at a civilian
house. (See forthcoming release, "Martens and Young
encounter paramilitaries.")

Due to lack of personnel, CPT turned down a request
from a long-time contact of the team who wanted
accompaniment to the funeral of a friend who was
recently assassinated by paramilitaries.

Saturday June 29
In the Opon region, Scott Kerr and Schaaf saw a
low-flying military helicopter and heard rumours of
guerrilla movement.

Sunday June 30
Charles Spring and Martens investigated a guerrilla
attack on the town of El Tigre in the Cimitarra River
valley. (See forthcoming release, "CPT witnesses
Guerrilla Graffiti and Bullet Holes." )