End Military Aid to Colombia!

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End Military Aid to Colombia!

Successful Protest Opposes ExxonMobil's Hostile Court Action

"The Colombian Government Has Lied Blatantly"

Uribe’s Aggression "Extremely Grave" and "Deceptive"

Today, March 6, is an international day of action to remember the victims of state-sponsored violence in Colombia and to call for an end to the ongoing human rights abuses in the country. Events supported by human rights organisations, trade unions, family members and numerous other sectors of Colombian civil society will be taking place in all major Colombian towns and cities. Events are also being held in over 20 countries around the world.

            In London a vigil will be held outside Parliament called by various groups representing the Colombian community in London, the trade union Unite, the International Centre for Trade Union Rights (ICTUR) and Justice for Colombia. The vigil will start at 11am in Parliament Square

            Smaller events are taking place in Bristol and Newcastle.

            The day of action, called for by the National Movement of Victims, has received the backing of the international trade union movement as well as numerous high profile individuals both in Colombia and abroad.

            The campaign to end British military aid to Colombia has the support of more than half of Labour’s own MPs, every Labour MEP and the entire British trade union movement.

            Colin Burgon, Labour MP for Elmet, said: “The UK government has got it wrong on Colombia. The Uribe regime is responsible for gross and systematic human rights violations and Britain should not be supporting this brutal regime.”

            Liam Craig-Best, director of the Justice for Colombia campaign, said: “Britain continues to supply military assistance to the Uribe regime despite evidence showing that some of the army units benefiting are directly involved in human rights violations.  Perhaps of most concern is that it appears that there are no strings attached to the aid; so even as the abuses get worse the aid keeps flowing.” 

            In Colombia millions of people have had their basic human rights abused by the Colombian armed forces or paramilitary death squads that often collaborate with the armed forces. The abuses are systematic and include:

• More than 15,000 people have been “disappeared” and buried in mass graves or their bodies thrown into rivers.

• More that 1,700 indigenous people have been murdered.

• More than 2,500 trade union members have been murdered.

• Nearly 5,000 members of the Patriotic Union political party have been murdered.

• Many victims are tortured before being killed.

• Nearly 4 million people have been forced to flee their homes and lands, most by the paramilitaries who have stolen more than 12 million acres of land from these people.

• The paramilitaries have carried out 3,500 massacres and are still murdering around 600 people each year.

• Members of the Colombian Army also carry out assassinations and since 2002 nearly 1,000 civilians have been assassinated by soldiers – who often then dress their corpses in camouflage uniforms and claim that they were killed in combat. On March 6, the victims of the human rights crisis in Colombia will be marching to say:

No More Mass Graves. No More Disappearances.

No More Killings. No More Paramilitaries.

No More Crimes Committed by the State.

And No More Military Aid to Colombia.

Supported by: the Latin American Workers Association & the Collective for the Humanitarian Accord

Justice for Colombia - www.justiceforcolombia.org

France

·   Paris, 6pm meeting in the 'Plaza de los Derechos Humanos' in Trocadero followed by a march to the Eiffel Tower.

·   Marseille, 5pm vigil in the old port (Vieux Port).

·   Lyon, 3pm vigil in the Place de la Comedie, Hotel de Ville.

·   Rennes, 5.30pm vigil in the Place de la Mairie.

·   Grenoble, 6pm vigil in the Place Felix Poulat.

·   Toulouse, 5pm vigil in the Place de Capitole.

Germany

·   Berlin, 4pm event at the 'Galeria de la Memoria', Pariser Platz/Brandenburger Tor.

·   Dusseldorf, 5pm event at the 'Galeria de la Memoria', Martin-Luther-Platz, vor der Johanneskirche.

·   Munich, 4pm event in the Marienplatz.

·   Cologne, 1pm march in the Cathedral Plaza.

·   Magdeburg, 5pm event in the centre of town, Breiter Weg.

·   Frankfurt, 6pm event, location not yet known.

Spain

·   Madrid, 7pm event in the Plaza de la Villa.

·   Barcelona, 7pm event in the Plaza San Jaume.

·   Bilbao, 7pm event in the Plaza Arriaga followed by a march to the Colombian Consulate.

·   Gijon, 7.30pm event in the Plaza del Parchis.

·   Salamanca, 7pm event in the Plaza Mayor.

·   Palma de Mallorca, 8pm event in the Plaza Espana.

·   Tenerife, 5pm event in the Plaza de la Candelaria de Santa Cruz.

·   Valencia, 8pm event in the Plaza de la Virgen.

Switzerland

·   Bern, 5pm event in the Waisenhausplatz.

·   Geneva, 5pm event in front of the Poste de Montblanc.

Austria

·   Vienna, 6pm event in the San Stephan Cathedral.

Belgium

·   Brussels, 1pm event in the Place Luxemburg.

Italy

·   Turin, 11am-5pm vigil at the corner of Via Verdu and Via Sant'Ottavio in front of the Palazzo Nuovo.

Sweden

·   Stockholm, 6pm event, location not yet known.

·   Umea, 5pm event at Radhustorget.

Norway

·   Oslo, 6pm event at the Oslo Parliament building.

·   Stavanger, 7pm event in the Plaza de la Cultura.

Ireland

·   Dublin, 6pm march from the Post Office in O'Connell Street.

Netherlands

·   The Hague, 6pm event at Het Plein.

United States

·   Washington, midday event in the Dupont Circle.

·   New York, 4pm vigil in front of the Colombian Mission to the United Nations (140 E 57th Street, Lexington).

·   Miami, 6pm vigil in front of the Colombian Consulate.

·   Boston, 4pm march along Park Street.

·   San Francisco, 7pm event at the Mission Cultural Centre, 2868 Mission Street.

·   Chicago, 6pm event, location not yet known.

·   Minneapolis, 6pm vigil at Saint Paul's Lutheran Church, 2742 15th Avenue South.

Canada

·   Montreal, 6pm event at the Simon Bolivar cultural centre at 394, boul de Maisonneuve Ouest.

·   Toronto, midday vigil at 1 Dundas West outside the Eaton Centre.

·   Ottawa, midday event at the Colline Parliament Building.

·   Quebec, various different events: 10am at the Charles de Koninck building at the University of Laval; midday in front of the Gabrielle Roy Library; 5pm march from the Gran Teatro de Quebec towards the Plaza D'Youville.

Australia

·   Sydney, 11am rally in front of the Colombian Consulate (100 Walker Street).

·   Melbourne, 1pm rally in front of Parliament House, Spring Street.

·   Perth, 5pm vigil at the Wesley Church, Hay Street.

Argentina

·   Buenos Aires, 11am event in the Plaza San Martin and 5pm vigil at the Obelisco.

Chile

·   Santiago, 7pm event at the intersection of Alameda and Calle Ahumada.

Ecuador

·   Quito, 11am march from the Plaza Foch to the Colombian Embassy (Colon 113 and Amazonas).

Venezuela

·   Caracas, 10pm event in the Plaza Brion de Chacaito followed by a march to the Colombian Embassy.

·   Maracaibo, 10am march from the Plaza Angel to the Colombian Consulate.

·   San Cristobal, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.

·   Barinas, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.

·   Merida, 9.30am march from the Youth Institute of Merida to the Colombian Consulate.

·   Barquisimeto, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.

·   Puerto Ayacucho, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.

·   Valencia, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.

·   Nueva Esparta, 10am event in the Plaza Bolivar.

·   Maturin, 9am event in the Plaza Bolivar.

·   Puerto La Cruz, 10am event in front of the Colombian Consulate.

Mexico

·   Mexico City, 1pm event in front of the Colombian Embassy.

Uruguay

·   Montevideo, 6.30pm event in the Plaza Libertad.

 

On Tuesday 4 March, around 100 supporters of Venezuelan sovereignty showed their opposition to ExxonMobil’s hostile action towards Venezuela with a peaceful show of support outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, organised by the Venezuela Information Centre (VIC).

            Amongst those attending the event were MPs Colin Burgon, Jeremy Corbyn, Jon Cruddas and Adam Price, representatives of the trade unions SERTUC, TSSA, UNISON and UNITE, National Union of Students Black Students' Officer Ruqayyah Collector, Green Party international representative Joseph Healy and prominent members of London's Latin American communities. Pictures of the demonstration can be found here .

            A statement signed by 60 prominent figures, which emphasised the need for an amicable settlement of the action, was presented to Felix Plasencia, Minister Counsellor at the Venezuelan Embassy. The statement and a list of signatures can be found here .

            VIC organised the event to show support for the Venezuelan government’s policy of using the country’s wealth and natural resources to advance social progress and reduce poverty. 

            The event took place as Venezuelan oil company PdVSA continues its challenge to last month’s decision by an English court to freeze its assets following legal action by ExxonMobil. When Venezuela decided to increase control over its oil resources last year, 30 out of 32 contracts with foreign companies were successfully renegotiated. ExxonMobil declined the terms offered and refused amicable settlement of the dispute through arbitration under the auspices of the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes, a body of the World Bank, as sought by the Venezuelan government.

            Gordon Hutchison, Secretary of the Venezuela Information Centre, said: "Today's tremendous turnout was another sign of the broad-based support that exists in Britain and internationally for Venezuela's right to control its own natural resources and to put the interest of its people before those of multinational companies to make profits."

 

Join With Leading Figures Who Have Opposed ExxonMobil - Add Your Name Online Now!

            60 MPs and MEPs, other elected representatives, justice campaigners, prominent figures from the arts world, trade union leaders, academics and others have signed a statement calling on ExxonMobil to respect Venezuelan sovereignty, as Venezuelan state oil company PDVSA continues to appeal in the High Court an English court’s decision to freeze US$12 billion of its assets following a legal action brought by ExxonMobil.

            You can show your support by adding your name online here .

Kiraz Janicke, Venezuelanalysis.com, March 4, Caracas

A diplomatic stand-off between Colombia and its neighbours Ecuador and Venezuela, triggered by Colombia's military attack on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in Ecuadorian territory, (which resulted in the deaths of 16 guerrillas, among them Raúl Reyes, the FARC second in command), intensified Tuesday as Venezuela closed its border with Colombia in response to Colombia's accusations that the Venezuelan government had funded the FARC.

            Colombian National Police director Oscar Naranjo, claimed yesterday that documents allegedly found in three computers seized during Colombia's raid, show that the Venezuelan government has provided $300 million to the FARC and that the guerrilla group has acquired 50 kilograms of uranium. The Colombian government also claims that documents show links between Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and the FARC.

            Both Ecuador and Venezuela dismissed the claims as "absolute lies" and have sent thousands of troops to their borders with Colombia and expelled Bogotá's ambassadors out of their countries. Venezuelan Agriculture Minister Elías Jaua, announced today that Venezuela has also taken measures to close its border with Colombia.

            In an extraordinary session of the Organization of American States (OAS), today Venezuelan representative Jorge Valero said, "The Colombian government has lied blatantly. All of the accusations the Colombian government has made against Venezuela and Ecuador are false, totally false."

            "They are trying to confuse international opinion in order to evade their own responsibility," he added.

            Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, whose government receives $600 million a year in military aid from the US insisted today he was going to take Chavez to the International Criminal Court for "sponsoring and financing genocide" by allegedly providing money to the guerrillas .

            Retired Venezuelan General, Alberto Müller Rojas described Colombia's "evidence" as an "exercise in falsification" and pointed out that "the only foreign government that finances the conflict in Colombia is the United States".

            Others have also questioned the validity of the documents. "The handling of that evidence has been pretty disastrous," Gerson Arias, an analyst with the Ideas Para la Paz think tank in Bogotá, was quoted as saying in the Christian Science Monitor.

            However, US President George Bush in a statement today said that he "fully supports" Colombia, and accused Venezuela of "provocation". He did not mention Ecuador.

            Bush also called on the US congress to ratify a free trade agreement with Colombia, which US Democrats have been stalling citing Colombia's terrible human rights record.

            "By acting at this critical moment we can show the Colombian people and millions across the region that they can count on America to keep its word and that freedom is the surest path to prosperity and peace," he said.

            Bush reiterated, "America will continue to stand with Colombia as it confronts violence and terror and fights drug traffickers."

            Venezuelan Vice President Ramón Carrizalez Rengifo, said the claims that Venezuela is funding the FARC and that the guerrilla group is planning to make a radioactive bomb are part of a crude campaign to smear Venezuelan President Chavez and an attempt to link the Venezuelan government with weapons of mass destruction. The United States government used this pretext to invade and occupy Iraq and control its oil he pointed out.

            Chavez has also accused the Washington, together with Colombia of planning to invade Venezuela, which is the fourth largest supplier of oil to the US and is believed to possess some of the largest untapped oil reserves in the world.

            Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicholas Maduro expressed concern on Sunday that the Colombian military actions in Ecuador could be a prelude to a similar incident on Venezuelan soil saying he had received intelligence to that effect.

            "We condemn the intention to translate the disastrous experience of Iraq to the Latin American continent. We cannot allow the warmongers of Colombia to extend the armed conflict in their country and transfer it to the entire continent, " Valero told the OAS meeting.

            President Correa also warned of a potential war, "This is not a bilateral problem, it's a regional problem," he told Mexican television. "Should this set a precedent, Latin America will become another Middle East."

            Latin American governments have overwhelmingly condemned Colombia's military actions. Argentine President Cristina Fernández, said that "the flagrant violation of international law is inadmissible. What has occurred requires an immediate explanation by Colombia that satisfies the Ecuadorian government."

            Ecuador asked the OAS to "condemn the territorial and sovereignty violation by one state against another" and asked for an OAS commission to look into Saturday's raid.

            Correa has embarked on a five-nation tour to shore up support for the resolution in the OAS condemning Colombia's actions and has also called for an emergency meeting of Latin American foreign ministers by March 11 to resolve the crisis.

Granma International, March 3

President Rafael Correa of Ecuador has announced on television his government’s decision to mobilise troops to the border with Colombia and the expulsion of the Carlos Holguín, Bogotá’s ambassador in Quito, in response to the violation of the nation’s sovereignty by that neighbouring country.

            President Rafael Correa announced that he is convening the National Security Council today, Monday and has asked for meetings of the Permanent Council of the Organisation of American States (OAS), of the Andean Community of Nations (CAN) and MERCOSUR in order to address what he described as "the most serious, deceptive and verified aggression that President Uribe has committed against Ecuador".

            The Ecuadorian head of state expressed his dissatisfaction with the official Colombian explanation, given today in response to his government’s protest, which stated that Colombia had not violated Ecuadorian sovereignty and had acted in legitimate self-defence. Correa maintained, "At this point an explanation from Colombia is no longer sufficient."

            "Ecuadorian territory was bombed and violated by a foreign government," Correa declared, adding that the situation is "grave and unacceptable", as he accused Colombian Armed Forces of using the pretext of an attack on the Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC), to carry out a planned aerial attack on Ecuador, thus violating its sovereignty.

            "Uribe is lying to the world," the Ecuadorian president asserted, saying that a deliberate act of aggression has been perpetuated against Ecuador, that such impunity will not be tolerated and that he, therefore, has communicated with other Latin American presidents in search of support and proposing mechanisms, not specifically outlined, to avoid any internationalisation of the Colombian conflict.

            He reported that Colombian military aircraft incurred more than 10 kilometres into Ecuadorian territory and that then troops entered via helicopter to perpetrate a massacre during which FARC leader Raúl Reyes died. He added that 18 bodies have been found, some shot in the back and almost all of them in nightwear, evidence that there was no chase in the heat of the moment nor any exercise of legitimate defence as Colombia has asserted.

Strong Statement by Chavez

            Venezuelan President Chávez described his Colombian counterpart Alvaro Uribe as criminal, lying and a lackey of the United States, reported Prensa Latina.

            Chavez stated during his regular Sunday television programme "Aló Presidente" that he had spoken with President Rafael Correa, who had communicated his indignation with the murder in his country of FARC leader Raúl Reyes. "It wasn’t any battle, it was a cowardly murder," the Venezuelan leader emphasised.

            He also condemned the way in which the Colombian oligarchy’s media has rejoiced over the death of Reyes and attempted to cast him as the leader of a drug trafficking network. Chavez ordered the closing of the Venezuelan embassy in Bogotá yesterday, Sunday and sent 10 battalions, tanks and aircraft to the Colombian border after the Colombian army attack on a FARC detachment within Ecuadorian territory.