CPTnet
18 July 2009
COLOMBIA URGENT ACTION: Ask Colombian government to guarantee safe return to the families of Las Pavas


Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) has accompanied the community of Las Pavas, and we are very concerned with a developing situation.  Large palm oil industries that wish to acquire the land from the current absentee landlord, a relative of deceased cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar, are threatening families who have lived and worked this land in South Bolivar province for the past twelve years.  The Colombian Institute for Rural Development (INCODER) has initiated a process of eminent domain, which will claim the land for the government and then grant titles to the residents of Las Pavas; the palm oil companies are now attempting to displace the families and short-circuit that process.

We ask that you respond to the urgent action alert below sent by some of our trusted partner organizations who were present in Las Pavas when the events of the past few days occurred.  Thank you for your help and involvement.

— CPT Colombia

COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT AND PALM OIL BUSINESSES DISPLACE 123 FAMILIES IN THE VILLAGE OF LAS PAVAS

The Police Inspector of the Peñon municipality in south Bolivar Province, Omaldo Garcia Capataz, has ordered the displacement of 123 campesino families from the community of Las Pavas.  Representatives of the Public Ministry who were present (National Human Rights Ombudsperson & Municipal Human Rights Defender’s Office) opposed the order and requested its suspension, but the Inspector denied their request.

In the early hours of 14 July 2009, members of the National Police and the Mobile Riot Police Squad surrounded the community, blocking the movement of the families living there and those accompanying them.  Later, at around 1:00 p.m., the police entered the community, destroyed seven campesino homes, seized tools, and fulfilled the order to displace the 123 families, which include several pregnant women and approximately 100 children, including newborns.

Currently these families have displaced to the Buenos Aires district of the municipality of Peñon, South Bolivar province

We therefore ask that you contact the Colombian authorities listed below to demand that

• the Colombian government guarantee the immediate return of the families that have been displaced from their land.

• INCODER (the Colombian rural development office) expedite their process of claiming the land by eminent domain, so the people may secure titles to their farms quickly and not face further threats.

• financial reparations be made to the community for the damages caused by members of the police while carrying out the displacement order.

• humanitarian aid be brought to the displaced families, with special attention given to infants, pregnant women and the elderly.


Please send an email to the following list of Colombian government officials.  Please also copy CPT-Colombia (cptco@cpt.org), and we will forward your message to our personal contacts in the U.S. and Canadian Embassies in Colombia.


Presidente de Colombia, Alvaro Uribe Velez
<auribe@presidencia.gov.co>

Vice Presidente de Colombia, Francisco Santos
<fsantos@presidencia.gov.co>

Ministerio de Agricultura y Desarrollo Rural, Andrés Fernandez Acosta
<contactenos@minagricultura.gov.co>

Defensor del Pueblo, Wolmar Antonio Perez Ortiz
<defensoria@defensoria.org.co>

Alcaldía del Peñón Bolívar, Catalino Meza Ruidiaz
<alcaldia@elpenon-bolivar.gov.co>

Here is a sample letter you may use in your communications:

Saludos.

Soy cuidadana de [COUNTRY] y he escuchado las noticias del desalojo de 123 familias campesinas de la comunidad de Las Pavas, en el Sur de Bolívar.  Sé que en este momento estas familias se encuentran desplazadas en el municipio del Peñón.  También entiendo que el Inspector de Policía, Omaldo García  Capataz, ordenó de forma arbitraria este desalojo, a pesar de que representantes de la Defensoría del Pueblo y la Personería Municipal se opusieron a la diligencia y solicitaron la suspensión de la misma.

En frente de esa vulneración de los derechos fundamentales de las familias de Las Pavas, le exijo al gobierno de Colombia:
* que garantice su retorno inmediato de la población desplazada a su predio
* que se repare económicamente a la comunidad de Las Pavas por los daños causados por la fuerza pública en aras del cumplimiento de la orden de desalojo.
* que se brinde la asistencia humanitaria a la población desplazada y se atienda de forma especial a la población infantil, mujeres embarazadas y adultos mayores
* que se inste al  INCODER para que agilice los trámites correspondientes a la solicitud de la comunidad sobre la extinción de dominio que se encuentra en curso
Gracias por su atención; espero los resultados de su acción.
NAME
ADDRESS
COUNTRY





Translation:

Greetings.
I am a citizen of [COUNTRY] and I have heard the news of the displacement of 123 campesino families of the community of Las Pavas, in South Bolivar province.  I know these families currently find themselves displaced in the municipality of Peñón.  I also understand that the Police Inspector, Omaldo García  Capataz, ordered this displacement in an irregular fashion, despite the fact that representatives of the National Human Rights Ombudsperson’s Office and the Municipal Human Rights Defendor’s Office opposed the order and requested its suspension.

In the face of this violation of the fundamental rights of the families of Las Pavas, I demand that the government of Colombia:
* guarantee the immediate return of the displaced families to their lands
* ensure financial reparations to the families of Las Pavas for the damage caused by members of the police while carrying out the displacement order
* offer humanitarian aid to the displaced families, with special attention to infants, pregnant women, and the elderly
* press INCODER to expedite their process of claiming the land by eminent domain, a process solicited by the community and already underway [so that the people may secure titles to their farms]

Thank you for your attention; I await the results of your action.