From: RED DE HERMANDAD Y SOLIDARIDAD CON COLOMBIA 

URGENT ACTION

The undersigned organizations, present the following urgent action to the
national authorities and to the national and international public opinion:

1) The assault against the people of southern Bol’var Department have left
many refugees, at least 25 civilians murdered, and numerous houses and
public installations destroyed.

2) Starting on November 5 a large group of paramilitaries entered the
county of Morales and set up camp in the town of Moralito.

3) At of this date, November 12, according to information coming out of the
Mico Ahumado (also known as La Plaza), Morales country, is under siege by
paramilitaries.

4) Approximately 7,000 people live in Mico Ahumado, both long-term
residents and refugees from the paramilitaries.  This situation has gravely
deteriorated, since neither food nor medicine has been able to get through
since November 5.

5) The exits from Mico Ahumado to the town of Morales are blocked, 
impeding
the ingress and egress of people as well as food and medicine.

6) At the moment that this Urgent Action was written, a paramilitary group
is advancing toward Mico Ahumado from la Arcadia, municipality of 
Morales,
and another from the municipality of Arenal.  The paramilitaries have set
up camp two kilometers from Mico Ahumado, and we anticipate that Mico
Ahumado will be the scene of actions of terror and destruction.  The
paramilitaries have threatened to massacre the townspeople and burn
village.

7) As of this date, the International Committee of the Red Cross has not
been able to enter the region due to the lack of guarantees that they will
be able to do their humanitarian work.

8) Townspeople and refugees in Noros’ have been urged to abandon their 
town
and concentrate in the town of Rio Viejo, where they will be given enough
money for them to leave the region.  Paramilitaries from Pueblito Mej’a are
advancing toward Noros’.  They currently are in the village la Cooperative,
where they today, November 12, murdered two minors.

At 5:45 today we alerted by telephone the general staff of the Fifth
Brigade so that they take all necessary measures to guarantee the lives of
the townspeople of Mico Ahumado and Noros’.

We hold responsible the national government headed by President AndrŽs
Pastrana, Minister of Defense, Commander of the Armed Forces General
Fernando Tapias, the commanders of the Second Division and Fifth Brigade 
of
the Colombian army, and the police department of the municipality of
Santander for their failure to stop the attacks on the civilian population.

We ask:

1) That the national government guarantee the lives of the people of Mico
Ahumado, Noros’, and the other towns of southern Bolívar, and that it send
emergency humanitarian aid (food, medicine, etc) to these towns.

2) That the government honor all of the accord signed by President
Pastrana, members of the national government, and spokespeople of the 
Exodo
Campesino on October 4, 1998, in the city of Barrancabermeja.

3) That the national authorities immediately order actions that demonstrate
a clear will to fight against paramilitarism and the acts of terror that
are taking place in southern Bol’var.

4) That an interinstitutional commission be set up that includes the office
of the public prosecutor, human rights NGO's, the Catholic Church, the
office of the attorney general, the office of the public defender, the
ministry of the interior, the Senate commission on human rights, and
members of the Exodo Campesino; and that this commission investigate 
these
recent events and establish mechanisms of protection for the people of
southern Bol’var.


Santa fe de Bogot‡, November 12 1998

COMITƒ DE SOLIDARIDAD CON LOS PRESOS POLITICOS, CORPORACIîN 
DE SERVICIOS
PROFESIONALES COMUNITARIOS SEMBRAR, ASOCIACIîN PARA 
PROMOCION SOCIAL
ALTERNATIVA  MINGA, COLECTIVO DE DERECHOS HUMANOS 
SEMILLAS DE LIBERTAD,
PROYECTO NUNCA MçS, COMISIîN JUSTICIA Y PAZ DE LA FAMILIA 
FRANCISCANA,
COMUNIDADES ECLESIALES DE BASE, COMISIîN 
INTERCONGREGACIONAL DE JUSTICIA Y
PAZ, COMITƒ REGIONAL DE DERECHOS HUMANOS JOEL SIERRA, 
ASOPEMA, ACACEVA,
CORPORACION JURIDICA LIBERTAD, ASOCIACION CAMPESINA DE 
ANTIOQUIA,
CORPORACION PROCURADORES COMUNITARIOS, ASFADDES 
SECCIONAL ANTIOQUIA, COMITE
DE DERECHOS HUMANOS DEL NORDESTE, CUT SECCIONAL 
ANTIOQUIA, ANDAS SECCIONAL
MEDELLIN

Please send your communications to:

ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO
Presidente de la Repœblica
Kra.8 n.7-26  Santa Fe de Bogot‡
Tlf: 571/ 284 33 00   Fax: 571/ 286 74 34 - 286 79 37 - 284 21 86
Email: pastrana@presidencia.gov.co

NESTOR HUMBERTO MARTINEZ
Ministro del Interior
Kra.8  n.8-09 Santa Fe de Bogot‡
Tlf: 571/ 334 39 60 - 284 02 14   Fax: 571/ 341 97 39

RODRIGO LLOREDA
Ministro de la Defensa
Av. del Dorado con Kra.52, Santa Fe de Bogot‡
Tlf: 571/ 222 41 25 - 222 24 45    Fax: 571/ 222 18 74

JAIME BERNAL CUELLAR
Procurador General de la Naci—n
Kra 5 n. 15-80 Santa Fe de Bogot‡
Tlf: 571/ 283 86 09   Fax: 571/  342 97 23

ALFONSO GîMEZ MENDEZ
Fiscal General de la Naci—n
Cll.35 n. 4-31 Santa Fe de Bogot‡
Tlf: 571/ 570 20 00   Fax: 571/ 570 20 22

JOSƒ FERNANDO CASTRO CAICEDO
Defensor del Pueblo
Cll.55 n.10-32 Santa Fe de Bogot‡
Tlf: 571/ 346 29 47 Fax: 571/ 346 12 25