August 1996 News

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New book on Colombia recently published!

Colombia: The Genocidal Democracy
by Javier Giraldo, S.J.

with introduction by Noam Chomsky

published by Common Courage Press, is now available from the Colombia Support Network. Order your copy today. $12.95 plus $2 for postage and handling.

Respect for Life and Personal Integrity Should Prevail in Zones of Conflict, by Horacio Arango of Programa por la Paz

Media Focus on CIA's role in drug epidemic is long overdue, by Norman Solomon

URGENT ACTION -- 8/30/96 -- Paramilitaries continue to murder and terrorize in Apartadó

On 8/22/96 they decapititated a youngster in front of Gloria Cuartas, in an effort to force her to flee Apartadó . Please send faxes to following individuals insisting that the reign of terror in Uraba by the paramiliaries stop immediately, and that peacemakers like Gloria Cuartas be allowed to continue the work of negotation and reconciliation:

Dr Juan Carlos Esquerra, Ministro de Defensa, Fax (from U.S. add 011) 571-222-1874
Gobernador de Antioqu’a Alvaro Uriba Velez, Fax: (011) 574-381-1342
Your ambassador to Colombia; for U.S. residents, U.S. Ambassador Myles Frechette, Fax 571-315-2209
Dr Horacio Serpa Uribe, Ministro del Interior, Fax (011) 571-286-8025

More details and sample letters

New revelations about CIA and its role in the U.S. drug epidemic

See August 22 New York Times, for Page 1 story on the 'privatization' of the Colombian military. ("Oil Companies Buy an Army To Tame Colombia's Rebels" by Diana Jean Schemo) Unable to officially stage a coup d' etat against President Samper, they have gone into business for themselves, as security for the big oil pipelines that some guerrillas keep blowing up. BP and Big Oil pay off the generals and high officials in Bogota, the military gets richer and represses the common people of Colombia even more, and you and I pay when we pump the gas into our cars.

New relevations about CIA's role in drug smuggling and the crack epidemic in the U.S. cities

The latest issue of CSN's newsletter Action on Colombia was published and mailed out in late July. If you have not received a copy and would like to, email csn@igc.org or send a fax to 608 255-6621 with your postal address, and we will send you one. Contained in it is a copy of the full page ad CSN placed in Medellin's newspaper El Colombiano in early June, calling for an end to the violence, and particularly focusing on Uraba, and the plight of Apartado's political prisoners.

Opportunity for Human Rights Solidarity with Colombia

A valuable opportunity for concrete human rights work with Colombia has recently developed that we hope some of you might be interested in. We are in contact with teachers in schools in several areas of Colombia (some being ones of much paramilitary violence), who have expressed an interest with developing some type of 'sister school' or 'sister community' relationship with people outside of Colombia. There is much fear and isolation in their positions, and even simple 'pen pals' can be of value to them and their students and communities.

We have no strict demands upon what you must do to get involved in this; it will start with letters and then you decide what you and your community (school, church, solidarity group, whatever) want to do. The main thing is to provide a link to the 'outside world' with brave people who are trying to better the lot of their communities in the difficult situation of Colombia in 1996.

If you are not interested, but know of someone who might be, please pass this on. If you are possibly interested, please contact us ASAP.