Colombia: Mass demonstration and massive repression.
ab | 29.08.2003 16:00 | Globalisation | Repression | Social Struggles | World
A general strike and a mass demonstration of a hundred thousand people in Bogota against the American free trade contract ALCA paralyzed Colombia on the 12th of august during the visit of Bush's trade delegate Zoellick to Colombia. [timeline of events.]
At the demonstration and from then on, repression in Colombia has increased, consisting of mass arrests of trade unionists, community and social workers and assassination attempts [AI statement].
As the conflict intensified, Juan Carlos Benavides, a journalist at the community radio Manantial Stereo in Putumayo, was murdered on the 22nd of August at a road-block set up by the guerrilla organization FARC.
"Juan Carlos was a well known community communicator in the region, always trying to support community participation and social journalism. He was an active member of the CRIS campaign, coordinated in Colombia by the local NGO Planeta Paz." From a statement of the campaign Communication Rights in the Information Society.
At the demonstration and from then on, repression in Colombia has increased, consisting of mass arrests of trade unionists, community and social workers and assassination attempts [AI statement].
As the conflict intensified, Juan Carlos Benavides, a journalist at the community radio Manantial Stereo in Putumayo, was murdered on the 22nd of August at a road-block set up by the guerrilla organization FARC.
"Juan Carlos was a well known community communicator in the region, always trying to support community participation and social journalism. He was an active member of the CRIS campaign, coordinated in Colombia by the local NGO Planeta Paz." From a statement of the campaign Communication Rights in the Information Society.
pics of the demo 12th of august, Bogota
The next actions in the UK against Coca Cola are scheduled for the 13th of September. Protesters have announced solidarity protests in Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow in Scotland, to support the boycott of Coca Cola, and to inform about Sinaltrainal, the trade union's court case against Coca Cola's alleged involvement of human rights violations in Colombia.
For more information, see pictures and reports in Spanish on Imc Colombia.
Information about Coca Cola's court case and repression in Colombia in general in other languages can also be found on: Imc Belgrad, Imc Italy [1,2 ,(en)], Imc Euskal Herria, Imc Germany [1, 2, 3, Koloumbienkampagne], TranslationIMC.
For more information, see pictures and reports in Spanish on Imc Colombia.
Information about Coca Cola's court case and repression in Colombia in general in other languages can also be found on: Imc Belgrad, Imc Italy [1,2 ,(en)], Imc Euskal Herria, Imc Germany [1, 2, 3, Koloumbienkampagne], TranslationIMC.
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Look At The Size Of That Elephant Herd!
01.09.2003 13:20
billder
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Also in Venezuela...
01.09.2003 23:01
rights and labor attorney Carlos Sαnchez, another colleague has been
laid down. Venezuelan Attorney Joe Castillo, his wife, and child,
were ambushed on Wednesday evening as they returned to their home in
the state of Zulia. Castillo was pronounced dead that night: the
result of 17 bullet wounds. His family members are wounded. The
assassination of Castillo - an advocate for President Hugo Chαvez's
land reform policies and defender of indigenous peoples - came hours
before President Chαvez is slated to return one million hectares of
land to the peasant farmers and indigenous of Venezuela.
Read more at
xm..