I. LETTER FROM BERENICE AND LUCHO
II. URGENT ACTION (EDITED)


I. LETTER FROM BERENICE AND LUCHO
--------------------------------------
Comrades, receive our fraternal greetings.

As feared the situation has got worse in the last few days as a result
of the mal-intentioned publications in El Pais newspaper. As we said in
the last message we are doing a series of legal actions and public
denunciation, as well as preparing for a high level meeting. yesterday's
Press Conference got good coverage and has had some effect.

With this message we are sending the most recent Urgent Action in which
we recap on El Pais's marking us out, and new facts are included because
they are alos about the attempt to delegitimise us and make us illegal.
SINTRAEMCALI's defence and denunciation has been very strong against
this violation of human rights in the city of Cali and the region.

We include some background, that is pertinent to mention, although they
have appeared in previous actions, because we believe it is important to
underline the way in which these vents show a systematic policy that has
been pursued to achieve the privatisation of EMCALI E.I.C.E. and the
stigmatisation of organisations that defend human rights.

However we are not discouraged. The renewed support of the community has
been important and next Thursday they are going to demonstrate publicly,
as in "The Dream of the Escalinatas" by Jorge Zalamea, that our
constituency grows anew.

A great hug to all and we hope for many support actions.

Luis Hernandez M.
President SINTRAEMCALI

Berenice Celeyta A
President NOMASDESC

10th July 2002


II. URGENT ACTION
---------------------

SUSPICIOUS MEN PURSUE SINTRAEMCALI AND NOMADESC ASSOCIATION DURING THE
SAME WEEK THAT THE TRADE UNION ORGANISATION HAS BEEN MARKED OUT BY EL
PAIS NEWSPAPER

The Association for Investigation and Social Action NOMADESC and the
below signed organisations, all members of the National and
International Human Rights Campaign Against Corruption, Privatisation
and the Criminalisation of Social Protest, denounce to the national and
international community the serious events that have occurred in the
week from 30th June to 8th July 2002. These events increase the
systematic persecution, targeting, threats, psychological torture and
the assassinations that have been suffered by SINTRAEMCALI, community
leaders in the city and their advisers, since 29th January 2002 when the
agreement was signed by the Colombian government to stop the
privatisation of Cali's Municipal Corporation EMCALI E.I.C.E....

[The document then refers to the El Pais article of 30th June and the
union's demand of 2nd July demanding corrections and an apology, see our
Super Urgent Action 8th July, 2002 - square brackets indicate CSC
translater's note]

The demand for correction was responded to in the following terms by the
head of the Legal Department of "El Pais" newspaper, CAROLINA ESCRUCERÍA
C. "You cite the President of the Republic's directive No. 07 issued on
12 November 1999, directed at public servants. Obviously this does not
relate to EL PAIS which does not have the status of PUBLIC SERVANT, and
for this reason the directive is not applicable to us. Perhaps you
intend that the directive applies to the councillors, which is why we
recommend that you send to them your legal concerns." ...

[A Suspicious Incident]
-----------------------
At approximately 11am on 4th July 2002 a man arrived at the office of
lawyer Hermes Sánchez. This man was between 38 and 42 years old, between
1.62m and 1.65m tall, he had white complexion, was heavily built but
athletic, with short grey hair and wearing glasses. He called himself
Eduardo and said that he was a worker with SINTRAEMCALI. This man had
come with the supposed purpose of, according to him, presenting the work
that he had been doing for the union.

At the start of this conversation with the lawyer this man said, "that
he had been in the M-19 and that did he [Hermes - CSC] not remember him
from the time up in the hills" [Implying that the lawyer and this person
both had a past in the M-19 guerrilla movement - CSC]. In the face of
this assertion, the lawyer stated that for many years he had represented
social processes, that he had been councillor for the Conservative
Party, and he had been a representative of civil society in the peace
process with M-19, and that he did not recall ever seeing this man.
Insisting that they already knew each other, this man asked the lawyer
in which project he had been involved, and that if he remembered that he
was a friend of Carlos, the one at the University, who had just arrived
from Europe.

With regard to this last comment it is important to note that National
and International Human Rights Campaign Against Corruption,
Privatisation and the Criminalisation of Social Protest, co-ordinating
NOMADESC, SINTRAEMCALI, the Committee for Solidarity with Political
Prisoners, and the Valle de Cauca CUT Regional Committee, as well as
other social organisations and trade unions in the region, had Carlos
Gonzalez as our representative in Europe. Carlos is the Auditor of
SINTRAUNICOL Valle (University Workers Union) and a member of the CUT
National Committee. Carlos Gonzalez's tour lasted from 29th April to
23rd June 2002, in which time he participated in the ILO conference in
Geneva, Switzerland, amongst others.

The individual insisted that it was very important that they are linked
with the work of SINTRAEMCALI and its Human Rights office, and that they
were carrying out some new projects, that the union was giving talks
that they could link themselves with, as well as their work with the
displaced. The lawyer stated that he was not interested in these matters
and that for now he was dealing with demands concerning corruption, and
advising on legislative reform, and that he was not interested in what
he was being told.

The man said to the lawyer not to be afraid, because if the lawyer
needed to leave the country, he could talk to Berenice, who could
arrange for him to leave the country. Did he know her? The lawyer stated
that the only Berenice he knew was in the work of Edgar Alan Poe. Then
the guy said no, he was talking about the Berenice working in human
rights, who could be found on the third floor of the union office, and
if not there then through the José Alvear Restrepo Collective
[Colombia's pre-eminent group of human rights lawyers based in Bogotá -
CSC]. The lawyer stated that he had no interest in leaving the country.
The man said: "Look, we are speaking very clearly that we are working
with the guerrilla, we bring wounded guerrilla fighters and we cure
them, all of this is co-ordinated with them". At this point the lawyer
interrupted, stating again that he had no interest in speaking of these
things that did not interest him at all and that his role was as a legal
advisor.

The man continued insisting that they had been able to link him as an
adviser to the union, saying things for example that Policarpa
Salavarrieta and José Hilario López had done it and why could we not do
it now. The lawyer stated that he had no more time and the man left.

We emphasise that nobody in SINTRAEMCALI, NOMADESC or in the Human
Rights Department or in the National and International Human Rights
Campaign Against Corruption, Privatisation and the Criminalisation of
Social Protest knows this man who called himself Eduardo, and that he
does not work in any of our offices.

It also seems strange to us that this individual should go to the
offices of HERMES SÁNCHEZ, who has not directly advised SINTRAEMCALI.
Although we also note that two of the colleagues sharing this lawyer's
office have advised SINTRAEMCALI in the past on presenting demands
against corruption, these were presented inside EMCALI, E.I.C.E.

[The document also reports:

· the attempt on LUIS HERNANDEZ immediately after he had met with the
British TUC delegation on 22th February 2002

· the attempt on BERENICE CELEYTA and a student just after they left
SINTRAEMCALI's office on 18th April 2002

· the police assault on SINTRAEMCALI and other union leaders on the May
Day demonstration that left JESUS GONZALEZ, Director of the CUT Human
Rights Department in intensive care.]


WE ASK FOR:

Because of the above we ask all of you to:


· Demand that "El Pais" newspaper, rectifies on its front page the news
that it has published and that ther be respect for social, popular,
trade union and human rights organisations.

· Urge the government to attend a meeting with SINTRAEMCALI and NOMADESC
Association, that has been convened for Tuesday 16th July 2002, in
Bogotá.

· Take IMMEDIATE PREVENTATIVE ACTION, against whatever attempt against
the physical and psychological well being of the leaders, activists,
spokes people and advisers of SINTRAEMCALI and their families, as well
as all social, popular and community leaders who are now at high risk.

· Make pronouncements to the United Nations, the Organisation of
American States, the Diplomatic Corps and the International Labour
Organisation so that there be guarantees for the human rights of
threatened people. Ask that they demand of the Colombian government and
competent authorities sufficient and necessary guarantees so that our
constitutional rights are respected, such as he right to life, security,
freedom of opinion, information, demonstration, trade unionism and
protest.

· Co-ordinate an international delegation composed of international
organisations to follow this situation. to make violations known, and to
be an observer over the Agreement signed between SINTRAEMCALI, the Cali
community and the Colombian Government.

· Solicit letters of support and protest from Members of Parliament and
above all, arrange a delegation of European, US and Canadian
parliamentarians to verify this grave situation.

· Demand of the Colombian government that it carries out an exhaustive
investigation in order to punish the material and intellectual authors
of the above mentioned incidents.

Finally, and in the light of existing evidence that members of state
security forces are following, filming, photographing and threatening
the workers, as was seen on 1st May, we make the Colombian State
responsible for whatever incident that follows against the well being of
the social, popular, human rights and trade union leaders.


SEND MESSAGES OR LETTERS TO / QUE ENVIE MENSAJES O CARTAS A:

EDUARDO FERNÁNDEZ SOTO
Director del Periódico el País
DIEGO MARTINEZ LLOREDA
Subdirector del periódico el País
PERIODICO EL PAIS
Carrera 2 No 24-46
Telefono (572) 8831183
 diario@elpais-cali.com
Santiago de Cali

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:  pastrana@presidencia.gov.co

ARMANDO ESTRADA VILLA
Ministro del Interior
Carrera 8 # 8-09 - Bogotá
Fax: +57-1-286.80.25

GUSTAVO BELL
Ministro de la Defensa,
Ministerio de Defensa Nacional
Avenida El Dorado con carrera 52 CAN Santa Fe de Bogotá
Tel-fax: +57.1.222.1874
E-mail de la Secretaría General:  infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co

EDGARDO JOSÉ MAYA VILLAZÓN
Procuraduría General de la Nación
Carrera 5 No. 15-80 Santa Fe de Bogotá
Tel-fax: +57.1.342.9723, +57.1.281.7531

LUIS CAMILO OSORIO
Fiscal General de la Nación
Diagonal 22 B No. 52-01 Santa Fe de Bogotá.
Tel fax: +57.1.570.2022

EDUARDO CIFUENTES
Defensoría del Pueblo
Calle 55 No. 10-32 Santa Fe de Bogotá
Fax: +57.1.346.1225

LUIS ERNESTO GILIBERT
Director General Policía Nacional
Santafé de Bogotá
Fax: +57.1.428.7634 - +57.1.315.9527

FERNANDO TAPIAS STAHELIN
Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares
Avenida el Dorado con Carrera 52
Santa Fe de Bogotá
Telefax. 57-1-2222935

CAMILO GÓMEZ
Comisionado para la Paz Fax: +57.1.560.9946 Fax: +57.1.313.4050
Mailto:  oacnudh@hchr.org.co

National and International Human Rights Campaign Against Corruption,
Privatisation and the Criminalisation of Social Protest

Asociación Para la Investigación y Acción Social - NOMADESC
Sindicato de Trabajadores de Las Empresas Municipales de Cali
SINTRAEMCALI
Sindicato De Los Trabajadores Universitarios De Colombia- SINTRAUNICOL
La Unión Sindical Obrera - USO
Corporación Servicios Profesionales Comunitarios - SEMBRAR
Central Unitaria De Los Trabajadores CUT - VALLE DEL CAUCA
Sindicato de Trabajadores de la Minería en Colombia SINTRAMINERCOL
Movimiento Estudiantil del Valle del Cauca y Nariño
Fundación Comité De Solidaridad Con Presos Políticos Seccional Valle del
Cauca
Sintramunicipio Bugalagrande
Sintramunicipio Yumbo
Sintramunicipio Dagua
Sintrametal Yumbo
Sutev
Asonal Judicial Valle del Cauca
Sintrahospiclínicas
Sinaltrainal Bugalagrande

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