Two more comrades kidnapped
---------------------------
[See previous Urgent Actions dated 22nd October 2001, 3rd December 2001,
5th December 2001, 27th February 2002, 5th March 2002 and 26th March
2002].

Last Friday, 22nd March the National Executive of USO met in
Barrancabermeja and it was decided to continue our national work
stoppage, and besides to urgently seek a meeting with the government of
Andrés Pastrana at which USO's security situation must be dealt with
thoroughly, the kidnapping of Gilberto Torres Martinez and the future of
Ecopetrol. As well as the pension and labour reforms that affect the
rights of Ecopetrol workers.
 
It is important to emphasise that according to information from the
State's intelligence organisations, there exist indications of new
assassination attempts directed against our union organisation and
agiant other union leaders in the country. As can be seen the situation
is very serious and is getting worse, and so that is why we are seeking
this urgent meeting with President of the Republic Andrés Pastrana
Arango. We hope that the President will as soon as possible make a
pronouncement and make viable a meeting that will allow us to seek a
prompt solution to this assault on the trade union movement.

The funeral of our comrade RAFAEL JAIMES TORRA was carried out on
Saturday 23rd March, in the city of Bucaramanga. The great procession
formed by the Colombian workers movement, the Church and different
democratic sectors reflect the unanimous rejection of this genocide that
has as its objective the trade union and social movement in our country.
Beside this it was a demand on the Pastrana government to act against
the paramilitary groups that move unhindered in areas that are
militarily controlled by the Armed Forces.
 
Two more of our comrades working on the OCENSA pipeline were kidnapped
on 25th March by an unknown armed group. JOSE ANTONIO PEREZ, a
supervisor and HERNANDO SILVA, a worker, were [taken from] near to the
Araguaney station in Yopal, Casanare *.  We completely reject this
action and demand their immediate release.

USO Correspondent.

* this pipeline is part-owned by BP and transports BP's oil.


RECOMMENDED ACTIONS
-------------------

1. Write Immediately
--------------------

SEND MESSAGES TO / ENVIAR MENSAJES O CARTAS A:

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

And to:

FOR THOSE IN THE U.K.
Mr VICTOR RICARDO,
Ambassador to the UK,
Embassy of the Republic of Colombia
Flat 3A, 3 Hans Crescent, London SW1X 0LN, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 9177. Fax: (020) 7581 1829.
E-mail:  mail@colombianembassy.co.uk
 
FOR THOSE IN CANADA:
Fanny Kertzman Yankelevitch
Ambassador for Colombia
360 Albert Street, Suite 1002
Ottawa, Ontario K1R 7X7
Fax:      (613) 230-4416
Email:  embajador@embajadacolombia.ca 
 
FOR THOSE IN THE UNITED STATES: 
Luis Alberto Moreno
Embajador de Colombia
2118 Leroy Place, NW,
Washington, DC 20008
Phone: (202) 387 8338
Fax:     (202) 232 8643
 as@colombiaemb.org

with copies to:

USO ;
CUT ;
Colombia Solidarity Campaign ;
National and International Campaign Against Privatisation, Corruption
and the Criminalisation of Social Protest .


2. CAMPAIGN ACTIVITIES
======================

DEMONSTRATION THIS SATURDAY 30th MARCH - CND DON'T START WARS
-------------------------------------------------------------

Join the STOP PLAN COLOMBIA! contingent

Assemble 12 noon in Hyde Park and march to Trafalgar Square.

Further details and contact on the day 07955 923448


PICKET THE COLOMBIAN EMBASSY
----------------------------

STOP THE TERRORISM AGAINST USO!
FREE GILBERTO TORRES! FREE JOSE ANTONIO PEREZ! FREE HERNANDO SILVA!
END IMPUNITY FOR THE PARAMILITARIES!

4pm - 6pm Friday 5th April

3 Hans Crescent, London SW1 (back of Harrods, near Knightsbridge tube)

Called by Colombia Solidarity Campaign. All support welcome.
(or organise similar protest activities).


BP AGM
------

The Colombia Solidarity Campaign invites you to:

PUT BP ON TRIAL
===============

at BP's Annual General Meeting 10am Thursday 18 April 2002,
Royal Festival Hall,London SE1 (Embankment tube)

BP's oil pipeline companies are refusing to pay compensation to 300
peasants in Colombia whose livelihoods have been ruined. The families
were forced to abandon their land after two oil pipelines passing
through their farms caused extensive environmental damage. The families
now live in acute poverty in shanty towns in the city of Medellín. The
Colombia Solidarity Campaign is inviting representatives of the families
to BP's AGM to ask why the company has failed to pay adequate
compensation.

* BP is the largest foreign investor in Colombia

* Colombia has the world's highest trade union murder rate. Ninety
members of Colombia's oil workers' union (USO) have been murdered since
1988. Six USO members were killed January-March 2002.

* BP's drilling sites are militarized. An entire brigade of the Army
(the 16th Brigade) is dedicated to defending oil infrastructure in
Casanare, the region where BP operates. This brigade is implicated in
extra-judicial killings.

* BP refuses to meet the oil workers union and will not allow them to
visit the drilling sites.

* Two peasant activists, who protested against BP polluting their land,
were shot dead in 1995.

* BP employs a private security firm, Defence Systems Limited. This
London-based company was set up by former SAS members and is being
investigated by the Colombian state prosecutor for allegedly training
the Colombian police in 'lethal' counter-insurgency tactics.


COLOMBIA PIPELINE VICTIMS DEFENCE FUND
--------------------------------------
There is an urgent need to support the victims. Their cases have been
held up for several years in Colombia's interminable legal system as the
multinational's OCENSA/ODC consortium put in one blocking move after
another. Meanwhile the victims are in need of health care, food and
welfare as well as financial support for their legal defence. All
donations will be put to supporting the victims and their claim. Make
payable to "Colombia Solidarity Campaign" and write on the back "CPV
Defence Fund" and send to our address below.

For more information contact the Colombia Solidarity Campaign.

 colombia_sc@hotmail.com tel: 07950 923 448
Post: PO Box 8446, London N17 6NZ