Project "Freedom for Mother Earth" was started this year on October 12th, when indigenous communities occupied idle farms in Cauca, southwest Colombia, accusing the far-right government of breaking promises to provide them with land. The State responded by refusing to negotiate until they leave and for over a week now have been attacking the occupied El Japio farm with hundreds of troops and at least ten tanks. 16 year-old Belisario Camallo Guetoto was killed on November 10th and many more have been wounded and arrested. Solidarity emails have been called for to help prevent further violent attacks.
12th October is traditionally celebrated in Colombia as "Columbus Day," but has been renamed "Day of Indigenous Resistance" by social movements across the continent. This year there were massive mobilisations across the country against President Uribe and his proposed "Free Trade" agreements, and solidarity actions also happened internationally, including a picket in London. Naomi Klein recently wrote about the Cauca indigenous communities (who reject both sides of Colombia's long-running civil war), describing the land occupations and how they are protected by the Indigenous Guard, who "patrol their territory armed only with sticks."
On 22nd September 2005, 21-year-old chemistry student Jhonny Silva was shot dead by Colombian police, who had illegally entered the campus of Valle University in Southwest Colombia after a student protest. Jhonny, who suffered from polio and so was unable to run when the police began firing live ammunition at students, was shot in the neck at point blank range.
A British delegation of students and academics was present at the student protest and witnessed the violent police methods. The members of the delegation have committed themselves to working with students and staff at Valle University to campaign for Jhonny's killers to be brought to justice. The Colombian state has an extremely poor record of investigating and prosecuting the crimes of the public forces and paramilitaries.
Please come and join us outside the embassy for as long a time as you can spare. Bring banners, drums, musical instruments, etc.
Tuesday 22 November 2005. 3pm to 9pm.
Colombian Embassy in London,
3 Hans Crescent, London SW1
(behind Harrods, Knightsbridge tube).
more info: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2005/11/328162.html
outraged at uribe