CPTnet
July 7, 2004

COLOMBIA UPDATE: June 2004

The month of June began calmly with the corn harvest and mosquitos.
However, in the middle of June a paramilitary incursion altered the
well-being of the villages, increasing the challenge for the community to
continue with the process it calls, "Process of Life, Liberty, and
Dignity of the Cienaga del Opon."

Several meetings were organized by the Popular Assembly of the Opón
Community in June. On June 12, the Program of Development and Peace
(PROGRAMA) presented the technical team that will be working in the
community to establish plans for community organization and agricultural
development of the region.
On June 20, the villagers of Los Ñeques and La Florida reaffirmed their
desire to continue with the community process and decided to ask
formally the illegal armed groups to respect their life, liberty, and
dignity. The diocese of Barrancabermeja was invited to oversee this the
process of writing the formal proclamation.

June 15-16
Nine paramilitaries from the Central Bolivar Block of the United
Autodefense Forces of Colombia (AUC-BCB) entered CPT's zone of accompaniment
intending to assassinate a person there. The paramilitaries ended up
engaging in combat the members of the guerrilla group Revolutionary Armed
Forces of Colombia, People's Army (FARC-EP.) The people of Los Ñeques
affirmed that the opportune presence of CPT prevented the assassination
of the threatened campesino.

June 17
A commission made up of the Defensoría del Pueblo (government
human rights ombudsman) the Agency of International Cooperation, (part
of the Laboratory of Peace of the Middle Magdelena project), delegates from
the village of La Florida, and the press attended a meeting convened
by the village of Los Ñeques. The campesinos informed the meeting about
the presence of a wounded guerrilla in the village and the presence of the
paramilitaries. People acknowledged that they had brought food to the
guerrillas, but only because guerillas threatened them with death. The
commission committed itself to monitor the community's security situation
and to take the necessary steps with the civil and military authorities
of the municipality of Barrancabermeja. The man recently threatened
with death decided to displace himself from the village, much to the
sadness of his family and community.

 June 19-20 CPT helped to dispel rumors about the forced displacement
of the village of Los Ñeques and deaths of campesinos. They learned of
threats by paramilitaries (AUC-BCB) directed at CPT for its work in the
villages.

June 30
CPT released an official communication mentioning the
different factors affecting the well being of the villages CPT
accompanies. It generated diverse reactions on the part of the press
and official state entities.

In the city of Barrancabermeja CPT carried out short accompaniments of
the Campesino Association of the Cimitarra River Valley, together with
the Defensoría del Pueblo, and an international workers' caravan that
were learning about the situation of Colombian workers' rights. The team
also shared information about the events in the Opon River and consulted
with its project advisors about the situation.