--- Begin Forwarded Message ---
Date: Wed, 20 Sep 2000 14:52:49 +0100
From: "A.J.Plows" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: [bangor-werdd] [Fwd: U'WA URGENT! U'wa given 7 day
Eviction notice!]
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-------- Original Message --------
Subject: U'WA URGENT! U'wa given 7 day Eviction notice!
Date: Thu, 14 Sep 2000 16:08:33 -0700
From: Lauren Sullivan <[log in to unmask]>
Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
To: [log in to unmask]
CRISIS ON U'WA TERRITORY DEEPENS AS COLOMBIAN
GOVERNMENT DECLARES IT WILL EVICT U'WA FROM THEIR
TERRITORY AROUND THE GIBRALTAR 1 DRILLSITE
CALL COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT PASTRANA! CALL AL GORE!
ORGANIZE AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE DEMONSTRATION
AT A NEARBY GORE 2000 OFFICE!
Find the one nearest you at :
http://www.algore2000.com/states/index.html
and nearest DNC office at:
http://www.democrats.org/action/
Contact Patrick or Lauren at RAN at 1-800-989-RAIN
or [log in to unmask] if you are willing to organize an
emergency response demonstration, action or solidarity event!
In this Alert:
1)Call to action: Contact Al Gore and President Pastrana!
2)Latest U'wa Communique (English and Spanish versions)
3)Sample letter to Pastrana
----------------------------------------------------------------------
1)
CALL FOR SOLIDARITY ACTIONS!!
The U'wa people of Colombia are facing the final
showdown in their eight year campaign to prevent
Occidental petroleum from desecrating their ancestral
lands. The Colombian Military and Police have increased
their forces occupying the proposed drillsite and have
told the U'wa that they will be removed from their legal,
communal property within the next seven days! The U'wa
are being barred from assembling on their own lands and
are being assaulted by the military. We must act now to
help the U'wa by showing Al Gore and Colombian President
Pastrana that we will hold them accountable for Oxy's
actions on the U'wa territory.
President Pastrana and Colombian legal entities have
called for the eviction of the U'wa. According to the U'wa the
military has said they are designating the area around
the Gibraltar 1 well-site, land which legally belongs to
the U'wa, as a "mining reserve" for Occidental Petroleum.
Occidental has stated that they plan to sink the first
exploratory well at the Gibraltar 1 before the end of September.
This eviction will pave the way for Occidental
to bring in the final machinary needed to begin drilling.
The escalation of violence is already occurring and the
U'wa's human rights are being violated by the military
on a daily basis.
The U'wa have called for increased solidarity actions.
The future of the U'wa people and their homelands depends
on activists around the world taking actions for the U'wa.
Whether its a demonstration at a Gore campaign office, a
picket at the Colombian embassy or a teach-in in your community
- we must draw attention to the crisis in U'wa land!
Call on Al Gore and Colombian President Pastrana to stop the
violation of the U'wa's human rights! Al Gore, Pastrana
and Oxy will have the blood of the U'wa on their hands if
any more violence occurs. In the early 90's, Gore supported
the Penan, an indigenous people in Borneo whose rainforest
home was threatend by logging operations. Why has he failed
to take action for the U'wa? Apparently his concern for
the environment and human rights only matters when it doesn't
conflict with the corporations like Oxy that fund his campaign.
The Republicans are drawing attention to Gore's hypocrisy on
this issue (see their website -
http://www.rnc.org/GoreFiles/oxyal1_082300) which is of course ironic since
Bush and Cheney have even deeper ties to the oil industry.
We need to be a clearer voice of support for the U'wa that
demands that Gore sever his ties from Oxy, pressure the Colombian
Government
to protect the U'wa people and not oil interests.
Gore needs to do this because we will no longer stand for
his hypocrisy around human rights and environmental issues.
US Activists:
Please take the time to call, write and fax Al Gore
Gore2000
601 Mainstream Dr.
Nashville, TN 37228
Phone: 615-340-2000
Fax: 202-456-2685
Organize a lobbying visit, demonstration or direct action at a
Gore 2000 or DNC office! Join the U'wa in putting your body on the line!
International activists and US Activists:
Fax President Pastrana and let him know that we, the people and
organizations who defend human rights, will not tolerate the continued
violation of the U'wa's culture, rights and ancestral territory.
(Template letter below)
Fax the Colombian Embassy in Washington D.C. at: 202-232-8643
----------------------------------------------------------------------
2)
Association of U'wa Traditional Authorities
Decree Number 1088, 1993
Registry resolution Number 003, February 1997.
Minister of the Interior
Communique to the National and International Public
Kera Chikara - Ancestral and Sacred Territory of the U'wa People,
September 11, 2000
The U'wa People want to make known the National and
International Public the repressive nature of the
public forces, military, and anti-riot police who
are, on a daily basis, physically and morally assaulting
members of the U'wa community who are living on the Santa
Rita and Bellavista Farms in Cedeno, Toledo, North Santander.
Our community is the rightful owner of these lands.
This past July 8th, the U'wa community returned to occupy
the Santa Rita and Bellavista farms thanks to a judge's
injunction decision which ordered the revision of the
formalities which granted the land to Occidental of Colombia, Inc.
In this process of revising these formalities, the U'wa, the
representative of the municipality of Cubara, Boyaca, the Agrarian
judicial attorney of Arauca, the People's Ombudsman of Arauca, and
the commander of the military forces of the region, agreed to
mutually respect each other, thus guaranteeing the respect for
our constitutional and legal rights. It was also stated that the
universal human rights and international humanitarian rights
would be respected, including: freedom of movement, freedom
from physical or moral agression, the right to work, the right
to a home, the right to privacy, etc. But today we would like
to tell Colombia and the world that the public forces haven't
respected our rights, and they continue to restrict the entry
to our land, they prohibit us from using the interior road that
connects with the central road to our property, they sound
gunshots in the night. U'wa women have been the victims of
violent sexual acts carried out by military soldiers, and on
the 8th and 9th of September due to the restricted movement,
we had to traverse a mountain to enter our property.
Today the public forces informed us that in eight days they
will remove the U'wa community members that are living contentedly
on the Santa Rita and Bella Vista farms. According to statements
from the head of the military, this is an order handed down from
the President of Colombia, Andres Pastrana Arango. Due to this
decision, we would like to say to our Colombian brothers and
sisters that this is the result of the Plan Colombia, the
negation of all of our rights.
The U'wa people reject the despotic nature of the Andres Pastrana
government, the lies and the deceit that he attempts to legalize
by means of informing national and international citizens of a
process of alleged respect for our rights, which in reality doesn't
exist. While the government dialogues in Bogota, the machinery
is arriving to the drilling site and the process of violence is
growing stronger. For these reasons, we want to make clear that
if in the future an U'wa leader or any U'wa person is attacked
physically or morally, we will hold the Colombian government
Occidental of Colombia Inc. directly responsible.
The U'wa are not going to abandon our farms because this is our
home and our land. We will continue to gather there and to make
known to the Colombian community and the world each inhumane act
that is committed by the military forces. We will communicate
these events not to provoke pity, but to garner support for our
people who fight to maintain our culture, our beliefs, our ancient
laws; We are an example a community that seeks to live in peace and
harmony with others and with nature. The Plan Colombia only benefits
the multinationals who,in their efforts to seize and take control of
our riches and of our wealth devastate all that is around them. We
the U'wa people stand as a clear example of a community defending
our right to live in peace, unity and harmony; to live within the
territory that was created by Sira (God), and to care for and and
coexist peacefully on this, our land.
Roberto Perez Guitierrez
President, U'wa Council, U'wa Association
----------------------------------------------------------------------
ASOCIACION DE AUTORIDADES TRADICIONALES U´WA
Decreto No. 1088 de 1993
Resolución de registro No. 003 de febrero de 1997.
Dirección genera de asuntos Indígenas
Ministerio del Interior
COMUNICADO A LA OPINION PUBLICA NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL
Kera Chikara - Territorio Ancestral y Sagrado U'wa
Septiembre 11 de 2000
El Pueblo U´wa damos a conocer a la Opinión Pública Nacional e
Internacionallas actitudes represivas por parte de la Fuerza
Pública ejército y policía antimotines quienes a diario están
agrediendo física y moralmente a los miembros de la comunidad
U'wa que se encuentran usufructuando los predios Santa Rita y
Bellavista en la Vereda Cedeño, Toledo - Norte de Santander
de los cuales somos sus legítimos y legales propietarios.
La comunidad U'wa el día 8 de julio de los corrientes regresa
a ocupar los predios de Santa Rita y Bellavista gracias a la
decisión de tutela que ordena rehacer la diligencia de entrega
del terreno a la Empresa Occidental de Colombia Inc,. En la
diligencia de entrada a nuestros predios nos acompañó la
Personera del municipio de Cubará - Boyacá, El Procurador judicial
agrario de Arauca, el defensor del pueblo delegado para el
departamento de Arauca, el comandante del ejército acantonado
en el lugar, con quienes acordamos respetarnos mutuamente
garantizando de esta forma el respeto a los derechos
constitucionales y legales que nos asiste, como también el
respeto a los derechos humanos universales y el derecho
internacional humanitario, entre los que podemos destacar:
libre circulación, no agresión física ni moral, derecho al
trabajo, a la vivienda, a la privacidad, etc, pero hoy queremos
contarle a Colombia y al mundo que esto no se ha respetado
pues a la fecha se nos ha restringido la entrada, nos han
prohibido utilizar la vía interna que comunica la carretera
central con nuestros predios, disparos de arma de fuego en
las horas de la noche, mujeres U'wa que han sido objeto de
acto sexual violento por miembros del ejército y últimamente
día 8 y 9 de septiembre debido a la restricción de tránsito
nos ha tocado entrar por la montaña.
Hoy se nos informó que en el término de ocho días se practicará
el desalojo de los hermanos U'wa que se encuentran disfrutando
las fincas Santa Rita y Bellavista , según explica el mayor del
ejército es una orden del señor Presidente de la República de
Colombia ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO, frente a esta decisión queremos
decirle a los hermanos colombianos que este es uno de
los resultados del Plan Colombia, la negación de todo derecho.
El pueblo U'wa rechaza la actitud déspota del gobierno de
ANDRES PASTRANA, la mentira y el engaño que pretende legalizar
mediante informes a la ciudadanía nacional e internacional de
un proceso de respeto que no existe, pues mientras se dialoga
en una mesa nacional, la maquinaria está llegando
al lugar de perforación y el proceso de violencia se fortalece,
por estasrazones queremos dejar claro que si en el futuro un
líder indígena U'wa o cualquier miembro llegare a sufrir atentado
a su integridad física o moral el gobierno colombiano y la empresa
Occidental de Colombia Inc, serán los directos responsables.
Los U'wa no vamos a abandonar nuestras finca, porque este es nuestro
hogar y nuestras tierras, continuaremos allí concentrados y seguiremos
dando a conocer al pueblo colombiano y al mundo cada acto inhumano que
cometa las fuerzas militares, lo anterior no tanto para que tengan
lástima de un pueblo que lucha por mantener viva la cultura, nuestras
creencias, nuestras leyes mayores sino el ejemplo de un pueblo que
busca vivir en paz y armonía con nuestros semejantes y con la
naturaleza. El Plan Colombia favorece únicamente a las multinacionales
que en su afán de apoderarse de nuestras riquezas y de nuestros
patrimonios están arrasando con todo lo que encuentre a su alrededor,
como ejemplo claro estamos los U'wa, que sólo estamos defendiendo el
derecho a vivir en paz, unidad y armonía dentro de un territorio que
fue creado por Sira para administrarla y convivir pacíficamente en ella.
ROBERTO PEREZ GUTIERREZ
Presidente Cabildo Mayor, Asociación U´wa
-------------------------------------------------------
#3 SAMPLE LETTER TO PRESIDENT PASTRANA
September 11, 2000
Dr. Andrés Pastrana Arango
President of the Republic of Colombia
Casa de Nariño
Bogotá D.C.
Dear Mr. President:
We are profoundly concerned about recent news we have
received from the U’wa community in Cubará (Boyacá, Colombia).
We are aware that the anti-riot police arrived in the area on
September 7. According to the U’wa , the police stated that
they have an order direct from the Colombian Presidency
to evict all civilians present in a 500 meter radius
surrounding the exploratory well site of Gibraltar.
According to the U’wa, a member of the anti-riot police
said: “There must be no civilians inside a 500 meter radius
of the well.” Neither indigenous nor campesino leaders
have yet received a written judicial or administrative
eviction order. However, according to what the anti-riot
police communicated to the U’wa, the purpose of the eviction
is to bring in Occidental Petroleum’s machinery from Saravena
to the drill site.
We believe that this eviction would constitute an open
violation of the recent ruling of the honorable Superior
Court of Norte de Santander, which authorized Occidental
Petroleum’s use of only the land previously set aside
for such activity in a judicial order.
Additionally, we have learned that on September 11, the
executive board of Incora created a Petroleum Reserve Zone
around the the Gibaltar well site. This constitutes a new
attempt to disregard the rights of the U’wa people to their
traditional territory and to their communal ownership of farms to
which they have legitimate, written, and duly registered titles.
Considering:
1. that Article 63 of the Colombian Constitution states that
communal territory of ethnic groups is inalienable;
2. that the land slated for petroleum exploration forms part
of the immemorial patrimony of the U’wa people and of their
traditional territory; and
3. that the U’wa people were not consulted with regarding the
work that is currently being carried out by Occidental Petroleum;
We implore you to take action to protect the rights of the
U’wa and to take action to prevent a turn of events like that
which occurred on June 25th and 26th, on February 11th, and on
January 25th of this year, when actions of the public forces
against the U’wa resulted in the drownings of three indigenous
children and caused multiple injuries to indigenous people and
campesinos.
We believe that the conflict between the U’wa and Occidental
Petroleum must be resolved through nonviolent means, especially
through consultation under the terms of Convention 169 of the International
Labour Organization, which was signed and ratified by Colombia and through
consideration of the terms of Article 330 and Articles 63 and 93 of the
Colombian Constitution. Under no
circumstances can we individuals and organizations actively
defending human rights accept continued violence against the
U’wa and against the people who stand in solidarity with them.
Sincerely:
---------------------
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