Cuartas-Velez letter of April 14, 1997

DEPARTMENT OF ANTIOQUIA
MUNICIPALITY OF APARTADÓ
MUNICIPAL CITY HALL

465

Apartadó, April 14, 1997

To:
Doctor Alvaro Uribe Velez
Governor of Antioquia
Medellin

According to information published by the newspaper El Colombiano Sunday, April 13 on page 6A, a group called Conviva is registering with the required regulations and juridical authorities so that it will soon be operating in Uraba. In accordance with this notice, Apartadó appears twice.

I would politely request that I be informed about this group and its mission, functions, actions, who is sanctioning this group and their basis and requirements for doing so.

It is worrisome, Governor, that lately, decisions are being made that affect this muncipality without involving us in the preliminary phase of analysis, especially as we are engaged in efforts to foster a ÒCommunity of PeaceÓ at the judicial office of San Jose de Apartadó. I do not see it as prudent to continue arming, legally or illegally, the civilian population, especially because, in this municipality, all agencies of security are state-based agencies. Permitting such groups accelerates the levels of delegitimization of the state and will generate more confusion in the community at large. The situation becomes even more difficult when we are already dealing with: the guerrilla, the paramiitaries, and now with the Conviva--without even knowing how many private security groups are already operating in this jurisdiction--and all of this without even mentioning common delinquency.

I beg you, finally, to reconsider permitting this new group to operate in our municipality. Each day, the control of arms is channelled more and more into the private sector, which affects the capacity of the municipality to govern.

We are sending a copy of this communication to the Constitutional Court, Doctor Gilberto Echeverry Mejia, Minister of Defense, Honorable City Council.

Cordially,

Gloria Isabel Cuartas Montoya
Mayor of Apartadó