CPTnet
September 16, 2002
[Note: Scott Kerr wrote the following letter to his supporters on August 24,
2002. It has been edited for length and clarity.]

Dear Friends,

These past few weeks here have been very difficult on the team here, with
all the violence in the campo, and the death threats. Thank you all very
much for all your support and prayers regarding the threats. The team felt
very loved during this tough time.

Last Sunday, the 18th, we got an emergency call from a partners of ours
telling us that 400 well-armed AUC paramilitaries had arrived at a village
we accompany called San Francisco. Charles and I left immediately that
morning at arrived around 11:30 or so. . . When we arrived we began
documenting the destruction that was in process: burning cars, burning
motorcycles, large stacks of wood burning, large fields burning in and
around the village. By the time we got there half the town had left.

While we were talking to an AUC member, the guerrillas fired on the town and
a skirmish started. unfortunately the man we were talking to had a very
large assault rifle, so our place of cover was not ideal, but we hit the
deck. After a few minutes the firing ended and we again began to walking
around the village reassuring the people and inviting the AUC to leave the
town, lay down there guns, and respect the civilian population.

Later that day we travelled to Pt. Matilde where we connected with some
partners, and strategized about our presence a bit. In the afternoon we
went back with trepidation knowing that if the AUC was still in the area
around the houses at night, the FARC and ELN guerillas would most likely
fire on the town with rifles and cylinders (home-made bombs). When we got
back to San Francisco many of the AUC had left . . .

That night we slept in a community area with many other families who
remained. . . During the night, the Colombian army/airforce began flying
over head and shooting at some areas from the air.

When we woke up, most of the families who went to bed there had left.
The AUC was gone and a weird tranquil feeling was in the village. Most of
the stores were empty because the AUC stole what they needed. We again
travelled to Pt Matilde and heard how the airplane had fired tracer bullets
just across river.

The next day the plane came back again and fired repeatedly. . . A few times
the firing was very close to houses in the area. If this is not terrorism I
don't know what is. On Tuesday the army arrived to occupy the town. In
four days, this town has had large numbers of three different types of armed
groups in there small village. Yikes!!!!

talk to you all soon,
scott