(Translated by Emily Ellis, a CSN Volunteer Translator)
Communications Campaign- July 29, 2010
The national and international campaign, “For the Right to Defend Human Rights in Colombia”, vigorously rejects the declarations of the president of the republic, Álvaro Uribe Vélez, about the public hearing held on the past 22 of July in the town hall of Macarena, in the department of Meta under the motto ” Let’s tell the truth.” The hearing was convened by Senator Gloria Inéz Ramírez, member of the Human Rights, Peace and International Humanitarian Rights Commission of the nation's senate and numerous social organizations, unions and national and international human rights organizations.
President Uribe, on a completed intervention before stationed troops at the military base in Macarena, said two days after the mission: “Now terrorism-let's hope the nation knows this-wants to set the trap of stopping this partial victory, through a combination of forms of struggle…Today terrorism, through representatives, is proposing peace to refresh and recuperate in order to prolong final victory…Terrorism, in a combination of forms of struggle, while through some representatives proposes peace, through other representatives comes here to Macarena to look to discredit law enforcement and accuse them of human rights violations…We cannot fall into the traps of terrorism. Stay strong!”
These again put at high risk the lives and physical and moral integrity of national and international delegates that in an approximate number of 1300 people, participated in the public hearing in La Macarena; In addition to forming a new act of stigmatization and irresponsible declaration on the part of primary authority of the country against the national human rights defenders, leaders of agrarian and farming communities in the departments of Caquetá, Meta, and Guaviare; as well as the six members of European Parliament (Ana Gomes, Richard Howitt, Ole Christensen, Bernd Lange, Evelyn Regner, Gianni Vattimo), the three members of British Parliament (Eric Joyce, Tony Lloyd and Madeleine Moon), and numerous union leaders of Europe and the United States (Christine Blower, Stephen Cavalier, Benjamin Davis, Jeremy Dear, Billy Hayes, Jack O'Connor, Yrki Raina, Alan Ritchie, John Smith, Peter Waldorff, Spencer Wood, Matt Wrack).*
Our campaign, was part of the aforementioned hearing and clarifies that it is not part of mainstream politics or armed force, and therefore, demands the respect on the part of the President for our role in the protection of the human rights supporters.
From the campaign, we are making a call to all the organizations and assigned people so that they demonstrate against this new act of aggression and public stigmatization that affects the legal and legitimate practice of defending human rights in Colombia.