Link to the latest UN report on Human Rights in Colombia (English and Spanish versions):

http://www.hchr.org.co/documentoseinformes/informes/altocomisionado/informes.php3?cod=14&cat=11

An international electoral observer mission in Colombia has today expressed concern about the fairness of upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections in March and May of this year. They believe the electoral process has been marred by bribes, assassinations and persecution.

The director of the NGO “Americas Program of the International Relations Centre (IRC)” Laura Carlsen, has said that during her visit members of the mission have heard from the people that they interviewed that the candidates from the governing parties have used government subsidies to force people to vote for them.

In poor neighbourhoods where many people live from government subsidies, governing party candidates have been recorded telling people that the subsidies will end if they are not elected.

The threats to poor neighbourhoods are not the only electoral crime that has tarnished these elections, according to Carlsen the mission head;

“The threat from armed groups makes up the biggest threat to a clean and fair process”.

Another international observer mission led by the US based NGO Global Exchange that visited the departments of Cordoba, Antioquia, Santander and Valle del Cauca. In the document that they presented today they expressed concern about the possibility of the assassination of people involved in the electoral process, and the persecution of community leaders. They highlighted that fear was present in every sphere of Colombian Society.

Gimena Sanchez from the US based NGO Wola, used a case from Buenaventura (Valle del Cauca), where according to her testimony people are being disappeared so as that they do not register in the statistics of electoral violence.

the mission stated that;  “Independent journalists expressed concern to the observer mission about death threats that they have received when they denounce electoral fraud and violence”. The observer mission also stated that most of the media has applied self censorship or given a disproportionate coverage to certain campaigns over others.

Mr Brendan O’Connor MHR
Minister for Home Affairs
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

Mr. O´Connor,

Minister for Home Affairs,

We are writing to protest against the interrogation of Mr. Alejandro Rodriguez by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on February 3^rd. Mr. Rodriguez is a member of our organisation, Peace and Justice for Colombia, and he is a well known advocate for workers´ rights and solidarity.

It is of our knowledge that during the interrogation Mr. Rodriguez was asked about individuals, the work of Peace & Justice for Colombia and about the Agricultural Workers Unions Federation of Colombia (FENSUAGRO). FENSUAGRO is a legitimate Colombian organisation that is formed by several affiliated unions, peasants and farmers´ organisations, with a total of 80,000 members nation-wide, with presence in 22 out of the 32 federated entities of the Colombian State. In a country where land distribution continues to be a major motive of inequality and injustice, FENSUAGRO is also the union that has been more brutally targeted by the Colombian state, its official forces and the paramilitaries. According to the International Trade Union Confederation, 49 union leaders were killed in 2008 alone, and 838 between 2000 and 2008; 95 per cent of the cases are reported as ’unsolved ’, many of these crimes have been committed against FENSUAGRO organizers and activists. We consider it to be a trust-worthy union.

It has been well documented that key members of the Colombian government have been historically linked to leading drug trafficking organisations and far right extremist groups. In 1991, the US Defense Intelligence Agency listed Uribe among ‘important Colombian narco-traffickers’ as well as a ‘close personal friend’ of Pablo Escobar Gaviria. Uribe’s Colombia is also responsible for arguably the largest internally displaced population in the world; 4 million Colombians are internally displaced rivalling only the Sudan.

We are also aware that the government of Alvaro Uribe has launched a campaign to censor and delegitimize solidarity initiatives internationally. We can only consider this interrogation as part of the mentioned campaign and it is completely disgraceful that the AFP is being used for the systematic persecution of human rights defenders, journalists, labour leaders and any other organisation or individuals who raises their voices in support of the Colombian people in their demands of democracy and social justice, and denounce the atrocities committed by Uribe´s government. Mr. Rodriguez has the support of professionals, trade unionists, academics and human rights organisations in Australia and internationally. For his work and commitment to the people of Colombia and Latin America, he too deserves the support of the Australian government.

• Peace & Justice for Colombia is an Australia-based solidarity organization that aims to build solidarity amongst Australians with the Colombian people and workers, and all the work we do is public and open.
• Peace & Justice for Colombia strongly condemns any attempt by the AFP, ASIO or any other intelligence agencies in Australia to persecute, detain or harass Mr. Rodriguez or any other solidarity activists. We consider this is a serious abuse of power under the Australian Anti-Terrorism Act of 2005.
• We protest against the AFP cooperation with the Uribe administration.
• We condemn any attempts of Uribe to criminalise international solidarity with Colombia.
• We demand that the Australian Government suspends its involvement with the Uribe regime while human and labour rights are not respected in that country.

Yours sincerely,

Peace and Justice for Colombia

Due to the implications of the attempts to criminalize international solidarity we forward this public denunciation issued by the Permanent Campaign in Solidarity with the Colombian political detainees.

We are concerned about the information received that the Australian Federal Police, appear to have breached the rights of Colombian trade unionist and human rights campaigner Liliany Obando unjustly held at the “El Buen Pastor” women’s prison in Bogota, Colombia.

Yours in solidarity,
Peace & Justice for Colombia, PJFC

“Beyond the Walls”

Permanent Campaign in Solidarity with Political Detainees

Public Denunciation

Australian Federal Police Agent Attempted to Interrogate Political Prisoner of Conscience, Liliany Obando Villota,
Without a Judicial Order

Liliany Patricia Obando Villota, sociologist of the National University of Colombia, human rights defender and a union leader affiliated to the National Unitarian Agricultural Workers Federation (FENSUAGRO[1]), currently a political prisoner of conscience, detained on the 8th of August 2008, as a result of judicial persecution from the government of Colombia against the political opposition of our country. Liliany was detained and placed in detention in “Patio 6 El Buen Pastor” Women’s prison in Bogota, where she is awaiting trial.

Facts to Denounce:

1. On the 2nd of September 2009, at approximately 7:45am, personnel from the INPEC informed Liliany that she had an interview with personnel from the office of social work. With that excuse she was taken to an office where surprisingly another employee from the department made it “clear” that the interview was really with personnel from the National Office of the General Prosecutor; there were two men, one of whom appeared to be a foreigner, and a woman.
2. When Liliany asked them to identify themselves, one of the men said his name was JUAN CARLOS CORTÉS and he introduced the other people as members of the Australian Embassy, this raised suspicion for the prisoner as Australia does not have an embassy in Colombia and the procedure used to take her to an interview of that nature was irregular and illegal, therefore she asked them to identify themselves fully and show her the judicial order or authorization to carry out the interview.
3. The visitors did not have a judicial order, and evasively the agent JUAN CARLOS CORTES proceeded to identify himself as a member of the DIJIN of Colombia[2], and the foreigner identified himself as DAVID NELSON of the Australian Federal Police and his interpreter (the woman) did not identify herself. They continued to express their intention to obtain precise details about the identities of people and organizations that Liliany met during her trips to Australia in 2005 and 2007, trying to convince her to ignore the lack of judicial order and to agree to respond to the interrogation.
4. Liliany again refused to respond to the interrogation or any questions without a judicial order or the presence of her lawyer and without her expressed agreement. The agent JUAN CARLOS CORTES in a last attempt to persuade her claimed that her lawyer was outside but in doing so named a legal professional different to her defence lawyer. Liliany made clear that this was a deception and an extension of political persecution to Australian citizens and organizations. However these attempts failed because the political prisoner maintained her decision not to allow the interview and not to respond to an interrogation that was illegal.

This situation generates great concern above all if it is taken into consideration that all foreign authorities must comply with the protocols for undertaking judicial procedures in Colombia. It was evident that with the help of Colombian personnel that the Australian Police agent DAVID NELSON not only violated fundamental and universal rights of defence and due process of the political prisoner of conscience LILIANY OBANDO VILLOTA, but violated also the sovereignty and judicial independence of our country.

With the above explanation the political prisoner of conscience LILIANY OBANDO VILLOTA, presented a formal denouncement before the National Prosecutor general and a complaint to the office of the Attorney to begin penal and disciplinary investigations and to impose sanctions on JUAN CARLOS CORTÉS (Colombian Police), DAVID NELSON (Australian Police) for the crime of abusing their authority in an arbitrary way[3], harassment and violation of the constitutional guarantees to due process and for exercising powers beyond their limitations[4] and ignoring international treaties that form part of the constitution.

We have released the photo of the Australian Federal Police Agent David Nelson who attempted to arbitrarily and illegally interrogate the political prisoner of conscience Liliany Patricia Obando Villota with the aim of extending the political persecution against Colombian opposition to Australian citizens:

DAVID NELSON
AGENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL POLICE

We appeal to the national and international community, to support the denunciation presented by Liliany Patricia Obando Villota and send letters of support and demand to the following authorities of the Colombian State:

President of the Republic
ÁLVARO URIBE VÉLEZ. PALACIO DE NARIÑO
Carrera 8 No.7-2, Bogotá. Colombia
Fax: +57 1 337 5890 / 342 0592. Email: auribe@presidencia.gov.co

Presidential Program of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law
Director: Carlos Franco.
Email: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co

Advisor Fernando Ibarra.
Tel.: +57.1.336.03.11, FAX: +57.1.337.46.67
Email: fibarra@presidencia.gov.co

Attorney General of the Nation
GUILLERMO MENDOZA DIAGO
Diagonal 22B (Av. Luis Carlos Galán No. 52-01) Bloque C, Piso 4, Bogotá, Colombia. Fax: + 57 1 570 2000 (extensión 2017).
Email: denuncias@fiscalia.gov.co y contacto@fiscalia.gov.co

Prosecutor General of the Nation
ALEJANDRO ORDÓÑEZ MALDONADO
Carrera 5 #. 15-80, Bogotá.
Fax: +57.1.342.97.23; +571.284.79.49. Fax: +57.1.342.97.23;
Email: cap@procuraduria.gov.co y quejas@procuraduria.gov.co; webmaster@procuraduria.gov.co

National People’s Defender/Ombudsman
VOLMAR ANTONIO PÉREZ ORTIZ
Calle 55 # 10-32, Bogotá
Fax: + 57.1.640.04.91
Email: secretaria_privada@hotmail.com; agenda@agenda.gov.co

Social Struggle is not a crime… it is a step towards freedom…

Freedom to all Political Prisoners!!!

Bogotá, D.C. 4th September 2009
camperpp@gmail.com

TRASPASA LOS MUROS

CAMPAÑA PERMANENTE DE SOLIDARIDAD

CON LAS DETENIDAS Y LOS DETENIDOS POLÍTICOS

DENUNCIA PÚBLICA
AGENTE DE POLICÍA AUSTRALIANO INTENTÓ INTERROGAR SIN ORDEN JUDICIAL A LA PRISIONERA POLÍTICA DE CONCIENCIA LILIANY OBADO VILLOTA

LILIANY PATRICIA OBANDO VILLOTA, socióloga de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Defensora de Derechos Humanos y Dirigente Sindical afiliada a FEDERACIÓN NACIONAL SINDICAL UNITARIA AGROPECUARIA (FENSUAGRO[1]), actualmente Prisionera Política de Conciencia, fue detenida el 8 de agosto de 2008, como consecuencia de la persecución judicial que el Gobierno de Colombia adelanta contra los opositores políticos de nuestro país, siendo inmediatamente recluida en el Patio 6 de la Cárcel de Mujeres El Buen Pastor de Bogotá, donde se encuentra en espera de juicio.

HECHOS A DENUNCIAR

1. El 2 septiembre de 2009, aproximadamente a las 7:45 a.m., personal del INPEC le informó a LILIANY que tenía una entrevista con funcionarios de la oficina de trabajo social, por tal motivo la condujo a ese sitio, donde sorpresivamente una funcionaria de dicha dependencia le “aclaró” que la entrevista era realmente con funcionarios de la Fiscalia General de la Nación, hallándose en el lugar dos hombres -uno de ellos con apariencia extranjera- y una mujer.
2. Cuando LILIANY les solicitó que se identificaran, uno de los hombres dijo llamarse JUAN CARLOS CORTÉS y presentó a las otras dos personas como miembros de la embajada Australiana, situación generó desconfianza a la prisionera, toda vez que el país de Australia no tiene embajada en Colombia y el procedimiento para sustraerla a una entrevista de ese carácter fue irregular e ilegal, por tanto solicitó que se identificaran plenamente y exhibieran la orden judicial o autorización de dicha entrevista.
3. Los visitantes no portaban orden judicial, y evasivamente el funcionario JUAN CARLOS CORTES procedió a identificarse como miembro de la DIJIN de Colombia[2], el sujeto extranjero se identificó como DAVID NELSON agente de la Policía Federal de Australia y su interprete (la mujer) no se identificó; acto seguido, manifestaron la intención de obtener datos precisos sobre las identidades de las personas y organizaciones con las que LILIANY se reunió durante sus viajes a Australia realizados en los años 2005 y 2007, intentado convencer a la prisionera política para que obviara la inexistencia de orden judicial y accediera a responder el interrogatorio.
4. LILIANY nuevamente se negó a recibir dicha entrevista o responder cualquier interrogatorio sin orden judicial, sin presencia de su abogado y sin su autorización expresa, por lo que el funcionario JUAN CARLOS CORTES en un último intento de persuasión, le afirmó que afuera se encontraba su abogado, señalando como tal a un profesional del derecho diferente al real abogado defensor de la prisionera, ante esto LILIANY notó que se trataba de un engaño y extensión de la persecución política a ciudadanos y organizaciones australianas. Sin embargo, el intento fue fallido por que la prisionera política mantuvo su desición de no ofrecer dicha entrevista y tampoco responder interrogatorios que además revisten de ilegalidad.

Esta situación genera gran preocupación, sobre todo si se tiene en cuenta toda autoridad extranjera debe cumplir un protocolo para poder realizar diligencias de tipo judicial en Colombia, quedando en evidencia que con ayuda de funcionarios colombianos el agente de policía australiano DAVID NELSON no sólo violó los derechos fundamentales y universales de defensa y debido proceso que le asisten a la prisionera política de conciencia LILIANY OBANDO VILLOTA, sino que también que arrasó la soberanía y la independía judicial de nuestro país.

Por lo anteriormente expuesto, la prisionera política de conciencia LILIANY OBANDO VILLOTA, presentó DENUNCIA formal ante la Fiscalia General de la Nación y QUEJA ante la procuraduría General de la Nación, para que se iniciaran las respectivas investigaciones penales y disciplinarias y se sancionara a los funcionarios JUAN CARLOS CORTÉS (Policía Colombiano), DAVID NELSON (Policía Australiano) por el delito de abuso de autoridad por acto arbitrario[3], hostigamiento y violación a la garantía constitucional al Debido Proceso, y por extralimitación en el ejercicio de funciones[4] y omisión de los tratados internacional recogidos en el bloque de constitucionalidad.

A continuación divulgamos la fotografía del agente federal de policía australiano DAVID NELSON que intentó someter a la prisionera política de conciencia LILIANY PATRICIA OBANDO VILLOTA a un interrogatorio arbitrario e ilegal con el fin de extender la persecución política contra opositores Colombianos a ciudadanos australianos:

DAVID NELSON

AGENTE FEDERAL DE POLICIA AUSTRALIANA

Apelamos a la solidaridad de la COMUNIDAD NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL, para que apoyen la denuncia presentada por LILIANY PATRICIA OBANDO VILLOTA y envíen sus comunicaciones de apoyo y exigencias a las siguientes autoridades del Estado Colombiano:

Presidente de la República
ÁLVARO URIBE VÉLEZ. PALACIO DE NARIÑO
Carrera 8 No.7-2, Bogotá. Colombia
Fax: +57 1 337 5890 / 342 0592. E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co

Programa Presidencial de DDHH y DIH
Director Carlos Franco.
E-mail: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co

Asesor Fernando Ibarra.
Tel.: +57.1.336.03.11, FAX: +57.1.337.46.67
E-mail: fibarra@presidencia.gov.co

Fiscal General de la Nación
GUILLERMO MENDOZA DIAGO
Diagonal 22B (Av. Luis Carlos Galán No. 52-01) Bloque C, Piso 4, Bogotá, Colombia. Fax: + 57 1 570 2000 (extensión 2017).
E-mail: denuncias@fiscalia.gov.co y contacto@fiscalia.gov.co

Procurador General de la Nación
ALEJANDRO ORDÓÑEZ MALDONADO
Carrera 5 #. 15-80, Bogotá.
Fax: +57.1.342.97.23; +571.284.79.49. Fax: +57.1.342.97.23;
E-mail: cap@procuraduria.gov.co, quejas@procuraduria.gov.co; y webmaster@procuraduria.gov.co

Defensor Nacional del Pueblo
VOLMAR ANTONIO PÉREZ ORTIZ
Calle 55 # 10-32, Bogotá
Fax: + 57.1.640.04.91
E-mail: secretaria_privada@hotmail.com; agenda@agenda.gov.co

LA LUCHA SOCIAL NO ES UN DELITO… ES UN PASO HACIA LA LIBERTAD…
¡¡¡PRES@S POLITÍC@S A LA CALLE!!!

Bogotá, D.C. Septiembre 4 de 2009
camperpp@gmail.com

[4] Los artículos 23 y 34 de la ley 734 de 2002.

BEIJING, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) — A U.S. deal on military bases in Colombia is pitting Bogota against many neighboring countries, which feared the bases would threaten their national security and heighten regional tension.

Venezuela, which borders Colombia to the north, is the most vehement opponent of the plan. Its president Hugo Chavez instructed the foreign ministry to get prepared to sever ties with Bogota.

Bolivian President Evo Morales proposed Wednesday that South Americans vote in a continent-wide referendum on the issue. Others,including Uruguay, Ecuador, Argentina and Brazil supported the Union of South American Nations (Unasur) to intervene in the case.

The Unasur has decided to meet [...] in Argentina to discuss the issue.

VENEZUELA PREPARED FOR POSSIBLE ARMED CONFLICT

Chavez said on Tuesday there is no possibility of repairing ties with the Colombian government and told Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro to “begin preparing for the rupture with Colombia.”

Chavez has frozen diplomatic ties with Colombia on July 28 after the deal ensuring Washington’s access to at least seven Colombian bases by the year 2019. In return, Bogota will get some 5 billion U.S. dollars in aid.

Venezuela began last week establishing 70 “peace bases” on its border with Colombia, and their construction would be finished around beginning of next month.

“Each Venezuelan has to be a soldier to defend Venezuela,” Francisco Arias Cardenas, Venezuelan Vice Foreign Minister, told a press conference, saying that Venezuela was seeking to take creative initiatives to prevent conflicts.

There are reports that Chavez will buy tanks when he visits Russia in September. “This trip has been planned since the beginning of the year, but now we have much more important reasons to step up cooperation,” Chavez was quoted as saying.

Venezuela also decided to end an agreement to provide fuel to Colombia. Venezuela’s Energy and Petroleum Minister, Rafael Ramirez, said they were implementing rigorous security measures to prevent fuel contraband to Colombia.

PREVAILING SENSE OF INSECURITY

Venezuela is not alone in being upset by the deal. “If the Colombian president wants his bases to be used, I say I want a referendum in South America so the people of Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Argentina — all 12 countries — can decide,” said Bolivia’s Morales.

Ecuador’s national assembly passed a resolution Tuesday saying the establishment of U.S. military bases in Colombia would undermine peace in the region.

Many urged the Unasur to intervene and discuss the case with Washington. In a phone conversation last Friday, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama that a meeting with the Unasur countries would help restore the confidence across the region. Obama replied that he would consider such a meeting.

[...] Uribe insists the agreement, which allows the presence of 800 U.S. soldiers and 600 civilian contractors of the Pentagon or U.S. security organizations for 10 years at Colombian bases, is aimed at combating drug trafficking and terrorism in South America.

(Original title: “Planned U.S. military bases in Colombia increase regional tensions”)

On this open letter, Liliany herself gives a brave account on how the Colombian government uses her case in an effort to silence the political opposition and proponents for social justice.

Nowadays when the Colombian government has accepted to build seven US military bases in the country in a clear servile position,  Liliany, as the Colombian political prisoners, workers, peasants, indigenous, the poor and African descendents, with their indomitable spirit, inspire all of us to continue to support them in their struggle against human rights abuses and for a just Colombia.

Peace and Justice for Colombia, PJFC calls on all to demand that the Colombian government listen to its people and respects the human and labour rights and implement a Humanitarian Exchange of prisoners as a first step in the political solution to the deep social and complex armed conflict in the country.

Take action now and:

• Write to the Colombian government to demand that the Colombian regime free Liliany Obando and demand a Humanitarian Exchange of political prisoners.
• Organize support for Liliany with resolutions from your student groups, anti-war coalitions, solidarity organisations, religious groups, local unions and international conventions.

Send your messages and letters to:

• The Attorney General’s office. Emails: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co & denuncias@fiscalia.gov.co
• President Álvaro Uribe. Email: auribe@presidencia.gov.co
• Colombian Embassy in Australia (or your own country), Attention Mr Diego Betancur.

Emails: embassyofcolombia@bigpond.com & ecanberra@cancilleria.gov.co

Letter:

Women’s Prison, Bogotá, Colombia, August 8, 2009.

To all comrades of the Campaign for my freedom, of Peace and Justice for Colombia – Australia, International Network in Solidarity with Colombian Political Prisoners, Permanent Campaign in Solidarity with Political detainees – Beyond Walls – Colombia, the Canadian Solidarity Campaign with Liliany Obando and all Colombian Political Prisoners, Central American Support Coalition, CASC – Canada, Canada-Latin America Solidarity Association – LACASA, Windsor Peace Coalition – Canada, Campaign for Labor Rights – USA, Justice for Colombia – UK, Thompsons’ Lawyers – UK, Collective 35 – Canada, Committee in  Solidarity with Colombia – Sydney, Colombia Journal, Vancouver Island District Council – VIDC, Canadian Union of Public Employees – CUPE, Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation – OSSTF, National Farmers Union – NFU, Agricultural Workers Union – Paysanne, Unions New South Wales – Sydney, Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union – CFMEU, Maritime Union Australia – MUA, Secondary School Teachers Union – Western Australia, International Committee of Unions Western Australia, Communist Party of Australia, Communist Party of Canada, The Peoples Party – Panama, Communities of Faith, Defenders of Human Rights, Parliamentarians, progressive lawyers, alternative media and journalists, academics and students, Activists for Peace and Social Justice, to my comrades and friends of many struggles, to all people who have accompanied me in Australia, France, United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Mexico, Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia and Colombia.

Today, it is a year since my detention, incarceration and the separation from my young children. I am still incarcerated at the “Buen Pastor Women’s Prison” as “inculpated” and waiting for the resolution of my legal situation.

I was the first person arrested within the context of a process against the Political Opposition and personalities committed with Peace in Colombia. This process begins its fabrication from the “Operation Phoenix”, on 1st March 2008, when violating the international law, the sovereignty of Ecuador and after committing “war crimes”, the Colombian army and police, illegally removed from Ecuadorian territory electronic equipment and laptops supposedly attributed to then killed head of the FARC, Raul Reyes.

Based on those alleged evidences, on 22nd May 2008, the Attorney General, Mario Iguarán and the ex-Minister of Defence, Juan Manuel Santos, announced the beginning of a process, the they denominated the “FARC – POLITICA”, to which they linked 12 people, nationals and foreigners, among them political personalities, parliamentarians, journalists, academics and other members of the political opposition, who from our respective spaces have worked for Peace, Human Rights and the Humanitarian Exchange of Political and War Prisoners.

This has clearly been a political process used like a “smoke screen” to deflect the attention of the international community from the scandal of the “PARA-POLITICA” (paramilitaries politics), that has sent behind bars a number of parliamentarians and regional politicians from the coalition of parties that elected and re-elected Alvaro Uribe Vélez as president.

The process against me has been vicious and plagued with illegalities from the beginning. These Illegalities violate the Colombian Political Constitution, the National Penal Code and International Law. They have violated my right to the “presumption of innocence”, to a defence, to due process, to equality before the law, to not be accused twice for the same presumed act and to not have the trial changed arbitrarily from one system for judgement to another, nor to mix them as the Prosecutor (Fiscalía) has done. Furthermore I have been exposed more than once to the media.

As if this wasn’t enough, from the beginning the Prosecutor ordered the segmentation of the investigation of the Trial of FARC-POLITICA, thereby violating “unity of the trial”. Thus they opened individual investigations, while it is a matter of a the same “act and the same proof” for all of us: the text documents (the Captain of the DIJIN [security police], Ronald Hayden Coy Ortiz, who had the computers in his custody and manipulated the files, acknowledged that there weren’t any emails) extracted from the “computers” of Raúl Reyes. With this cunning argument our access has been blocked to the totality of the text (Word) documents that have been used as “proof” against us.

That is how matters stand, so much so that the Supreme Court and the Fiscalía should declare the Trial null, not only for all of the irregularities committed but further, as the Colombian legal system lays down, a “proof” obtained illegally has no juridical value.

Parallel to the development of the investigation against me, my defence has made a request to the Public Prosecutor #19 of the Anti-terrorism Unit and the Judge granted me “home detention” to which my children and I have a right while my juridical status was defined. This petition has been denied on six (6) occasions sheltering behind spurious arguments from the Prosecutor such as that I represent “a danger to society”, that others can look after my children, or cynically denying my position as “mother and head of the family”, in spite of our having gathered the documents that prove it.

During this year of unjust incarceration I have only appeared on two occasions before the Public Prosecutor #19 of the Anti-terrorism Unit: once before the investigation and the other to expand on the same matter. In the month of April 2009, the Public Prosecutor 19 declared the closing of the investigation and announced the “resolution of the accusation”. From that moment the trial passed over to the jurisdiction of Penal Judge 9 of the Specialised Circuit of Bogotá whose task it is to make the judgement.

On 7th July 2009 I was called to the preparatory audience in which 27th August 2009 was set as the date for the public trial.

Recently, the Supreme Court of Justice decided to shelve the investigation and declare that there was no case to answer in the case of the Senator for the Communist Party and the Alternative Democratic Pole, Gloria Inés Ramírez, finding no evidence to accuse her in trial of FARC-POLITICA. A short while later, the Director of Public Prosecutions recognised publicly that there was no basis either for accusing ex-Miniter Álvaro Leyva Durán, nor for Communist
leader and director of the Weekly VOZ [Voice newspaper], Carlos Lozano Guillén, within the same trial. In the same way it happened with the President of the Alternative Democratic Pole, Jaime Dussán. It was also recognised that the actions of these personalities had been in favour of peace and had been humanitarian acts. Congratulations!

We are witnessing the collapse of this fabricated trial and remain clear before public opinion that “Operation Phoenix” and the subsequent trial of “FARC-POLITICA” have been nothing more than illegal acts, never concerned with rights and that they offend the national conscience. The justice system in Colombia acts in a politicised manner that favours the government of Uribe, with subjectivity and dangerous criteria detrimental to opposition sectors.

This year in prison has been one of long waiting, of difficult conditions for my family, especially for my children, but at the same time it has been a great school of life at the side of my political prisoner comrades. It has been a year of temperance and reaffirmation of principles and commitment.

As a social and political activist, as a revolutionary, I am prepared to assume with dignity, with my head held high whatever decision there may be in my case.

Without doubt the manifestations of solidarity have been essential and I appreciate those I have received from all of you via your messages of moral and inspirational support, your moving letters, the wonderful postcards, your poems and songs, your calls and visits, your articles and interviews, your valiant testimonials and declarations, your generous material support, your letters of condemnation and pressuring to the Colombian authorities and those of your own countries and for all your initiatives and actions carried out in connection with the campaign for my liberation.

Thank you, too, from my children, my family and myself for having been made to feel we are being accompanied.

The Campaign has also been a valuable opportunity because, by means of my case, which is only one among so many, the reality of the more than 7,200 Colombian political prisoners, our conditions in prison, have become known, made visible and condemned and our demands and our dreams have also become known.

From here, together with my other political prisoner comrades we will continue struggling for the respect of the human rights of all, including the prison population, for the Humanitarian Exchange of the Political Prisoners and Prisoners of War and for the construction of this New Country, inclusive, democratic, at peace with Social Justice.

We will continue counting on you, your company so that we may continue marching together, that your ardent voices will not allow ours to be extinguished, so that your determined actions may break our chains and the bars and that we might pass through these walls of infamy.

Thanks to all of you for giving meaning to the word of solidarity because it is nothing other than a powerful tool in the hands of the people struggling for a better world.

Fraternally,

Liliany Obando

Colombian Political Prisoner
Survivor of the Genocide carried out against the Patriotic Union

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Colombia, Reclusión de Mujeres de Bogotá, Agosto 8 de 2009

A todas y todos los compañeros y compañeras de la Campaña por mi liberación, de ‘Paz y Justicia por Colombia’, de la ‘Red Internacional en Solidaridad con los Prisioneros Políticos Colombianos’, de la ‘Campaña Permanente de Solidaridad con las Detenidas y Detenidos Políticos – Traspasa los Muros’, de la Campaña Canadiense de Solidaridad con Liliany Obando y todos los Presos Políticos Colombianos, del ‘Comité de Apoyo a Centro America – CASC’, de la ‘Asociación de Solidaridad Canadá-America Latina – LACASA’, de la ‘Coalición de Paz de Windsor’, de la ‘Campaña por los Derechos Laborales – EEUU’, de ‘Justicia por Colombia’, de ‘Abogados Thompsons’, del ‘Colectivo 35’, del ‘Comité de Solidaridad con Colombia – Sydney’, de ‘Colombia Journal’, del Movimiento Sindical, del ‘Consejo Distrital de la Isla de Vancouver – VIDC’, del ‘Sindicato Canadiense de Empleados Públicos – CUPE’, de la ‘Federación de Profesores de Secundaria de Ontario – OSSTF’, del ‘Sindicato Nacional de Granjeros – NFU’, del ‘Sindicato de Agricultores – Unión Paysanne’, de los Sindicatos de Nueva Gales del Sur – Sydney’, del ‘Sindicato de la Construcción, Forestales, Minería y Energía – CFMEU’, del ‘Sindicato Marítimo de Australia – MUA’, del ‘Sindicato de Profesores de las Escuelas Estatales del Occidente de Australia – SSTUWA’, del ‘Comité Internacional de Sindicatos de Occidente de Australia’, del Partido Comunista de Australia, del Partido Comunista de Canadá, del Partido del Pueblo de Panamá, a los defensores de Derechos Humanos, a los parlamentarios y abogados progresistas, a los medios y periodistas alternativos, a las Comunidades de Fe, a los académicos y estudiantes, a los activistas por la Paz y la Justicia Social, a mis compañeros y amigos de unas y otras luchas, a todas las personas solidarias que me han acompañado en Australia, Francia, Reino Unido, Estados Unidos, Canadá, México, Panamá, Venezuela, Brasil, Bolivia y Colombia.

Hoy se cumple un año desde mi detención, encarcelamiento y la separación de mis pequeños hijos. Aún hoy me encuentro en la Reclusión de Mujeres de Bogotá – “Buen Pastor” en calidad de “sindicada” y la espera de la resolución de mi situación jurídica.

Fui la primera detenida en el marco de un proceso contra la Oposición Política y personalidades competidas con la Paz en Colombia. Dicho proceso comienza a fabricarse a partir de la ‘Operación Fénix’, el 1º de marzo de 2008, cuando violando la legislación internacional, la soberanía del Ecuador y tras cometer “crímenes de guerra”, el ejército y la policía colombianas, sustrajeron de forma ilegal de territorio ecuatoriano unos supuestos dispositivos electrónicos y computadores portátiles que le atribuyen al abatido jefe de las FARC, Raúl Reyes.

Basándose en esas pretendidas evidencias, el 22 de Mayo de 2008, el Fiscal General de la Nación, Mario Iguarán y el ex-Ministro de Defensa, Juan Manuel Santos, anunciaron el inicio de proceso que denominaron “FARC – POLITICA”, al que vincularon inicialmente a unas 12 personas, nacionales y extranjeras, entre personalidades políticas, congresistas, periodistas, académicos y otros miembros de la oposición política, que desde nuestros respectivos espacios hemos trabajado por la paz, los Derechos Humanos y el Intercambio Humanitario de los Prisioneros Políticos y de Guerra.

Ha sido éste un claro proceso político, usado como “cortina de humo” para desviar la atención de la Comunidad Internacional del escándalo de la “PARA-POLITICA”, que tiene tras las rejas a un gran número de Congresistas y políticos regionales de la coalición de partidos que eligieron y re-eligieron a Álvaro Uribe Vélez como presidente. El proceso en mi contra ha estado viciado y plagado de ilegalidades desde el comienzo. Ilegalidades violatorias de la Constitución Política Colombiana, de la legislación penal nacional y de las leyes internacionales: se me han vulnerado el derecho a la ‘presunción de inocencia’, a la defensa, al debido proceso, a la igualdad ante la ley, a no ser acusada dos veces por el mismo supuesto hecho y a que no sea cambiado arbitrariamente el proceso de un sistema de juzgamiento a otro, ni a mezclarlos como ha hecho la Fiscalía. Además de que he sido expuesta una y otra vez ante los medios de comunicación.

Como si esto fuera poco, desde un principio la Fiscalía ordenó la segmentación de la investigación del Proceso de la “FARC-POLITICA”, violando así la ‘unidad procesal’. Se abrieron así investigaciones individuales, cuando se trata de un mismo “hecho y una misma prueba” para todos nosotros: los documentos de texto (el Capitán de la DIJIN, Ronald Hayden Coy Ortiz, que tuvo bajo su custodia los computadores y manipuló los archivos, reconoció que no se trataba de correos electrónicos) extraídos de los “computadores” de Raúl Reyes.

Con esta argucia se ha impedido que tengamos acceso a la totalidad de los documentos de texto (Word) que han sido usados como “prueba” en nuestra contra. Así las cosas, tanto la Corte Suprema de Justicia como la Fiscalía deberían declarar la nulidad del Proceso, no sólo por todas las irregularidades cometidas, sino porque además, como lo establece el sistema legal de colombiano, una “prueba” obtenida de forma ilegal no tiene ninguna validez jurídica.

Paralelamente al desarrollo de la investigación en mi contra, mi defensor ha solicitado ante la Fiscal 19 de la Unidad Anti-Terrorismo y el Juez me conceda la “detención domiciliaria” a la que tenemos derecho mis hijos y yo, mientras se define mi situación jurídica. Esta petición ha sido negada en seis (6) oportunidades amparándose en espurios argumentos de la Fiscalía como que represento “un peligro para la sociedad”, que otros pueden cuidar de mis hijos, o cínicamente negando mi condición de “madre cabeza de familia”, pese a que una y otra vez hemos allegado los documentos que lo prueban.

Durante este año de injusto encarcelamiento sólo he comparecido en dos oportunidades ante la Fiscal 19 de la Unidad Anti-Terrorismo: la una para rendir indagatoria y la otra para una ampliación de la misma. En el mes de abril de 2009, la Fiscal 19 declaró el cierre de la investigación y dicto “resolución de acusación”. A partir de ese momento el proceso pasó a ser de la competencia del Juez 9º Penal del Circuito Especializado de Bogotá a quien le corresponde emitir el fallo. El pasado 7 de julio de 2009 fui llamada a una Audiencia Preparatoria donde se fijó como fecha para el inicio del juicio público el próximo 27 de agosto de 2009.

Recientemente, la Corte Suprema de Justicia decidió archivar la investigación y dictar autoinhibitorio en el caso de la Senadora Comunista y del Polo Democrático Alternativo, Gloria Inés Ramírez, al no hallar evidencias para acusarla dentro del Proceso de la FARC-POLITICA.

Poco después, el Fiscal General reconoció públicamente que tampoco existen méritos para acusar al ex-Ministro Álvaro Leyva Durán, ni al dirigente comunista y director del Semanario VOZ, Carlos Lozano Guillén, dentro del mismo proceso. De igual forma ocurrió con el Presidente del Polo Democrático Alternativo, Jaime Dussán. También se reconoció que las actuaciones de estas personalidades han sido en favor de la paz y de actos humanitarios. ¡En hora buena!

Asistimos al desmoronamiento de este fabricado proceso y queda claro ante la opinión pública que la ‘Operación Fénix’ y el subsecuente proceso de la “FARC-POLITICA” no han sido más que actos ilegales, nunca de derecho y que ofenden la conciencia nacional. La justicia en Colombia actúa de manera politizada a favor del gobierno de Uribe, con subjetividad y criterios peligrositas en perjuicio de los sectores de oposición.

Este año en prisión ha sido de larga espera, de difíciles condiciones para mi familia, en especial para mis hijos, pero al tiempo ha sido una gran escuela de vida al lado de mis otros compañeros y compañeras prisioneros políticos. Ha sido un año de templanza y reafirmación de principios y compromisos.

Como luchadora social y política, como revolucionaria, estoy preparada para asumir con dignidad, con la frente en alto cualquier decisión en mi caso.

Sin duda han sido definitivas las manifestaciones de solidaridad y aprecio de todos Ustedes que he recibido a través de sus mensajes de apoyo moral y aliento, de sus emotivas cartas, de las bellas postales, de sus poemas y canciones, de sus llamadas y visitas, de sus artículos y entrevistas, de sus valientes testimonios y declaraciones, de su generoso apoyo material, de sus cartas de denuncia y presión a las autoridades colombianas y de sus países, y de todas sus iniciativas y acciones realizadas alrededor de la campaña por mi liberación. Gracias a Ustedes mis hijos, mi familia y yo nos hemos sentido acompañados.

También la Campaña ha sido una valiosa oportunidad para que a través de mi caso, que es sólo uno más entre tantos, se conozca, se visibilice y se denuncie la realidad de los más de 7,200 prisioneros políticos colombianos, de nuestras condiciones en prisión, de nuestras demandas y de nuestros sueños.

Desde aquí, junto con mis demás compañeras y compañeros prisioneros políticos continuaremos luchando por el respeto de los Derechos Humanos de todos, incluida la población carcelaria, por el Intercambio Humanitario de Prisioneros Políticos y de Guerra y por la construcción de ese Nuevo País, incluyente, democrático, en paz y con Justicia Social.

Esperamos seguir contando con Ustedes, con su compañía, para que caminemos juntos, para que sus voces enardecidas no permitan que las nuestras se apaguen, para que con sus decididas acciones nuestras cadenas y barrotes se rompan y logremos traspasar los muros de la infamia.

Gracias a todos Ustedes por darle su justo sentido a la SOLIDARIDAD, que no es más que otra potente herramienta en las manos de los pueblos que luchamos ese mundo mejor.

De Ustedes fraternalmente,

LILIANY OBANDO
Prisionera Política Colombiana
Sobreviviente del Genocidio contra la Unión Patriótica

In related news, the Colombian Supreme Court announced recently that the politically motivated charges of supporting the country’s guerrilla forces against Senators Gloria Ramírez and Piedad Córdoba and several other opposition figures have been dropped. Liliany’s matters come to court on August 27.

More information shortly