CPTnet
July 19, 2002
COLOMBIA UPDATE: July 1-11, 2002

Monday July 1, 2002
The Colombia team welcomed an international CPT delegation of United States'
citizens and a translator from Bogota (the capital of Colombia) to
Barrancabermeja, the city where the team keeps its office.

Keith Young and Matt Schaaf left to continue CPT's accompaniment of the
farmers and fishers along the Opon River and the Opon Lake. Battling
groups--the guerrillas, the Colombian army, the Colombian navy and the
paramilitaries -- each have a sporadic presence in the Opon, putting unarmed
families in danger of crossfire.

Tuesday, July 2
While meeting CPT's contacts in the city, the CPT delegation learned that
Coca Cola Union workers had chained themselves to the fence outside their
workplace. The workers are struggling for fair treatment from the company
while under death threats by paramilitaries. Delegates and CPT members
attended the action. [See July 10 release,"CPT Delegation Meets
Striking Coca Cola Workers."]

Wednesday July 3
Delegates Penn Garvin, Doug Orbaker, Donna Meyers, and translator William
Gomez left to accompany threatened civilians of the Cimitarra River valley
along with CPT members Schaaf and Martens. They travelled with two
Colombians who requested international presence because reduces their risks
at checkpoints. Paramilitaries in the Cimitarra Valley periodically single
out civilians at checkpoints and kill them.

Delegates Lisa Brightup, Mark Frey, Rose Whiteside and Haven Whiteside left
to accompany the people of the Opon region, along with CPT members Scott
Kerr and Young.

CPT member Carol Spring traveled with some of CPT's partners to a town
called the Brisas of Bolivar. Citizens of that town have returned to their
homes within the last year after paramilitary violence had displaced them.
Spring heard that the Army had recently "invited" community members to sign
a document saying that paramilitaries had never threatened them and that
Colombian military had never left them unprotected.

Thursday July 4
In the Opon and Cimitarra Valley, civilians recounted their stories
of survival to delegates and CPT members. The civilians described threats
to their ways of life from large, wealthy entities as well as threats to
their lives and safety from legal and illegal Colombian armed groups.

In the city, Charles Spring met with peace workers and learned about
pending world-wide actions designed to stop the violence against Coca Cola
workers in Colombia.

Friday July 5
Delegates and CPT members returned from the Opon and the Cimitarra
regions. They met with the Navy commander for the area who
emphasized that there are no connections between the Navy and the
paramilitaries.

Saturday July 6
Carol and Charles Spring, who had been accompanying the farmers and fishers
of the Oponregion, came into the Barranca port and noted a heavily
armed Colombian Navy boat on the move.

Monday July 8
The delegation did a public action in Barranca's port along with team
members. Delegates passed out flowers to Colombians, along with slips of
paper saying "No" to illegal checkpoints, illegal taxes and death, and
saying "Yes" to life, food and education.

Periodically throughout the action, delegates, CPT members and Colombian
civilians participated in a Litany of Resistance Against Violence, and sang
songs of peace [See July 13 releases,