Actualidad Colombiana IN ENGLISH

Bulletin No. 391 Index

September 1 – 15, 2004
Year XXV

Human Rights
We Support the Decision Against the Statute

Human Rights
A Town Demanding Its Right to Exist

Peace and Conflict
The Human Drama of Arauca

Politics
Learning the Lessons of the Referendum

Full Bulletin in Spanish (.html) and in English (.doc).

We Support the Decision Against the Statute

SOCIAL AND HUMAN RIGHTS ORGANIZATIONS ENDORSE THE DECISION OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL COURT THAT DECLARED THE "ANTITERRORIST STATUTE" UNCONSTITUTIONAL

The organizations signing on to this offical press release include members of the "Confluence for Democracy and Against the War", the Colombia-Europe-United States Coordination and the "Alliance of social and kindred organizations for cooperation for Peace and Democracy". We show our public support to the decision made on August 30th by the Constitutional Court, whereby legislative act 02 of 2003 (known as the antiterrorist statute) was declared unconstitucional.

The existence of profound irregularities in the discussion and approval of this reform was sufficient reason to declare it unconstitutional. We approve of the call of the Constitutional Court to the legislative body to respect the social guarantees of political opposition and dissidence and to accept the procedures established in the proceeding reforms; such demands are fundamental conditions for the Social State of Rights and democracy.

A Town Demanding Its Right to Exist

The establishment of the AUC in the Sierra has had heartbreaking consequences. Threats, selective deaths and massacres, massive displacements, abuses of all kinds towards the population, food and medical restrictions, and land appropriation – fear and terror have seized the zone

ROSA EMILIA SALAMANCA G.
Asociación de Trabajo Interdisciplinario

The town of Kankuamo is located in the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta in the north of Colombia and neighbors three other indigenous towns in this beautiful territory: Ika (or Arhuaco), Kogi and Wiwa. These four towns have inhabited the Sierra since time immemorial. Their home and role in this world contributes to the balance of the universe. Their objective is not to accumulate goods, nor to dominate other towns. Their reason for existence is that of care.

Nevertheless, Kankuamo and its culture have been attacked in brutal form throughout the history of colonization, whereby balance does not reign, where little by little care no longer reigns and, through the imposition of religion, so-called civilization disappears their language, their dress, their beliefs, their customs. A profound confusion between the truth of indigenous knowing and the mirage of white appearance took force greatly within. Multiple events and actors brought about this situation at different moments.

The Human Drama of Arauca

So far this year, according to a report by the Personerías, Defensoría human rights organizations and other sources, 700 selective murders and nine disappearings have occurred within the district

LUIS JAIRO RAMÍREZ
Permanent Committee of Human Rights

Since taking office, and within the policy framework of democratic security, President Alvaro Uribe has marked the district of Arauca a laboratory of war. This happened with the declaration of the municipalities of Arauca, Arauquita and Saravena as Special Zones of Rehabilitation and Consolidation.

Very quickly, Arauca became the most militarized district in the country with the presence of Brigade XVIII, the mobile brigades, the special forces, the specialized police and the presence of the North American military – all under the pretext of protecting the oil infrastructure and providing peace to the settlers.

Learning the Lessons of the Referendum

In the opinion of the assistants, the great success of the abstention campaign was the right combination of: unity around the objective, decentralization and autonomy in the action

In the first quarter of 2003, when the public was praising his policies, President Uribe decided to force a referendum, which would advance an array of initiatives of legislative order.