The Intimidation of the Security Forces Continues against the Peace Community in Colombia

international | crime and justice | news report Tuesday January 10, 2006 20:54 by San Jose de Apartado Peace Community sanjose_ireland at hotmail dot com Colombia 086 0554665

International Solidarity is called for again

The Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado once again leaves written evidence of the following actions against its members.

san jose visit the Seed Savers in Scarriff, Aug 05

- 1 p.m., January 8th 2006, at the police roadblock situated in Mangolo, members of the police forces said to Mario Echeverri a member of the community that he needed a permit from the Head of the Police to carry food to the community. They insulted him accusing him of being a guerrilla, scattered his belongings everywhere, and leaving him to gather them up himself.
- 5.30pm January 7th, at the same police roadblock, the police detained Mr. Julio Morales for several hours because he did not have a receipt for some items he had bought in the local town. He was insulted by the police and they scattered his shopping all over the place. This aggressive behavior has been happening since December 31st where the police and the army carry photos and ask the people for their identification cards, they compare the people to the photos and place their names on a list. They then accuse them of carrying food and goods to the guerrilla.
- 10 a.m. January 2nd, the public transport vehicle traveling from San Jose de Apartado to the town of Apartado was stopped at the police roadblock. Jailer Sepúlveda was present at the roadblock in uniform. He has been with the paramilitaries for 4 years now. He said to members of the community that they had to give him money if they wanted to carry goods to San Jose. If they refused he said they would be detained as it was an order from higher officials. A community member asked who ‘the higher officials’ were, he responded the paramilitaries, in front of the police! At 2p.m. at the same roadblock Jailer was still there but dressed in civilian clothes, once again he said that if they did not pay taxes to the paramilitaries, they would pay dearly.
- At 11 a.m. On January 1st, once again at the police roadblock in Mangolo, Ovidio Cardona, Albeiro Cardona and Luvin Cardona began to threaten the 3 campesino farmers who passed them on the road. They said they were going to deal with certain people in the area. These 3 brothers live in a nearby village and are regularly seen with the army.
- 12.17 a.m. on December 31st, Mr. Albeiro Cardona (regularly seen with the army), went to San Josesito, (current humanitarian zone of the peace community), he threatened Blanca Torres a member of the peace community and said she’d better be careful along with the other member of San Josesito.
- At 11.a.m. on December 31th, the police took photos of a community member who entered 2 shops to buy clothes for his son. The police told him that he looked suspicious and they needed to keep his photo on record.
- On December 31st, a member of San Josesito was interrogated by the police. When the person said they were from San Josesito, the police responded, poor thing, one of the ones who is going to be massacred.
- At 5.30 p.m., on December 28th, a man from San Josesito was told he should leave immediately, that a massacre was going to take place there shortly.

THESE FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES. They clearly show the plans the paramilitaries and the army has to do away with the community. The government only lies when it says it gives special protection measures to the community. Those employed to protect the community only threaten the community. They make up laws, saying that the campesino farmers need special permission to take goods and food to the community. They take photos of us, and put our names on a list. They compare us to the photographs they have. They interrogate us. We know this is illegal. The paramilitaries are being legitimized. Injustice reigns in this country. We know that the plan is to eliminate us, to silence us. Our alternative to this civil war is not permitted. Despite all this we will continue with determination in our process of civilian resistance to the Colombian civil war.
International Solidarity continues to be a great force in helping us to resist against all the aggression, against all the odds.

The Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado
January 9th 2006