Exactly one month ago on Christmas Day, the occupation of the CAM Tower began, and today this anniversary is being marked inside the tower with a mass-cleaning session, and a competition to determine which of the teams on each of the 16 floors of the building can sing the Internationale, and the SINTRAEMCALI anthem the best. Outside the building, food continues to be prepared in Thatcher's Kitchen, the streets are still patrolled by groups of workers, family and friends continue to gather to shout messages to loved ones inside, and loudspeakers continue to blast out messages of support and protest music. The infrastructure of resistance both inside and outside the tower remains intact, and in many ways has become normalized: a remarkable tribute to the adaptability of all those who have had their lives turned upside down in the last month. This is not to say that there are not problems, of course there are, but there still remains a solid determination to see this thing through.

After the road blocks of yesterday morning, the strong show of support by local communities, and the continued preparations for further actions on Monday, there are signs that the government may be yielding to public pressure, and reconsidering its position on the crucial issue of funding for the PTAR, water treatment plant. While nothing can be confirmed, an article in EL OCCIDENTE this morning stated that sources inside the government suggested that it was now prepared to pay the 80% of funding promised in an earlier agreement. If this is true, then the government and union/community alliance may be getting closer to a peaceful negotiated settlement.

True to form, the majority of the mass media did their best to discredit the blockades of yesterday, describing them as an abuse of power by the union and focusing on the inconvenience that was caused to the public. El Tiempo, one of the most popular papers in Cali, even made reference to unproven allegations that during a prior conflict trade unionists had threatened the life of the then Mayor Ricardo Cobo. They neglected to mention that he is a known paramilitary sympathiser, and that in the same period 6 SINTRAEMCALI leaders and activists were assassinated, two were forcibly disappeared, and three were put on trial for terrorism (the trial collapsed). The article also failed to mention the death threats received over the last weeks from the Paramilitaries who threatened to blow up the building, the union headquarters, and kill Alexander Lopez, the president. However, there was at least one good piece of news: an RCN radio poll showed that over 90% of those questioned said that they supported the actions of the union. Proof that even with the disinformation circulating in the media, people are beginning to make sense of the main issues involved in this conflict.

Tomorrow afternoon there is a popular assembly to agree on plans for Monday's day of action, and members of the negotiating team are in a meeting inside the CAM Tower in preparation for the negotiations in Bogotá. Meanwhile, here in SINTRAEMCALI's Human Rights Department, we eagerly await information on a meeting in Bogota between INTRAEMCALI
representatives and national trade union leaders, the picket of the Colombian Embassy in London, and the meeting between the Colombian ambassador and British trade union leaders. Hopefully, all of these things will contribute towards a just and peaceful resolution to the occupation.

Mario Novelli


EYEWITNESS REPORT BACK
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Mario Novelli will be speaking immediately on his return from Colombia at

4pm Saturday 2nd February, CORAS Centre, 161 Lambeth Walk, SE11. (nearest tubes Vauxhall or North Lambeth), the monthly meeting of the Colombia Solidarity Campaign.

PHOTOS
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We can e-mail photos of the occupation and London picket on request.


ADDITIONAL NOTE
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Speaking on a direct line from inside the occupation yesterday, union president Alexander Lopez said that Thursday's six hour blockage of all transport in and out of Cali shows the popular support that the occupation has in the city. Lopez welcomed the growing support from Britain and the picket of the Colombian Embassy in London. He pledged that "SINTRAEMCALI is in a position to maintain the resistance. We will keep the occupation going until we achieve what we came in here for, that EMCALI is not privatised." Lopez added that the union has spent £60,000 in running the dispute, and appeals for donations to continue as long as is necessary to win.

Cali's mayor Jhon Maro Rodríguez attacked Thursday's road blockades, threatening to break the occupation by force should they happen again. Up to now Rodríguez has backed the union's demand to stop the sell off of public services, but is now showing signs of breaking the united front.

The pressure is increasing on both sides. SINTRAEMCALI and a broad alliance of trade unions and community organisations have called a city wide stoppage in Cali on Monday to coincide with the negotiations. Monday will be a critical day.

E-MAIL PROTEST THIS WEEKEND
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E-mail your support for the SINTRAEMCALI occupation and its demands to Andres Pastrana, the Colombian President in time for the negotiations on Monday.

Your message should include:

* support for SINTRAEMCALI and community demand for water, electricity and telecommunications to stay in the public sector

* demand that charges against Alexander Lopez are dropped, and that all members of the union's executive are given guarantees to conduct union business during the negotiations

* concern for the human rights of the occupiers and that the paramilitary threats and actions are condemned by the Colombian authorities.

ANDRÉS PASTRANA ARANGO
Presidente de la República,
Presidencia de la República
Carrera 8 No. 7-26 Palacio de Nariño,
Santa Fe de Bogotá
Teléfono. +57.1.5629300 ext. 3550 (571) 284 33 00
Fax +(57)1 - 286 74 34 - 286, 68 42 -284 21 86
Mailto:  rdh@presidencia.gov.co

with copies to  colombia_sc@hotmail.com and  dhintegralsuroc@yahoo.com


TUC DELEGATION AND COMBINED PICKET
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Friday's TUC delegation and joint picket of the Colombian Embassy were very successful.

The delegation was led by John Monks, General Secretary of the TUC and Lord Brett of the ILO and consisted of senior representatives from seven trade unions: Ken Cameron (Fire Brigades Union and Justice for Colombia), Mick Rix (ASLEF traindrivers), Judy McKnight (NAPO probation officers), Anita Halpin (NUJ journalists), Billy Hayes (CWU communication workers), Alison Shepherd (UNISON public sector), Steve Sinnott (NUT teachers) and TUC international officer Simon Steyne.

The delegation was well briefed by Mario Novelli's daily reports and Simon Steyne's full preparation. The delegation expressed its general concern at the high numbers of assassinations of Colombian trade unionists. Lord Brett pointed out to the Colombian ambassador that putting arrest warrants on Alexander was effectively declaring him a target for the paramilitaries, and insisted that the charges be dropped. The TUC is very concerned by newspaper reports that Cali's mayor is threatening to use force to break into the occupation next Monday.

In the meantime the picket was building up to 100 strong. There were representatives of other unions, a contingent of hospital workers from UNISON and a group of students from Sussex University. Two friends had travelled from Liverpool to join the picket line.

Gloria Jaramillo taught the waiting British trade unionists some of the slogans used in the Colombian movements. "Compañeros de SINTRAEMCALI no estan solos, estamos con Ustedes!" "SINTRAEMCALI - Presente!".

Andy Higginbottom passed on greetings from Alexander Lopez and called on further mobilisations to stop the privatisation. "After one month in occupation this dispute has reached its critical point, the outcome hangs in the balance. We are on the verge of an historic victory, a popular mobilisation to block privatisation. International support is vital. We have a rare opportunity to make a real difference in the struggle against the multinationals".

Richard Solly drew attention to the house arrest of lawyer Armando Perez, for daring to stand up to the US multinational Exxon running the El Cerejon coalmine. Dan Gladesbrook president of Sussex students, UNISON members, and Latin America specialist David Raby stepped forward to pledge their solidarity with the SINTRAEMCALI occupation.

John Monks reported back to the picket on behalf of the delegation. Ambassador Victor Ricardo admitted that the British trade union leaders seemed to know more about the situation in Cali than he did, and he was even receiving faxes to brief him during the meeting. The ambassador had complained that the Prosecutor General had not informed him of what was happening on Alex's case, and promised to relay all the concerns expressed by the delegation back to the government. He declared an open door to future delegations, and suggested that the forthcoming TUC delegation to Colombia meet with the Prosecutor General. John Monks was very firm that the TUC considers the situation in Cali of great concern to the trade union movement in Britain and internationally.

FUNDS NEEDED URGENTLY
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We received an anonymous £200 this week. Several individuals have returned collection sheets with donations and at least one UNISON branch has voted a considerable donation. Please collect and send in donations as soon as possible. Make cheques payable to 'Colombia Solidarity
Campaign' and write 'SINTRAEMCALI' on the back.


COLOMBIA SOLIDARITY CAMPAIGN CONFERENCE AND AGM
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SATURDAY 23nd & SUNDAY 24th FEBRUARY 2002
CONWAY HALL, RED LION SQUARE, LONDON WC1

"Plan Colombia - Clearing the Way for the Multinationals"

For more information on the campaign contact  colombia_sc@hotmail.com, or
PO Box 8446, London N17 6NZ, or tel (07950) 923 448