Peace & Justice for Colombia:

OPEN LETTER: TO THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

Women's Prison, Bogotá, Colombia. September 3, 2008

OPEN LETTER:

TO THE NATIONAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY,

‘FARC-POLITICA’(1): A new WITCH-HUNT against the Political Opposition in Colombia

As at no other time in the life of the nation, the loss of credibility of public institutions now has a direct correlation with the mafia style of governance.

Para-politics is the crime of bribery that favoured Uribe’s re-election; it is the links between government officials, the district attorney office and State security with the cartels of the paramilitary mafia; the failed “process” of demobilization of the paramilitaries and the strange extradition of paramilitary bosses closing off the possibility of knowing the truth demanded by their victims; the repeated attempts of the government to undermine the autonomy and the independence of the justice system particularly, the Supreme Court of Justice; the politicization of the office of the Attorney General in favour of the government; the military incursions outside the national territory and the unfortunate diplomatic handling of matters with the progressive governments of the region. These are just some elements that provide evidence of the lack of governability in the country and call into question the existence of real democracy.

CARTA ABIERTA: A LA COMUNIDAD NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL.

Bogotá, Colombia, Reclusión de Mujeres, Septiembre, 3 de 2008

CARTA ABIERTA:

A LA COMUNIDAD NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL.

LA “FARC-POLITICA”: UNA NUEVA CACERÍA DE BRUJAS EN CONTRA DE LA OPOSICIÓN POLÍTICA.

Como en ninguna otra época de la vida nacional, la pérdida de credibilidad en las instituciones tiene una correlación directa con la forma mafiosa de gobernar. La Parapolítica; el delito de cohecho que favoreció la reelección de Uribe; los nexos de funcionarios del gobierno, de la Fiscalía, de los organismos de seguridad del Estado con los carteles de la mafia paramilitar; el fracasado “proceso” de desmovilización de los paramilitares y la muy extraña extradición de los jefes paramilitares, - cerrando de tajo la posibilidad de conocer la verdad que demandan sus víctimas-; los reiterados intentos del gobierno de minar la independencia y autonomía de los órganos de justicia, en especial de la Corte Suprema de Justicia; la politización de la Fiscalía a favor del gobierno; las incursiones militares por fuera del territorio nacional y el infortunado manejo diplomático con los gobiernos progresistas de la región, son sólo algunos elementos que evidencian la falta de gobernabilidad y ponen en cuestión la existencia de una democracia real.

Colombia History Series

'Colombian social, armed conflict': Part one

An Unending Violence Over Land, Peace, and Bread
Waldo Xavier III

In PART ONE of the Colombia History Series we shall begin by discussing an important period in Colombian history known as La Violencia (1948-1958). This period of history is fundamental to an understanding of Colombia in a historical context as well as to an understanding of the political and social crisis which has shaped much of the country. Because much of what we know about Colombia today is presented by the mass media and other popular commentary through ëdrugs,í ëterrorismí and ëconflict,í here and throughout the series we shall present an alternative perspective to the many challenges facing the country.

FENSUAGRO - Denuncia Publica

Bogotá D.C., 27 de agosto de 2008

LA FEDERACIÓN NACIONAL SINDICAL UNITARIA AGROPECUARIA, FENSUAGRO - CUT (COLOMBIA) denuncia el hostigamiento y asedio que se continua contra ALIRIO GARCIA Fiscal de la Federación.

HECHOS

El día 16 de julio de 2008, siendo las 10:30 a.m, El compañero ALIRIO GARCIA fiscal de FENSUAGRO, al salir de su residencia se percato de un vehículo Rodeo color azul oscuro con vidrios oscuros, con placa BIB-815, que se encontraba frente a su casa ubicada en el barrio la Diela, de la ciudad de Armenia – Quindío, donde pudo observar que al interior del Vehículo habían dos personas un hombre y una mujer los cuales tenían cámara y filmaban la vivienda del compañero, dichas personas estuvieron por varios minutos y luego se fueron.

FENSUAGRO issues public denunciation

PUBLIC STATEMENT

Bogota D.C. Colombia, 27th August 2008

The National Unitarian Federation of Agrarian Unions, FENSUAGRO – CUT(Colombia), denounces the siege and continued harassment against Alirio Garcia, FENSUAGRO’s attorney.

FACTS

On 16 July 2008 at 10:30 AM when Mr. Arilio, FENSUAGRO’s attorney was leaving his home at Diela suburb, of Armenia City, Quíndio. He noticed that from a parked blue Rodeo Ute with tinted windows and plate number BIB-815 that a man and a woman were filming Arilio’s residence. They remain parked for a few minutes before leaving.

Peace & Justice for Colombia Newsletter, Issue 1, August 2008

The PJFC newsletter is a bi-monthly publication aiming to disseminate information about the struggle for peace and social justice of the Colombian people as well as the activities we are organizing in Australia to support that struggle.

To download a PDF version of the newsletter see the attachment below.

Statement on the escalation of intimidation of campaigners for social justice in Colombia

Peace and Justice for Colombia – a network of people in Australia concerned at the human rights situation in that strife-torn Latin American country – condemns the decision announced in recent days by the government of President Alvaro Uribe to launch legal proceedings against a number of members of parliament and NGOs, journalists and academics.

“WE, THE PEASANTS OF COLOMBIA WILL CONTINUE TO STRUGGLE FOR LAND, HUMAN RIGHTS AND PEACE”

NATIONAL UNITARIAN FEDERATION OF AGRARIAN UNIONS- FENSUAGRO
PRESS RELEASE

The 17th of April is the day of resistance and courage of the peasantry and rural workers of the world. This day has been declared the international day of struggle of the peasantry and rural workers in commemoration of 19 heroic peasants of the Landless Rural Workers Movement of Brazil, killed in the Locality of El Dorado dos Carajas, in the state of Piara.

Trade unionists murdered in Colombia - the names behind the statistics

Unionists assassinated between January and March 2008

Zuluaga Mario 02-Jan-08 ASMEDAS
Pérez Zapata Ramiro de Jesús 12-Jan-08 ADIDA
Gonzáles Israel 24-Jan-08 FENSUAGRO
Suárez Leal José Yebrail 28-Jan-08 SIGGINPEC
Duarte Acero José Martín 02-Feb-08 SINTRAMBIENTE
Mesa Pasachoa María del Carmen 08-Feb-08 ASEDAR
Benavidez Samboni Arley 09-Feb-08 ANTHOC
Mamián José Giraldo 09-Feb-08 ASOINCA
Carvajal Ramírez Carmen Cecilia 04-Mar-08 ASINORT
Gómez Alzate Gildardo Antonio 07-Mar-08 ADIDA

Doors of FENSUAGRO-CUT offices forced in attempted break-in

The National Unitarian Federation of Agrarian Unions, “FENSUAGRO-CUT”, wishes to draw national and international attention to the fact that on 17th April we discovered that the access doors to our headquarters in Bogota City, DC had been subject to force with the intent to break in by unknown persons who, despite damaging the timber and locks, did not manage to enter the premises.

This is one of the new methods being used against the popular and mass organizations in our country with the aim of stealing computers hard drives and documents.