We turn to you again with another request from our colleagues at Justicia
y Paz in Colombia,
with whom we have worked for five years http://www.8thdaycenter.org/090503.html.
Please
contact the persons named at the conclusion of this bulletin. Your
actions may save some lives.
These are very dangerous times to be labeled “terrorist”.
BACKGROUND
In a public speech last week, Colombian President Uribe labeled four
staff members of Justicia y
Paz as terrorists. They are being charged with corruption, promotion
of outlaw groups (FARC),
and various delinquent acts and threats.
In response, Justicia y Paz has proclaimed repeatedly that not one member
of their staff has any
connection with guerrillas, or are guerrillas, or has done anything
to support them by word or
deed. In addition, members of Jusiticia y Paz have learned that some
guerrillas are using the
names of their staff as aliases. Again, they do not support any armed
group. Also, Justicia y Paz
denounces the pressure and gratuities used to get persons from Turbo,
Risucio, and the Cacarica
area to make erroneous statements against Jusiticia y Paz members.
Justicia y Paz has been accompanying the communities in the Cacarica
area since 1988. This has
been during a period of forced displacement, their refugee years in
Turbo, their return to
ancestral lands, and the current period in which their community life
is being severely
threatened. During this latter period, members of the Cacaria
community asked Justicia y Paz to
be their partner in securing housing grants. Justicia y Paz categorically
denies participating in
any corruption, and states that they have eight volumes of documentary
material which, upon
review, will support the truth and dispel charges of corruption.
It is urgent that the State of Colombia take the following steps to
protect members of Justicia y
Paz and to ensure their work in defense of human rights:
1. the President of the Republic, or the Minister of Defense, must
acknowledge the legitimacy of
the work of Justicia y Paz, and retract the naming of staff members
as terrorist.
2. the accusations made public by the Commander General (corruption,
etc.) be immediately
investigated as to their origin and truth. The results of this investigation
be made public in the
same manner as were the accusations.
3. an investigation be conducted regarding the involvement of Mr. Adan
Quinto, formally a
member of a Cacarica Community, and the Maderas Del Darien logging
company, in the
destruction of natural resources in the Cacarica area, and the results
of this investigation be made
public.
4. the financial records of the housing grants for the Cacarica Communities
be investigated and
findings made public.
ACTION
Please contact the following persons in support of Justicia y Paz,
and their Human Rights work.
(See Sample Letters below)
President Alvaro Uribe Velez
through his Web Site: http://www.presidencia.gov.co/
, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "escribale al presidente".
A new screen will appear. Fill in your first name (nombre), last name (appellido),
your email address, subject (asunto), your comments (descripcion de la
peticion). Then scroll to the bottom of the page and click send (enviar).
Martha Lucia Ramirez de Rincon
Minister of Defense
siden@mindefense.gov.co
or Comunicacion@mindefensa.gov.co
Call/write your own Senators and Representative
http://www.senate.gov/senators/index.cfm
http://www.congress.gov/
SAMPLE
LETTERS
1) Dear President Uribe,
In a public speech last week, you labeled four staff members of Justicia
y Paz as terrorists. They
are being charged with corruption, promotion of outlaw groups (FARC),
and various delinquent
acts and threats.
In response, Justicia y Paz has proclaimed repeatedly that not one member
of their staff has any
connection with guerrillas, or are guerrillas, or has done anything
to support them by word or
deed. In addition, members of Jusiticia y Paz have learned that some
guerrillas are using the
names of their staff as aliases. Again, they do not support any armed
group. Also, Justicia y Paz
denounces the pressure and gratuities used to get persons from Turbo,
Risucio, and the Cacarica
area to make erroneous statements against Jusiticia y Paz members.
Justicia y Paz has been accompanying the communities in the Cacarica
area since 1988. This has
been during a period of forced displacement, their refugee years in
Turbo, their return to ancestral
lands, and the current period in which their community life is being
severely threatened. During
this latter period, members of the Cacaria community asked Justicia
y Paz to be their partner in
securing housing grants. Justicia y Paz categorically denies participating
in any corruption, and
states that they have eight volumes of documentary material which,
upon review, will support the
truth and dispel charges of corruption.
Mr. President, it is urgent that the State of Colombia take the following
steps to protect members
of Justicia y Paz and to ensure their work in defense of human rights:
1. you, or your Minister of Defense, must acknowledge the legitimacy
of the work of Justicia y
Paz, and retract the naming of staff members as terrorist.
2. the accusations made public by the Commander General (corruption,
etc.) be immediately
investigated as to their origin and truth. The results of this investigation
be made public in the
same manner as were the accusations.
3. an investigation be conducted regarding the involvement of Mr. Adan
Quinto, formally a
member of a Cacarica Community, and the Maderas Del Darien logging
company, in the
destruction of natural resources in the Cacarica area, and the results
of this investigation be made
public.
4. the financial records of the housing grants for the Cacarica Communities
be investigated and
findings made public.
I await your response to my request.
Sincerely,
2) Dear Minister Lucia,
In a public speech last week, President Uribe labeled four staff members
of Justicia y Paz as
terrorists. They are being charged with corruption, promotion of outlaw
groups (FARC), and
various delinquent acts and threats.
In response, Justicia y Paz has proclaimed repeatedly that not one member
of their staff has any
connection with guerrillas, or are guerrillas, or has done anything
to support them by word or
deed. In addition, members of Jusiticia y Paz have learned that some
guerrillas are using the
names of their staff as aliases. Again, they do not support any armed
group. Also, Justicia y Paz
denounces the pressure and gratuities used to get persons from Turbo,
Risucio, and the Cacarica
area to make erroneous statements against Jusiticia y Paz members.
Justicia y Paz has been accompanying the communities in the Cacarica
area since 1988. This has
been during a period of forced displacement, their refugee years in
Turbo, their return to ancestral
lands, and the current period in which their community life is being
severely threatened. During
this latter period, members of the Cacaria community asked Justicia
y Paz to be their partner in
securing housing grants. Justicia y Paz categorically denies participating
in any corruption, and
states that they have eight volumes of documentary material which,
upon review, will support the
truth and dispel charges of corruption.
Mr. Lucias, it is urgent that the State of Colombia take the following
steps to protect members of
Justicia y Paz and to ensure their work in defense of human rights:
1. President Uribe, or you in your capacity as Minister of Defense,
must acknowledge the
legitimacy of the work of Justicia y Paz, and retract the naming of
staff members as terrorist.
2. the accusations made public by the Commander General (corruption,
etc.) be immediately
investigated as to their origin and truth. The results of this investigation
be made public in the
same manner as were the accusations.
3. an investigation be conducted regarding the involvement of Mr. Adan
Quinto, formally a
member of a Cacarica Community, and the Maderas Del Darien logging
company, in the
destruction of natural resources in the Cacarica area, and the results
of this investigation be made
public.
4. the financial records of the housing grants for the Cacarica Communities
be investigated and
findings made public.
I await your response to my request.
Sincerely,
3) Dear Senator/Congressperson,
In a public speech last week, Colombian President Uribe, labeled as
terrorists four staff members
of the human rights group Justicia y Paz. They are being charged with
corruption, promotion of
outlaw groups (FARC), and various delinquent acts and threats.
In response, Justicia y Paz has proclaimed repeatedly that not one member
of their staff has any
connection with guerrillas, or are guerrillas, or has done anything
to support them by word or
deed. In addition, members of Jusiticia y Paz have learned that some
guerrillas are using the
names of their staff as aliases. Again, they do not support any armed
group. Also, Justicia y Paz
denounces the pressure and gratuities used to get persons from Turbo,
Risucio, and the Cacarica
area to make erroneous statements against Jusiticia y Paz members.
Justicia y Paz has been accompanying the communities in the Cacarica
area since 1988. This has
been during a period of forced displacement, their refugee years in
Turbo, their return to ancestral
lands, and the current period in which their community life is being
severely threatened. During
this latter period, members of the Cacaria community asked Justicia
y Paz to be their partner in
securing housing grants. Justicia y Paz categorically denies participating
in any corruption, and
states that they have eight volumes of documentary material which,
upon review, will support the
truth and dispel charges of corruption.
Senator/Congressperson (_____), it is urgent that you use your influence
to ensure that the State
of Colombia take the following steps to protect members of Justicia
y Paz and their work in
defense of human rights:
1. President Uribe, or the Minister of Defense, must acknowledge the
legitimacy of the work of
Justicia y Paz, and retract the naming of staff members as terrorist.
2. the accusations made public by the Commander General (corruption,
etc.) be immediately
investigated as to their origin and truth. The results of this investigation
be made public in the
same manner as were the accusations.
3. an investigation be conducted regarding the involvement of Mr. Adan
Quinto, formally a
member of a Cacarica Community, and the Maderas Del Darien logging
company, in the
destruction of natural resources in the Cacarica area, and the results
of this investigation be made
public.
4. the financial records of the housing grants for the Cacarica Communities
be investigated and
findings made public.
I await your response to my request.
Sincerely,