URGENT ACTION NEEDED



The District Association of citizens of Arauca and Cubara Boyaca (ASOPERARAUCA) would like to awake public knowledge of the currrent human rights situation pending over the Arauca district:



1- In the months of August and September, alledged self-defense groups made their presence in the border between Casanare and Arauca and, through the extortion of hostages, threated to come into our district in order to assassinate people registered in their lists as having relationship to the guerrillas FARC and ELN; on September 29th, a gas station in the County of Tame was raided by alledged paramilitary members, killing ALEXANDER RODRIGUEZ and CRUZ AURORA GARCIA DE SOLER, and hurt four other people; according to witnesses minutes earlier members of the Colombian Army had visited the same site. On October 2nd, the ex Parliament-representative OCTAVIO SARMIENTO BOHORQUEZ was assassinated, a



2- Our district is one of the few in Colombia so far untouched by Paramilitarism, and in spite of the efforts that paramilitary groups have undertaken, due to the strong presence of social movements represented by 570 popular action committees, 275 NGOs of different activities, 7 county assotiations of popular action a federal distric committee, the coordination of social organizations, with the participation of workers, indigenous people, peasants, traders, students, youth and women.



3- The word that the paramilitary group AUC will intensify its actions in our districts starting on NOVEMBER 1st. According to the inhabitants and farmers from the Districts Tame and Puerto Rondon, who have been forced by a part of the AUC to abandon their region and join their forces, in the fact of extrajudiciary executions. Similarly, there is fear that these groups will also intensify operations in Arauca capital.



WE CONSIDER:



That only an action coordinated by the National government, containing precise orders to the Miitary and Police commanders, coupled with jurisdictional presence can counteract the groups outside of the Law, and avaid an eventual incursion and its subconsequent blood bath, which would attent against the lives of the inhabitants of our districts and one of the few societal structures stable in our country.



WE URGE



TO send urgent messages to



Doctor ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO, President of the Republic of Colombia, Placio de Narinho, Botoga D.C./ Email  pastrana@presidencia.gov.co



Doctor Gustavo BELL LEMUS, Vicepresident of the Republic. Email  infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co and Minister of National Defense



Doctor ARMANDO ESTRADA VILLA, Minister of Interior, Palace of Narinho, Fax 091 3419500 3340630,



General of the Republic CARLOS LEMUS PEDRAZA, Commander XVIII of the National Army Arauca-Arauca



Mr.

ANDRÉS PASTRANA ARANGO

President of the Republic of Colombia

Bogotá



URGENT ACTION!!

Beholded Mr. President,



In my concern for the life of all Araucanians, I solicit respectfully that as the commander-in-chief of the Colombian army you give orders to the military authorities responsibe of the preservation of the the life, honor and properties of the inhabitans of Arauca, to take action to preclude that the AUC attack the inhabitants of the Aurauca District. The AUC paramilitary group had announced intense actions after November 1st.



It is with great regret that I acknowledge that the government led by yourself has not undertaken measures to protect the life of the SOLER family, and the ex-parliament representatives SARMIENTO BOHORQUEZ AND COLMEnARES CHIA and other poepe that have been supposedly assassinated by these groups, as a complicity seems to be patent between the Colombian army and the AUC.







This message is to be sent to:



Doctor ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO, President of the Republic of Colombia, Placio de Narinho, Botoga D.C./ Email  pastrana@presidencia.gov.co



Doctor Gustavo BELL LEMUS, Vicepresident of the Republic. Email  infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co and Minister of National Defense



Doctor ARMANDO ESTRADA VILLA, Minister of Interior, Palace of Narinho, Fax 091 3419500 3340630, General of the Republic CARLOS LEMUS PEDRAZA, Commander XVIII of the National Army Arauca-Arauca



Please send copies of your faxes and mails to the association ASOPERARAUCA:  XIOMY2875@hotmail.com