InfoBrief – March 7, 2005
InfoBrief is a weekly news summary of events in the U.S. and Colombia produced and distributed by the U.S. Office on Colombia. Colombia This Week is reproduced with the kind permission of the ABColombia Group in London. Other sources include U.S. and Latin American newspapers, and reports from non-profit and grassroots groups. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Office on Colombia. If you would like to receive InfoBrief please contact jess_hunter@usofficeoncolombia.org indicating why you would be interested in this weekly news service. Previous editions of the InfoBrief can be found at www.usofficeoncolombia.org
U.S. Current Affairs and Media
- U.S. Calls for Massacre Investigation on Eve of Human Rights Certification A brutal massacre in northwestern Colombia in late February has the State Department calling for an investigation as some suggested the Army may have been involved, allegations the Army has emphatically denied. Amnesty International reported that “eight members of the (San José de Apartadó Peace Community), including women and young children, have been killed by armed men who reportedly identified themselves as members of the Colombian army.” Colombia’s Defense Minister, Jorge Alberto Uribe, denied any Army involvement in the brutal killings and suggested the FARC rebels were to blame. “The nearest soldiers were three or four days walk from there,” said Uribe. The allegations against the Colombian Armed Forces could jeopardize part of Washington's robust military aid package as a small amount of assistance must be withheld until the U.S. Secretary of State certifies to Congress that Colombia is respecting human rights conditions. Some human rights groups were calling on the U.S. not to certify Colombia until the circumstances surrounding the San José de Apartadó massacre came to light. “I don't know how they can possibly certify right now, as long as doubts exist about this massacre,” said Adam Isacson, a Colombia expert with the Center for International Policy in Washington. Meanwhile a State Department official indicated that the U.S. is pushing the Colombian government to quickly investigate and prosecute the guilty parties. “We have urged the government to…swiftly bring to justice those responsible for this crime,” the official said on condition of anonymity. Read a Peace Brigades International statement regarding the massacre: http://www.peacebrigades.org/colombia/050228publicdeclaration.html
- Report Cites Progress on Drugs in Colombia, Still no Impact on Drug Availability The State Department’s annual International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), released on Friday, indicates Colombia achieved “impressive progress against narcotics trafficking during 2004” but “remains a major drug producing country.” Under Secretary of State for Global Affairs Paula Dobriansky praised U.S. and Colombian counterdrug efforts. “One only has to look at the record-breaking decline in coca and opium poppy cultivation in Colombia to see the advantages of close and determined cooperation on counternarcotics,” she said. The INCSR indicates that a record 136,555 hectares of coca and 3,060 hectares of opium poppy were sprayed in 2004. Critics have pointed out that reductions in coca production in Colombia have not led to changes in availability of cocaine in the United States. “The INCSR tells us we have been very busy,” said Joy Olson, Executive Director of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), “but not whether our efforts are making a difference.” According to WOLA, price, purity and availability indicators suggest this policy is not having the desired effect. Data from the Office of National Drug Control Policy show cocaine prices at an all-time low, according to WOLA. When asked about this issue, Assistant Secretary of State for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, Robert B. Charles, indicated that results should be seen in the U.S. soon. “I think within a year or two you will begin to see palpable, measurable…changes,” he said. Read the INCSR: http://www.state.gov/g/inl/rls/nrcrpt/2005/vol1/html/42363.htm Read WOLA’s recent report on drug data, “Are We There Yet?”: http://www.wola.org/publications/ddhr_measures_brief.pdf
- UN Human Rights Report Points to Achievements, Concerns A newly released United Nations study on the situation of human rights in Colombia indicates that while there have been some improvements, high levels of human rights abuses in Colombia continue. The report, released on Friday by the UN High Commissioner on Human Rights, points out that while “achievements and advances were observed in the field of human rights and international humanitarian law” in 2004, the situation “continued to be critical.” The report notes an increase in cases of extrajudicial executions attributed to members of the security forces and “continuing links between public officials and the illegal armed groups, particularly paramilitaries.” The report also states that “the paramilitary groups, despite their declared cessation of hostilities…continued their expansion and consolidation.” The report strongly condemns the actions of the guerrilla groups, affirming that “the FARC-EP and the ELN carried out a series of attacks against the civilian population, including several massacres of civilians and kidnappings.” Read the full report: http://www.hchr.org.co/documentoseinformes/informes/altocomisionado/informes.php3?cod=8&cat=11
- Civil Society Leaders Present Concerns and Proposals During USOC Seminar Colombian peace and human rights leaders called on the U.S. Congress to support local-level development initiatives as a vehicle for achieving peace in the war-torn country and to protect children caught in the armed conflict this week. During a week-long visit to Washington sponsored by the U.S. Office on Colombia (USOC), five civil society representatives spoke with human rights and policy organizations and presented their concerns and proposals at two congressional briefings. Javier Moncayo, director of the Network of Development and Peace, told congressional representatives that 17 development and peace projects throughout the country are building a new vision for development in Colombia. During a presentation of a USOC report on the effect of the Colombian conflict on children in Congress, Jenny Neme, a children’s rights advocate, indicated that there are between 11,000 and 14,000 child soldiers in Colombia. “These statistics are tragic,” said U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee who sponsored the event. “This report will surely send shockwaves through the land that something must be done to end this heinous conflict in Colombia.” Read the USOC report The Effects of Armed Conflict on Children in Colombia: http://www.usofficeoncolombia.org/documents/children.pdf
- Rebels Condition Prisoner Exchange on Release of Leader Held in U.S. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rejected the release of dozens of hostages, including former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt and three American defense contractors, unless a top rebel leader facing charges in a U.S. federal court is freed. Former FARC leader Ricardo Palmera, the highest ranking member of a Colombian rebel group to be extradited to the U.S., faces charges of drug trafficking, kidnapping, and supporting terrorists. In a statement issued to the Associated Press, a FARC representative said that the group would not consider freeing any hostages until the United States government releases Palmera. The U.S. government did not comment on the demand.
Upcoming Events and Seminars in the U.S.
If you have news of upcoming events in your area please forward them to jess_hunter@usofficeoncolombia.org
Colombia This Week is reproduced with the kind permission of the ABColombia Group in London
Colombia This Week editing date: 03/07/05
Fri 25 –Restrepo: ‘the AUC cease fire is a metaphor’; Amnesty International condemns massacre.
- Speaking in a seminar on the peace process with Colombian paramilitaries, Peace Commissioner Luis Carlos Restrepo reports that ‘the initial cease-fire promised by paramilitary groups two years ago, needed to be understood as a metaphor’. Last year, the Colombian Commission of Jurists (CCJ) reported that these groups killed 2,000 new victims since the ceasefire was begun. The OAS mission charged with the verification of the process has issued no statement on the killings, El Tiempo reports.
- Amnesty International is concerned for the safety of inhabitants of the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado (Antioquia) after eight members of the community, including women and young children, have been killed by armed men who reportedly identified themselves as members of the Colombian Army. Amnesty calls on the Colombian authorities to investigate the attack and charge those involved with these atrocious killings.
- In a statement to the press, the authorities of the Regional Council of Indigenous from Tolima (CRIT) reject the demands sent to this organisation from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) after the latter demanded money ‘as taxation’ from the health cooperative service of the Pijaos indigenous people in their settlements.
Sat 26 – Uribe agrees extradition of Sonia; Court: ‘paras and narcos’ involved in electoral fraud.
- President Uribe has authorised the extradition of FARC member Omaira Rojas to the United States. The woman, accused of managing finances for the FARC, is known by her nickname "Sonia" and faces drug trafficking charges in the US since 2003. President Uribe has extradited some 200 suspected drug traffickers to the US, SNE reports.
- Days after the Colombian authorities from the National Electoral Council cancelled some of the results of the 2002 Senate election, El Pais reports that 5,655 electoral tables were declared invalid as a result of corruption, and pressure from paramilitary groups. The State Council reported that Valle, Antioquia and Bogota suffered most of the irregularities, urging the government to take action in response to the allegations as they said that under present conditions Colombia is not ready to have new elections with guarantees, Colprensa reports.
Sun 27 – Two navy soldiers killed in Guainia; attorneys office forced to pay AUC for allegations.
- Two Colombian soldiers patrolling the Inirida River (Guainia) are killed after being attacked by the 16th front of the FARC near the city of Inirida. Army officials reported that the rebels were subsequently bombarded but no more details were provided, RCN radio reports.
- Bogota’s Supreme Court of Justice rules that the Attorney General’s Office should pay a large compensation to paramilitary commander Mario Montoya. The ruling comes months after the Colombian authorities charged this individual for the intellectual and material massacre of 14 peasants in Tocaima (Cundinamarca). However, according to RCN Channel, Montoya was investigated and found to be outside the area when the atrocity took place. Montoya served two years in prison, Colprensa reports.
- In a statement posted on the internet, the FARC group acknowledges responsibility for the car bomb that exploded last week outside RCN TV and Radio in Cali. The statement says although the FARC respects the work of journalists, they consider that the ‘strategy’ of the owners of this company violates the people’s right to be well informed. Two people were injured as a result of the attack, El Colombiano reports.
- Members of the Colombian police report that a patrol was ambushed by FARC members in the road between Lejanias and El Castillo, (Meta). One police officer was injured and another one disappeared. The authorities do not know if he was retained by the FARC group, Colprensa reports.
Mon 28 – Police report 13 killed in Nariño; US Dept. reports human rights progress in Colombia.
- Colombian authorities find the bodies of thirteen people in rural areas of Tumaco, Francisco Pizarro and Barbacoas municipalities. In the Barbacoas mass killing, one minor and five adults were shot dead, reportedly by narcotraffickers who robbed them of money and coca paste. 16 Colombian navy soldiers were killed by the FARC group last month in Iscuande. According to the police, the area is disputed by the FARC and the Self-defence forces of Colombia (AUC) for strategic access to the pacific coast, El Pais reports.
- The US State Department annual report on human rights in Colombia says respect for human rights improved in some areas. However, the report also highlights concerns about arbitrary arrests and detentions, and notes that prolonged pre-trial detention remains a fundamental problem. Impunity remains at the core of the country's human rights problems. The civilian judiciary is inefficient, severely overburdened by a large case backlog, and undermined by corruption and intimidation, the report says.
- In an interview posted on Anncol website, the FARC group denies allegations that they took part in the kidnapping and murder of a former Paraguayan president's daughter. "The FARC had nothing to do with this lamentable act," Raul Reyes, a spokesman for the FARC said. Reyes' comments came after Paraguayan Attorney General Diego Latorre earlier this month linked Rodrigo Granda, a senior FARC commander, to the kidnapping of Cecilia Cubas, the daughter of former Paraguayan President Raul Cubas, Associated Press reports.
- A Colombian air force jet forced a US-registered light aeroplane to land and then destroyed it because authorities suspected the plane was carrying illegal drugs, the air force reports. Crew from the King-200 twin-motor plane fled when it touched down in a rural part of Cesar Province. The air force Cessna A-37 destroyed the plane because it refused to identify itself, Colprensa reports.
Tues 01 - UNHCR condemns killings in San Jose de Apartado; Miguel Orejuela to be extradited.
- The UN refugee agency has strongly condemned the brutal murder of eight people, including three children, from the peace community of San Jose de Apartado in north-western Colombia, and urges authorities to ensure the protection of community leaders and members of internally displaced persons' (IDP) associations throughout Colombia. The murders are the latest in a string of attacks that the community says have left 154 of their members dead since 1997. "UNHCR offers its condolences to the San Jose de Apartado community and calls on Colombian authorities to thoroughly investigate these deplorable crimes and to prosecute those responsible," said agency spokesman Rupert Colville at a press briefing in Geneva.
- President Uribe Velez orders top Cali cocaine narcotrafficker Miguel Orejuela extradited to the United States where his brother is behind bars awaiting trial. The brothers once controlled most of the world's cocaine trade after police gunned down rival drug lord Pablo Escobar in 1993, Reuters reports.
- The Colombian government approves the $310 million purchase of Coltabaco, the country's largest cigarette maker, by U.S. tobacco giant Philip Morris. "The transaction will not cause problems for competition," the Industry and Trade Superintendence said in a news release, Colprensa reports.
- Daily production levels in Colombia's Cano Limon oilfield remained practically flat for the third straight year; Occidental Petroleum reports. Colombian national oil company Ecopetrol says the field currently pumps 90,000 barrels per day. The pipeline endured 17 attacks last year, compared with 170 in 2001, Bloomberg news reports.
Weds 02 – Paramilitaries kill Italian citizen; new attacks against USO oil trade unionists
- Colombian kidnappers confess to abducting and killing Sabino Mobile, an Italian tourist who had boasted about his wealth in a brothel in the town of Girardot. Police have arrested nine people in connection with the kidnapping. Detainees include three men who claimed to be members of the outlawed United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC). Four foreigners were among the 1,440 people kidnapped last year in Colombia, which has the world's highest incidence of the crime, according to anti-kidnapping foundation Pais Libre Reuters reports.
- The Colombian oil workers union (USO) reports a new criminal attack against Rafael Cabarcas and his bodyguard Andres Bohorquez. Rafael was recently a member of the USO national executive and now works in an advisory capacity for USO Cartagena. He is also a social leader and was a candidate in the last local elections in Cartagena for the Social and Political Front. In the same attack, Andres Bohorquez was also injured. As they were leaving the building they were intercepted by a motorbike carrying two hitmen who shot at them. USO calls on the trade union and popular movement to mobilise to stop this wave of crimes against those calling for better working conditions.
- The inhabitants of six municipalities from the Cauca region will participate on Sunday in a popular consultation process on the Free Trade Agreement (TLC) the Colombian government is currently negotiating with the United States. Organised by the Indigenous authorities, this consultation hopes to promote a broader consultation process before the Colombian government signs any agreement, the ONIC (National Indigenous Organisation in Colombia) reports.
- The Archbishop of Apartado, German Garcia Isaza, condemns the San Jose de Apartado massacre and in a statement calls for a rigorous investigation, saying "this blood that has been spilled screams for justice." The peace community tries to isolate itself from Colombia's 40-year-old conflict by barring armed groups from entering. The former mayor of Apartado Gloria Cuartas, and Jesuit priest Javier Giraldo have accused army troops of carrying out the massacre. "The army in Uraba has no moral authority to defend and protect the population," Cuartas told the Associated Press.
Thurs 03 – UN calls for probe of Colombia massacre; two radio stations forced to close down.
- Senior member of the United Nations human rights office in Colombia, Amerigo Incalcaterra calls for an investigation into the massacre of eight civilians following accusations that Colombian Army soldiers carried out the killings, in which victims were hacked to pieces. The authorities have the great challenge of finding out what happened. “Those who are responsible must be brought before the courts, no matter who they are", Incalcaterra said. Hours after the U.N. official visited the community on Wednesday near the town of Apartado, a convoy of Colombian prosecutors protected by police came under heavy gunfire on the same road, killing one of the policemen and critically wounding another.
- French-based Reporters without Borders laments the plight of the press in Putumayo, after journalist Claudio Gomajoa Buesaquillo was forced into exile and radio La Dorada Estereo ended its broadcasts while a bombing silenced Latina Estereo FM radio. It is the second time in a week that a Colombian journalist has had to leave his workplace under threat. “It is also the second time in the same period that a media outlet has been bombed," said the worldwide press freedom organisation, RWB reports.
- Colombian Central Bank announces that Colombia’s Foreign Debt reached US$ 25.504 m in 2004, (up from US$ 24.201m in 2003). It also reports that the total debt, (public and private) increased by 3,4% last year, totalling US$39.212 m, that represents 41,3% of GDP (gross domestic product), El Espectador reports.
Colombia This Week is a news summary produced and distributed by ABColombia Group. Sources include daily Colombian, US, European and Latin American newspapers, and reports from non-governmental organisations and the UN System. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the ABColombia Group.
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