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. Past Editions of the InfoBrief can be found at www.usofficeoncolombia.org.
U.S. Current Affairs and Media
United States Senators Send Letter to President Uribe Twenty-three U.S. Senators, including Democratic Presidential candidate John Kerry and Vice Presidential candidate John Edwards, sent a letter to Colombian President Uribe conveying the importance of respecting human rights, cutting ties between the Colombian Armed Forces and paramilitary groups, and implementing recommendations made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) to Colombia. The letter, co-sponsored by Senators Feingold (D-WI) and Dodd (D-CT), expressed concern about “continued levels of violence directed at the civilian population.” While Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos stated that the government agreed with many of the recommendations, he dismissed the letter as a campaign stunt by Kerry and Edwards and complained about the letter’s generalizations. The Vice President continued that, “(The government) has strong ties with the democratic party; we do not forget that Plan Colombia originated during the Clinton Administration.” The Senators expressed concern for civil society groups, indicating that, “human rights, church, and union leaders have also been targeted for searches and detentions, sometimes upon faulty information provided by paid informants.” The full letter can be read at:
US Indicts Two Paramilitary Leaders A New York Federal Court unsealed charges against AUC paramilitary leaders Diego Fernando Murillo and Vicente Castaño. Anthony Placido, head of the DEA office in New York, said, “The indictments help to serve notice on (the paramilitaries)…if they don’t demobilize as part of the peace process down there, there are consequences.” On July 1 st paramilitary leaders began negotiations with the Colombian government in exchange for the lifting of arrest warrants. Colombian Congresswomen Rocio Arias stated that these extradition charges create “insurmountable obstacles” for the negotiations between the paramilitaries and the Colombian government. Meanwhile Colombian Police seized four and half tons of cocaine last week worth $90 million allegedly from the supply of Jose Alfredo Berrio, an AUC leader that refuses to enter into negotiations with the Colombian government. In a separate incident in New York City, alleged drug trafficker Robert Hertular pleaded not guilty to shipping cocaine to the U.S. Hertular was extradited from Belize where he allegedly coordinated drug shipments for the AUC. AUC leaders, including Salvatore Mancuso who is wanted by the US for cocaine trafficking, are scheduled to address the Colombian Congress this week under the protection of immunity.
Catholic Bishop Kidnapped by Colombian Rebels Miseal Vacca Ramirez, the Bishop of Yopal, was kidnapped by the National Liberation Army (ELN) while driving through the eastern Casanare region. The ELN informed the Catholic Church in Colombia that Bishop Vacca Ramirez would be released unharmed at an unspecified date with a message for the government. Bishop Vacca Ramirez was involved with the peace efforts between the government, rebels, and right wing paramilitary groups in the Casanare and Boyaca regions of Colombia. Amnesty International indicated that, “The kidnapping of the bishop is only the latest example of the blatant disregard that the armed actors in Colombia’s conflict have for civilians.” The Conference of Major Superiors of Men, representing the leadership of 20,000 religious priests in the United States, urged the guerillas to immediately and unconditionally release the bishop and said his kidnapping, “is just another example of the disregard that many in the conflict have for human rights and for the dignity of individuals.”
Inter-American Court Rules on Colombian Cases The Inter-American Court on Human Rights (CIDH) ordered the Colombian Government to adopt measures, “to protect the life and personal integrity” of all members of the Kankuamo indigenous communities. The José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers Collective, a Colombian human rights group, stated, “of the more than 100 members and authorities of indigenous communities who became victims of homicide last year, 50 were Kankuamo political and spiritual leaders.” The Inter-American Court ruling demands respect for the right of free circulation by the members of the Kankuamo indigenous community and the return of displaced individuals to their homes. Attacks against the Kankuamo community increased since the arrival of the AUC paramilitary groups in 2001. In a separate ruling the CIDH ordered the Colombian government to pay $6.5 million in compensation for the massacre of 19 river traders by rightwing paramilitary groups in 1987. The CIDH ruled that the Colombian military was complicit in the killings and worked jointly with the paramilitary groups.
U.S. Continues Trade Talks with Colombia Negotiators from Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and the United States opened the third round of the Andean Free Trade talks in Lima, Peru. While Colombia enjoys tariff-free access to U.S. markets for many products as a result of previous trade deals, these agreements are set to expire in 2006. The Colombian government seeks to follow the Lima talks by organizing the International Business Matchmaking Forum in Miami at the end of September. Colombian negotiators in the ongoing Andean Trade Negotiations have expressed reservations that any far reaching agreement with the U.S. might expose Colombian businesses to unfair competition.
Due to Staff Travel, The InfoBrief will not be issued until the second week of September.
Fri 16 – NGOs launch campaign for humanitarian accords; US Embassy sends envoy to Ralito.
Colombian non-governmental organisations (NGOs) launch a five-month ‘National Campaign for Humanitarian Accords.’ Jaime Zuluaga, from the National University reports that the organised civil society groups and “the silent victims of the Colombian conflict” will direct all their efforts to forcing all armed groups to respect and comply with international humanitarian law, El Pais reports.
Although the United States is not officially participating in the government’s paramilitary talks, the US Embassy sends a delegation to the “concentration area” near Santa Fe de Ralito. According to reports from daily El Meridiano from Monteria, the second Secretary of the US Embassy, F rancisco Castellanos and Sara J. Lagier will assess the situation in order to proceed with the economic support agreed between the US government and the office of the Organisation of American States (OAS) in Colombia.
Citing ‘personal’ reasons, another top presidential aide, Alberto Velasquez, resigns. In the last ten days, two key advisers of President Uribe Velez and the vice-Attorney General have resigned following the publication of some corruption cases in a magazine called “La otra verdad”, El Espectador reports.
Indigenous communities in the western province of Choco say the government has broken promises to help them return to their land following a 2002 massacre, El Pais reports.
Pedro Chica, consultant working for the European Union in the new Peace Laboratory in the western part of Antioquia reports that the proposal presented last week by Colombian Defence Minister to use fumigation to eradicate coca crops in the area contravenes the agreement signed by the European Union for this development programme. According to reports, the Colombian government previously agreed to use alternative ways to eradicate the coca crops in these areas, El Colombiano reports.
Sat 17- Reports confirm increase in poverty in Colombia; kidnapped brothers freed after 3 years.
An annual report from the government’s general accounting office said the country’s development level has declined continuously since 1997. Some 64.8 percent of the population now lives in poverty, the report says, and the government response has been “weak”, Reuters reports.
Juan Felipe and Jaime Sebastian Lozada have been freed near the city of Neiva after a ransom payment and a five-day trek along steep paths. But instead of feeling joy, they thought mostly of their mother, a congresswoman, still languishing in rebel hands. "We don't want to celebrate or have a party until she is free," Juan Sebastian Lozada, 18, said in an interview with Associated Press.
After the US authorities requested the extradition of paramilitary commander and peace negotiator Rodrigo Tovar, “alias Jorge 40”, the Monteria Bishop Julio Cesar Vidal says US extradition efforts hurt Colombia’s paramilitary talks, calling on the international community to intervene in the process in a positive way “as this issue can really cause divisions within the group”, El Tiempo reports.
The US House of Representatives approves $108 million for the year 2005 for the Patriot Plan, a US –sponsored Colombian counterinsurgency offensive against the FARC group, El Pais reports.
Sun 18 – Colombia descends in UNDP annual list as Uribe defends development indicators
In an annual report issued on July 15, the UNDP ranked Colombia 73rd among the world’s countries, down from 64th last year. Based on data from 2002, the new ranking reflects literacy, educational access, life expectancy and per capita income. The report notes Colombia’s rapidly growing displaced population and cites one of the world’s most unequal income distributions, behind only Brazil’s in Latin America. Colombia Week.
Dismissing the UNDP report, President Uribe Velez defends his government’s social record during the televised annual meeting of ministers, where all of them presented 10 minute videos of good results in their ministries, Colprensa reports.
Santiago Montenegro, National Planning Department Director called the UNDP rankings “outdated” and said the country’s gross domestic product has grown faster than its population since President Uribe Velez took office in 2002. But economic growth seems to have concentrated wealth further, the Bogota daily El Tiempo reported July 10. The newspaper presented data from the National Commercial Federation (Fenalco) and the National Statistics Administrative Department (DANE) showing that food sales have fallen in recent months while luxury purchases have increased.
Mon 19 - Colombia poised to sell off $10bn assets; government proposal to further cut pensions.
Colombia's finance minister, Alberto Carrasquilla, is preparing to sell off as much as $10bn worth of stakes in state-owned companies during the next few years, in what could be the largest round of privatisations in Latin America since the 1990s. Colombia's privatisation drive is designed to raise much-needed additional funds for social and infrastructure programmes during a period of fiscal austerity. Limiting the country’s fiscal deficit to no more than 2.5 per cent of gross domestic product this year, Financial Times reports.
President Alvaro Uribe is contemplating plans to reduce spending on retirement benefits in a bid to rescue a pension system that may run out of cash next month. Uribe will ask congress for a constitutional amendment to cap monthly payments at 9 million pesos ($3,300) -- down from a current maximum of about 18 million pesos -- and eliminate one of two bonus monthly payments granted annually, Finance Minister Alberto Carrasquilla said at a news conference in Bogota.
Colombian police report that they have arrested five alleged drug traffickers wanted by the US. The suspects are alleged members of the Norte del Valle cartel, which handles some 50 percent of the cocaine that leaves Colombia, police said. The cartel suffered a major blow earlier this month with the arrest in Cuba of one of its top three leaders. So far this year, Colombia has extradited 27 people to the United States on drug trafficking charges, El Pais reports.
Tues 20 – UNHCR monitors return of indigenous communities; 51 children dead from pollution.
The UN refugee agency is deeply concerned and monitoring the situation of more than 1,200 displaced indigenous Embera people who have returned to their homes in Choco despite continued security concerns. Between last Thursday and Sunday, the Embera people went back to their communities of Egoroquera, Union Baquiaza, La Playita, Union Cuiti and Hoja Blanca. They had fled their homes in March after fighting between irregular armed groups, and sought refuge along the Atrato river in the Choco region, not far from the border with Panama. "Precarious security conditions in the region of return are cause for deep concern because the irregular armed groups whose clashes caused the Embera to flee in the first place remain in the area," said UNHCR spokeswoman Jennifer Pagonis at a news briefing.
Heath authorities in Bogota are concerned by the increased level of pollution affecting Bogota, reporting the deaths of 51 children under 5 years old during the last month due to respiratory problems. According to officials, this is an increase of 31%, El Nuevo Siglo reports.
The FARC group announces it will reject peace talks for as long as President Uribe Velez leads the government. "We're ready to undertake, with a new administration, the titanic task of building peace with social justice," commanders of the FARC said in a statement posted on their web site.
More than 900 inmates detained in the Bellavista jail in Medellin protest about the transfer of prisoners to other facilities, El Mundo reports.
Weds 21 –Kidnappers earn US $57m in ransom in 8 years; UK minister defends military aid.
Colombia's armed groups and common criminals earned US$57 million in ransom payments from families of kidnap victims in the past eight years, the Colombian government reports. At least 21,078 people were taken hostage in Colombia between 1996 and 2003, the vast majority for ransom, the government's DNP statistics agency said in a report. The Colombian state, meanwhile, spent US$110 million on intelligence, training and equipment to combat kidnapping during the same period, AP reports.
The British government defends the military assistance it gives Colombia and, despite criticism from more than 230 UK members of parliament, reports that it has “no intention of cutting such ties”. Foreign Office Minister Bill Rammell reports that Britain has concerns about human rights abuses in Colombia and the possibility of collusion between the military and paramilitary forces, but he said it was better to remain "critically engaged" with President Alvaro Uribe's government: "Categorically, I can say that we are not considering withdrawing our military assistance… The last thing Colombia, and more importantly Colombian people, need at the moment is disengagement from Britain", The Scotsman reports.
Colombian rebel Manuel "Sureshot" Marulanda, reported to be dying of prostate cancer, is in good health according to a top FARC rebel who also denied the group was in tactical retreat from the government's sustained military campaign. FARC commander Raul Reyes said in a recent interview with Reuters at a hidden jungle camp that "Commander Marulanda enjoys good health and continues to lead the FARC politically and militarily". Reyes offered no proof of life.
The Colombian Senate elects Luis Humberto Gomez Gallo, a Conservative Party backer of President Uribe Velez, as its president. Also, the Chamber of Representatives elects Zulema Jattin Corrales, a Liberal Party supporter of President Uribe as its president, El Tiempo reports.
According to an article published in the daily La Republica, the Colombian government is planning to introduce a new tax for foreign tourists visiting Colombia.
Thurs 22 – Colombia ordered to pay for 1987 massacre; 5 paras killed rescuing 23 kidnapped.
In a landmark ruling, the Colombian government is ordered to pay US $6.5 million in compensation for the murder of 19 river traders by army-backed paramilitaries in 1987. The Inter-American Court of Justice criticised earlier Colombian efforts to investigate the massacre near the town of Boyaca and to punish the killers, according to a copy of the court ruling provided by the Colombian Jurists' Commission. In addition to ordering the compensation, the court ordered that the investigation be reopened. The traders, who bought and sold electrical goods, had been accused by paramilitaries of collaborating with Marxist rebels. The traders were shot and their bodies cut up and thrown into a river. A court later absolved several soldiers accused of participating in the crime. The accused paramilitaries were killed in a struggle with rival far-right militias before they could face trial, Reuters reports.
The Colombian army reports five paramilitary fighters killed and 23 peasants rescued after combats between soldiers and members of the paramilitary faction “North Block” in the municipality of San Diego (Cesar). According to the reports, the peasants were recently kidnapped by this armed group in a new violation of the cease-fire agreed between the government and the AUC, El Tiempo reports.
Members of the Liberal Party, the Independent Democratic Pole (PDI) and the Democratic Alternative launch a united front against the presidential re-election bill. They will launch a campaign beginning September 22 with the support of more than 80 Congress representatives, El Colombiano reports.
Unknown armed men kill Salomon Freite Muñoz, chief director of the judicial police (the investigating body of the Attorney General’s office) in the city of Cucuta (Norte de Santander), Vanguardia Liberal 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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