Fw: [ColombiaUpdate] URGENT ACTIONS (1 request)

["Nello Margiotta" <animarg@tin.it>]

 > In the meantime for further information and please send messages of
 > support to Alexander Lopez and CUT national as cc: to this message.
 >
 > And send appeals for the release of the disappeared students to:
 >
 > 1. Colombian President Andres Pastrana Arango
 > Presidente de la Republica, Palacio de Narino, Carrera 8 No.7-26,
 > Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
 > Fax: 00 57 1 287-7939 or 284-2186 or 337-1351 or 289-3377 or 286-7473
 > E-mail: pastrana@presidencia.gov.co
 >
 > 2.  Colombian Minister of the Interior Humberto de la Calle Lombana
 > Ministro del interior, Ministerio de Gobierno, Carrera 8 n. 8-09,
 > Santafé de Bogotá, Palacio de Nariño, COLOMBIA
 > Fax: 0057 1 286-8025 or 560-2604
 >
 > 3. People's Defender Fernando Castro Caicedo
 > Defensor del Pueblo, Defensoría del Pueblo, Calle 55 n. 10-32, Santafé
 > de Bogotá, COLOMBIA
 > Fax: 00 57 1 282-0977 or 346-1225
 > E-mail: jcastro@col1.telecom.com.co
 >
 > Also send copies to:
 > 1. Rt. Hon. Mo Mowlam, Minister for the Cabinet Office
 > Cabinet Office, 70 Whitehall, London SW1A 2AS
 > E-mail: mmowlam@cabinet-office.gsi.gov.uk
 >
 > 2. Your own Member of Parliament
 > at the House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
 >
 > Andy Higginbottom
 > ______________________________________________
 >
 > SOS From the Cauca Valley
 >
 > The organisations signed below are alarmed at the serious events that
have
 > been occurring in the Department of Valle del Cauca (Cauca Valley), and
in
 > particular the situation that happened today, 4th April, at the
Universidad
 > del Valle (Valley University).
 >
 > We announce the following facts to the national and international
 > community, and call for immediate and appropriate solidarity action.
 >
 > EVENTS
 >
 > 1. Today 4th April 2001, at about 12 noon, the students at Valley
 > Univeristy made a protest against the systematic violations of human
rights
 > that have been happening in the Department, and against the projected Law
 > 012 which is being debated in Congress. This proposed law is considered
to
 > be an attack on the right to education and health.
 >
 > 2. While in the middle of their protest at the university's commercial
 > centre Unicentro, the students were attacked by the private security men
 > who shot indiscriminately at the protesting students and at campus
workers.
 >
 > 3. Armed men in civilian clothes invaded the campus, shooting
 > indiscriminately at the university community.
 >
 > 4. Later, at 2pm, a contingent of security forces entered the university
 > centre and assaulted the students with tear gas and shots. They blocked
the
 > entrances and exits of the university. According to reports received by
 > regional human rights organisations, as well as trade unions and social
 > organisations, 15 students and one police were injured.  14 students and
 > one worker were detained, including JUAN MANUEL VELASQUEZ from the Social
 > Communication Faculty, who was taken to the offices of the SIJIN [special
 > detective branch], HEBER GOMEZ LOAIZA whose faculty is not known, and a
 > worker ALVARO CARDENA. And at the lakeside the police threatened a man
who
 > they encountered in the photocopy shop, and another man at the fruit
stall.
 >
 > 5. A student called JUAN CARLOS (he is in the Economics faculty but his
 > surname is not known), was detained by 5 men in civilian clothes who made
 > him get into a white off-road vehicle. Up till now his whereabouts is not
 > known.
 >
 > 6. From the time that the students started their protest, several
vehicles
 > with dark windows containing heavily armed men in civilian clothes took
up
 > position on the outskirts of the university. At around 2.45pm a big,
coffee
 > coloured Toyota, with the number plate ZIL-914 from Zipaquira, parked
 > behind the university buildings adjoining the San Joaquín district. From
 > there several men in civilian dress were seen shooting and controlling
the
 > exit of students who were scared by the shots and were trying to save
 > themselves.
 >
 > 7. At around  3pm in the middle of the shooting students RUBEN VILLA
 > VALENCIA, from the Economics Faculty, OSCAR ARTURO ESTRADA, from the
 > Engineering Faculty, LILIAN AIDE TORO C. and MARCELA LOPEZ PINEDA from
the
 > Education Faculty  took refuge in a house in San Joaquín, near to the
 > university.
 >
 > Members of SIJIN and of the Police arrived at this house and tried to
gain
 > entry without any permission to do so. The students and the householder
 > stated that they had no problem for the police to inspect the house, but
 > they demanded that the officers showed an authorised warrant and they
asked
 > for the presence of competent state officials. Some trade union and
social
 > leaders received emergency calls, and they solicited the attendance of
the
 > Ombudsman and the Public Defender. On their arrival, these state
officials
 > were verbally attacked by the officers surrounding the house, a good
number
 > of whom were in civilian clothes without any form of identification. It
was
 > only at 8pm, with the arrival of the Public Attorney, that an entry
warrant
 > was brought, and the uniformed and civilian officers entered.
 >
 > 8. Approximately 300 students stayed in the university buildings until
 > about 9pm in the evening. They were kept surrounded by the security
forces
 > and had not been able to leave the university. The whereabouts of 49
 > students and two children are not known.
 >
 > 9. The security forces attacked the University buildings, breaking glass,
 > shooting at the trade union centre and the vehicles that they found
parked
 > inside this centre of education.
 >
 > BACKGROUND
 >
 > 1. On 22 March 2001, thirty five thousand people from the trade unions,
 > social sectors, peasants, students, citizens and  popular areas of the
city
 > of Santiago de Cali went on a massive protest against the systematic
 > violations of human rights, the advance of paramilitarism, and the
economic
 > policies of the current government and the International Monetary Fund.
 > These economic policies are being implemented through:
 >
 > · Law 617 of Fiscal readjustment, through which they are trying to sack
 > massive numbers of public sector workers at municipal and departmental
levels;
 >
 > · The privatisation of Cali's municipal corporations;
 >
 > · The approval of the proposed Law 012 which would cut the Health and
 > Education Budgets.
 >
 > 2. On the same day members of the Cali Municipal Council Workers Union
 > declared a permanent assembly and peacefully occupied the Municipal
Council
 > buildings.
 >
 > 3. On 26 March, Elisa Valdez, ex-president of the Valley Section of the
 > SINDES trade union, was killed in Cali, in spite of being covered by the
 > Ministry of Interior's protection programme. She had on numerous
occasions
 > been threatened by the paramilitary group that operates in this
Department,
 > and had asked to leave the country as the only way of protecting her
life.
 >
 > 4. On 28 March the municipality's secretaries and the citizens rights
 > workers, organised in the Valley Department Trade Union were unjustly
 > sacked by the governor. The union and the community mothers organised in
 > the ACMAVALLE association peacefully took over the building of the Valley
 > Department Ministry of Works.
 >
 > 5. On Monday 2 April, members of the Municipal Complaints Office Trade
 > Union peacefully took over the seventh floor of the municipality's
central
 > administrative building.
 >
 > 6. These protest actions take place in the middle of a sharp social
crisis
 > in the region, with an increase in human rights violations and with
 > constant persecution of social leaders, students, peasants and the
people.
 > But until now the departmental and national authorities have not involved
 > themselves in proposing a way out of this conflict.
 >
 > DEMANDS
 >
 > 1. Require that the national government guarantees the safety and life of
 > students at Universidad del Valle.
 >
 > 2. Demand that the whereabouts of the disappeared students and the places
 > that they have been taken to arbitrarily depriving them of their liberty
 > are immediately established.
 >
 > 3. Seek guarantees that there in nor more harassment of members of the
 > University community.
 >
 > 4. Investigate the responsibility of the security forces for events that
 > caused injury to 15 students and one police officer.
 >
 > 5. Investigate why the operation was under the charge of a large number
of
 > highly armed men in civilian clothes who, according to witnesses,
provoked
 > the shooting.
 >
 > 6. That the Municipal, Departmental and National Authorities give
immediate
 > attention to solving the social conflict that is at the root of the
 > different protest actions in the city of Cali.
 >
 > 7. That the rights of association, demonstration and protest are
guaranteed.
 >
 >
 > (Signed, on behalf of )
 >
 > Corporación Sembar, Asociación Nomadesc, Red De Iniciativas De Derechos
 > Humanos De Valle Del Cauca, CUT Valle, SINTRAEMCALI, Nomadas, Comité De
 > Solidaridad De Presos Políticos Cali, SINTRAMETAL Yumbo, SINTRAMUNICIPIO
 > Bugalagrande, SINTRAUNICOL Cali, SINTRADEPARTAMENTO Valle, Comité
 > Permanente De Derechos Humanos Del Valle, Comité De Derechos Humanos
Maria
 > Cano De Univalle, Asociación Colombiana De Estudiantes Universitarios.
 >
 > In the hope of whatever support you can lend this struggle.
 >
 > Fraternally,
 >
 > Alexander Lopez Maya