Please help save the Embera Nation

From Colombia Support Network, 23 August 1999

The Embera Peoples of the Jurado and Riosucio Municipalities of Colombia are suffering horrible human rights abuses at the hands of both paramilitaries and FARC.

1. Since July 20th the Embera Peoples in the Urabá region of Colombia have been suffering terrible repression. Paramilitary groups have ordered them to leave their ancestral territories or they will be massacred. The paramilitary groups are accusing the Embera Peoples of collaborating with the guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

2. FARC is blocking transit throughout the entire region of Urabá. The above mentioned communities, including the Raya, Perancho and Perancito, have been afflicted with epidemics and hunger since the FARC is preventing the flow of medication and commercial goods into those communities.The guerrillas have also threatened the medical practitioners within the region,putting the communities at danger since various epidemics are always present in the territories. Other Embera communities, such as Eyasake, Cedral, Santa Marta, Guayabal,and Aguacaliente, are suffering from severe violations of their rights as the FARC threatens to destroy those communities who fail to comply with their demands. The FARC has currently occupied a sacred worshipping site of the Embera people.

3. The terror does not stop here. The paramilitary forces in Córdoba and Urabá have produced a list of Indigenous as well as non-Indigenous people in the region whom they intend to execute.

Write to:

1. The FARC demanding :

a)That FARC allow the flow of medical and commercial goods into the indigenous communities

b) Stop the threats and violence against the Emberas.

c) That they leave the sacred worshipping sites at once.

Write to:

2. The AUC (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia aka paramilitaries) demanding :

a)That the paramilitary forces leave the indigenous territories

b) That the AUC cease threats and violence against civilians

c) That AUC leader Carlos Castaño free Indigenous leader José de la Cruz Chagito, also known as Cuquita, who has been an advocate for justice for Indigenous communities

FARC AND AUC HAVE MADE PUBLIC THE FOLLOWING EMAIL ADDRESSES WHERE THEY CAN BE REACHED IF PEOPLE WISH TO SEND URGENT ACTION RESPONSES. WE HAVE NO OTHER WAY TO GET A MESSAGE TO THEM OTHER THAN THE CONTACT INFO BELOW.

FARC
farc-ep@comision.internal.org

AUC
colombialibre@colombialibre.org

Write to:

3. Colombian government officials demanding

a) That they disband the paramilitaries

b) That they protect what is constitutionally recognized as Indigenous territories.

* Andres Pastrana Arango
Presidente de la Republica de Colombia
Palacio de Narino
Presidencia de la Republica
Cra. 8 No. 7-26
Santafe de Bogota
COLOMBIA
fax: 011 57 1 283 7324
286 7434
287 7937
281 8262
pastrana@presidencia.gov.co

* Gustavo Bell Lemus
Vicepresidente de la Republica de Colombia
Carrera 8 no. 7-26
Palacio de Narino
Presidencia de la Republica
fax: same as Pastrana numbers

* Humberto Martinez Neira
Ministro del Interior
Carrera 8 No. 8-09
Santafe de Bogota
COLOMBIA
fax: 011 57 1 336 8377

* Luis Fernando Ramirez
Ministro de Defensa
Avenida El Dorado con Carrera 52
Santafe de Bogota
COLOMBIA
fax: 011 57 1 221 5363
infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co

* Jaime Bernal Cuellar
Procurador General de la Nacion
Carrera 5 No. 15-80
Santafe de Bogota
COLOMBIA
fax: 011 57 1 342 9723

* General Martin Orlando Carreno Sandoval
Comandante de la Brigada XVII
Carepa, Antioquia
COLOMBIA
fax: 011 57 48 236 844

Write to:

4. Your respective Congresspeople

Demanding that the US :

a) Support the peace process

b) Urge the Colombian government to strictly enforce the Colombian constitutional provisions respecting indigenous territories

c) End all U.S. military aid to Colombia, (including military aid, military advisors, military training, so-called War on drugsaid, and other government assistance), until such time as all government-linked human rights abuses cease.