(Translated by Steve Cagan, a CSN volunteer translator)
Uribe’s Policy of “Democratic Security” Murdered Edwin Legarda <http://www.nasaacin.org/noticias.htm
The death of the husband of the CRIC High Council member cannot be interpreted as an isolated act, but only as part of the chain of homicides, persecutions, illegal executions and displacements that the indigenous communities of Cauca and of Colombia have been suffering, and in which the State participates by action, omission and permission.
The Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca [El Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca], CRIC, makes the following points with regard to the attack in which our compañero José Edwin Legarda, husband of Aida Quilcue, a member of the High Council:
The death of the husband of the CRIC High Council member cannot be interpreted as an isolated act, but only as part of the chain of homicides, persecutions, illegal executions and displacements that the indigenous communities of Cauca and of Colombia have been suffering, and in which the State participates by action, omission and permission.
That this repeated human rights violation against the indigenous peoples is an effect of the policy of “democratic security” of President Álvaro Uribe Vélez.
That from the evidence that has been collected in the place where the attack took place, it is clear that the version of the presidency, about the existence of an error in signals, or that compañero Edwin Legarda had passed by a military checkpoint is false. First because the clues indicate that the soldiers were in a 800-meter long trench waiting for the car for hours; second because at that time several vehicles went by that were traveling to a meeting that was being held the same day in forum of Togoima which Aida Quilcue Vivas, member of the High Council of CRIC was going to attend, vehicles that belonged to people who were never put under demands by the army group that was in the area; and third because in a document jointly signed by General Leonardo Barrerro, commandant of the XXIX Brigade of the army and the indigenous authorities, the former committed himself to deny the version that “the deceased Edwin Legarda had ignored a military checkpoint.”
The the attack was aimed at the High Council of CRIC, especially against Aida Quilcue Vivas, who, had she not been delayed, would have passed through that spot at the time of the attack during her trip to the forum of Togoima, located in the municipality of Páez.
That the military group was equally unable to explain their possession of two rifles that were in their camp with being assigned to a soldier, which the indigenous authorities take as an indication that there was an attempt to put together a fraud after the attack.
That in the first version by the commander of the military patrol, before the indigenous authorities, he said that there had been bursts of rifle fire from CIRC’s car, a version that he later changed, saying that Mr. Legarda had passed by a military checkpoint, finally admitting that it was a question of a military error.
That the community member Edwin Legarda managed to escape from the attack gravely wounded, thereby avoiding the creating of the fraud with the two rifles in possession of the military whose ownership could not be explained, which had it been carried out would have undercut the civil nature of our resistance and the transparency of our organization.
That the statements by President Álvaro Uribe justifying the military action in which the husband of the member of the high Council of CRIC was murdered is nothing more than another lie to blur the picture of this state crime and justify the continuation of his policy of annihilating indigenous peoples.
That despite the multiple threats and attacks against indigenous authorities and members of CRIC, the Colombian state has not taken measures to protect the physical and moral integrity of our leaders; on the contrary, it seems that the government is using its political influence to avoid the Inter-American Human Rights Commission from decreeing the protective measures solicited by different human rights organizations en defense of our organizational processes.
Finally, we call on the international community, especially human rights organizations, to pay attention to the development of national policies towards indigenous peoples; as a result of our protests we are being stigmatized and criminalized, which puts our processes, traditional authorities, organizational personnel, indigenous leaders and communities in grave risk. As a consequence we assert that the Colombian state bears the responsibility for what happens to our people and our organizational processes.
Popayán, December 19, 2008
Regional Indigenous Council of Cauca [Consejo Regional Indígena del Cauca], CRIC
[Centro de Investigación y Educación Popular—People’s Research and Education Center] and Programa por la Paz [Program for Peace] make a statement about the murder of Edwin Legarda.
We ask of civil society and the international community solidarity and follow-up on the results of the investigations about these facts and on the guarantees to be offered to the indigenous communities to make the existence of their rights a reality.
Tejido de Comunicación y Relaciones Externas para la Verdad y la Vida
Asociación de Cabildos Indígenas del Norte del Cauca – ACIN
Telefax: 0928 – 290958 – 293999
Email: acincauca@yahoo.es
Web: www.nasaacin.org/index.htm
Santander de Quilichao, Cauca -Colombia