COLOMBIA: Southern BolÃvar’s ignored and oppressed inhabitants prepare to take desperate measures
October 22nd, 2008
in:
CPTnet Â
22 October 2008
COLOMBIA: Southern BolÃvar’s ignored and oppressed inhabitants prepare to take desperate measures
by Stewart Vriesinga
On Thursday, 16 October 2008, representatives of the mining and agricultural communities of Southern BolÃvar (See map at http://cpt.org/albums/Maps/South_Bolivar_001.jpg) decided that unless the Colombian government agreed to resume meaningful dialogue by Monday, 20 October, they would mobilize thousands of their members in a bid to force the government back to the bargaining table. They made the decision after national and state government representatives failed to appear on Wednesday, 15 October, at a meeting in Santa Rosa that the government itself had scheduled–and rescheduled and rescheduled.
As happened in San Pablo on 15 September of this year, the governmental representatives did not communicate their decision to cancel until 900 community members had already traveled, in some cases for days—through knee-deep mud, by foot, mule, four-wheel drive trucks, boats and buses—with hopes of having their concerns addressed. (See photos of mud-caked miners arriving http://f9g.yahoofs.com/groups/g_11921058/f263/__sr_/8c01.jpg?grAARAJBNE56fsQw)
Amongst those futilely awaiting the government’s arrival were the mayors of Santa Rosa and Morales, both of whom committed themselves to standing with their constituents in a bid for justice and the right to be heard. Other attendees included representatives of the Government Ombudsman’s Office, the Vice President’s Office on Human Rights, the Organization of American States, the Program for Peace and Development in the Middle Magdalene, and international accompaniment organizations, including Christian Peacemaker Teams. (See photos of assembly waiting for the government to arrive at http://f9g.yahoofs.com/groups/g_11921058/f263/__sr_/ab7f.jpg?grAARAJB6WZ9r_zp)
Being ignored is nothing new to local citizens. Apart from military presence, the Colombian government contributes little else to the region in the way of schools, teachers, roads, health-clinics, electricity, telephone service, etc. Further, the government has yet to implement any decision or policy it had made to address the specific concerns of the local population at previous meetings.
Community and local organization leaders have been threatened by paramilitaries, assassinated by government security forces, and unjustly accused of treason and arrested. Small miners and small landowners, denied titles to their mines and the lands they have occupied for decades, are in danger of dispossession by encroaching agro-industry (oil palm plantations etc.) and multinational mining interests. The latter, ironically, is receiving land titles and/or exploration and mining rights as well as state protection from the federal government
The violence against the indigenous people of Cauca in the south http://intercontinentalcry.org/army-responds-to-indigenous-uprising-with-bullets highlights the risks the Southern Bolivar mining and agricultural communities face as they prepare to take their struggle to larger urban centers in an effort to force negotiation. Recently, indigenous organizations in Cauca, taking similar measures to have their rights respected and their voices heard, came under direct attack from government security forces—illustrating how dissidence and non-violent resistance are not tolerated in this country. (The indigenous organizations have suffered casualties but gained strength in terms of support and numbers.)
Christian Peacemaker Teams has regularly accompanied and supported the non-violent initiatives for justice and peace of several of these organizations and communities for years –the Southern Bolivar Agricultural-Mining Federation, Micoahumado, TiquÃsio, and Garzal.
22 October 2008
COLOMBIA: Southern BolÃvar’s ignored and oppressed inhabitants prepare to take desperate measures
by Stewart Vriesinga
On Thursday, 16 October 2008, representatives of the mining and agricultural communities of Southern BolÃvar (See map at http://cpt.org/albums/Maps/South_Bolivar_001.jpg) decided that unless the Colombian government agreed to resume meaningful dialogue by Monday, 20 October, they would mobilize thousands of their members in a bid to force the government back to the bargaining table. They made the decision after national and state government representatives failed to appear on Wednesday, 15 October, at a meeting in Santa Rosa that the government itself had scheduled–and rescheduled and rescheduled.
As happened in San Pablo on 15 September of this year, the governmental representatives did not communicate their decision to cancel until 900 community members had already traveled, in some cases for days—through knee-deep mud, by foot, mule, four-wheel drive trucks, boats and buses—with hopes of having their concerns addressed. (See photos of mud-caked miners arriving http://f9g.yahoofs.com/groups/g_11921058/f263/__sr_/8c01.jpg?grAARAJBNE56fsQw)
Amongst those futilely awaiting the government’s arrival were the mayors of Santa Rosa and Morales, both of whom committed themselves to standing with their constituents in a bid for justice and the right to be heard. Other attendees included representatives of the Government Ombudsman’s Office, the Vice President’s Office on Human Rights, the Organization of American States, the Program for Peace and Development in the Middle Magdalene, and international accompaniment organizations, including Christian Peacemaker Teams. (See photos of assembly waiting for the government to arrive at http://f9g.yahoofs.com/groups/g_11921058/f263/__sr_/ab7f.jpg?grAARAJB6WZ9r_zp)
Being ignored is nothing new to local citizens. Apart from military presence, the Colombian government contributes little else to the region in the way of schools, teachers, roads, health-clinics, electricity, telephone service, etc. Further, the government has yet to implement any decision or policy it had made to address the specific concerns of the local population at previous meetings.
Community and local organization leaders have been threatened by paramilitaries, assassinated by government security forces, and unjustly accused of treason and arrested. Small miners and small landowners, denied titles to their mines and the lands they have occupied for decades, are in danger of dispossession by encroaching agro-industry (oil palm plantations etc.) and multinational mining interests. The latter, ironically, is receiving land titles and/or exploration and mining rights as well as state protection from the federal government
The violence against the indigenous people of Cauca in the south http://intercontinentalcry.org/army-responds-to-indigenous-uprising-with-bullets highlights the risks the Southern Bolivar mining and agricultural communities face as they prepare to take their struggle to larger urban centers in an effort to force negotiation. Recently, indigenous organizations in Cauca, taking similar measures to have their rights respected and their voices heard, came under direct attack from government security forces—illustrating how dissidence and non-violent resistance are not tolerated in this country. (The indigenous organizations have suffered casualties but gained strength in terms of support and numbers.)
Christian Peacemaker Teams has regularly accompanied and supported the non-violent initiatives for justice and peace of several of these organizations and communities for years –the Southern Bolivar Agricultural-Mining Federation, Micoahumado, TiquÃsio, and Garzal.
