US MULTINATIONALS, MILITARY INTERVENTION and HUMAN RIGHTS IN COLOMBIA

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday April 09, 2003 12:59 by S Smyth - COLOMBIAN TRADE UNIONISTS SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN seansmyth1964 at hotmail dot com

EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT BY TRADE UNION LEADER:

Colombia has the worst human rights record of any country in the western hemisphere. Last year in Colombia: · 184 trade unionists were assassinated, those carrying out these murders enjoying complete impunity from state prosecution; · there was on average 20 political murders a day. Independent observers conclude that right-wing groups are responsible for 80% of these human rights violations; · the government of Álvaro Uribe Vélez declared a State of Internal Unrest four days after becoming president in August, and then in September he decreed that two zones of the country would be under direct military rule, suspending all civil rights.

Colombia has the worst human rights record of any country in the western hemisphere. Last year in Colombia:
· 184 trade unionists were assassinated, those carrying out these murders enjoying complete impunity from state prosecution;
· there was on average 20 political murders a day. Independent observers conclude that right-wing groups are responsible for 80% of these human rights violations;
· the government of Álvaro Uribe Vélez declared a State of Internal Unrest four days after becoming president in August, and then in September he decreed that two zones of the country would be under direct military rule, suspending all civil rights.

Samuel Morales is the President of the CUT Arauca, one of the regions under military rule, a zone of "Rehabilitation and Consolidation". US multinational Occidental Petroleum takes oil from Arauca, and it is the land of the indigenous U'wa people who oppose the extraction of their natural resources. It is the start of the Caño-Limon pipeline that has been attacked hundreds of times by guerrilla forces. The US is in charge of the specially trained 18th Battalion. Under the emergency there have been mass round-ups and detentions in this area. Samuel was detained in March, and is now released because of national and international pressure.

Uribe is the lone South American leader to support the US / UK invasion of Iraq. George Bush rewarded him with a pledge of an additional US $100 million in military aid, bringing the total since the US-launched Plan Colombia in 2000 to US $3 billion. Only Israel and Egypt receive more US military finance.

EYE WITNESS ACCOUNT BY TRADE UNION LEADER:
SAMUEL MORALES
President CUT* Arauca Department
*Central Unitario de Trabajadores, the main union federation.

3pm SUNDAY 13th April
Venue: Unemployed Resource Centre Donegall St Belfast.

Hosted by BELFAST TRADES COUNCIL
The Colombian People need your Solidarity Now!