U'WA DEFENSE WORKING GROUP

For Immediate Release: February 11, 2000

Contacts: Atossa Soltani 310-456-1340 or Martin Wagner 415-627-6700 ext.
216
Steve Kretzmann 510-551-7953 or Shannon Wright 415-595-7246

Colombia: Police Attack Peaceful U'wa Blockade
Three U'wa Children Killed - U'wa Reserve Militarized

Oxy and Colombian Government Urged to Suspend Operations

Cubará, Colombia -- Dangerously escalating an already tense situation,
Colombian National Police today brutally attacked a group of 450 peaceful
U'wa protesters on a road near the hamlet of Canoas, approximately 4
kilometers from Gibraltar 1, site of the Occidental Petroleum's proposed oil
well in Northeast Colombia. According to an urgent communiqué from the
U'wa, this attack resulted in the death of three U'wa children. Many adults
were also injured and several U'wa are now missing.

The U'wa report that at 8:15 am this morning, four helicopters arrived from
Bogota carrying members of the Colombian National Police who then began to
disperse a group of U'wa men, women, children, and medicine men and their
supporters who have been peacefully blockading the Saravena - Pomplano road
for the past week. Without warning, the police used tear gas and heavy
machinery to charge the blockade, forcing the peaceful U'wa into the Cubujón
River. The road blockades had been effectively stopping Oxy from moving in
construction equipment to the drill site.

The U'wa are in engaged in a tense standoff with the Colombian Government
and Oxy to prevent oil drilling on their sacred ancestral lands. Since
January 19, the region including the site of the oil well have been heavily
militarized. The U'wa also report that even the U'wa reservation has been
militarized and the army is reportedly restricting travel to and from the
reservation. On January 25, The Colombian soldiers reportedly used brutal
methods to evict the nonviolent U'wa, airlifting the last 25 resisters by
military helicopters.

International human rights groups are calling for an immediate suspension of
all activity by Oxy at Gibraltar 1 pending a negotiated settlement with the
U'wa and calling on President Pastrana to withdraw Colombian security forces
from the U'wa Reserve and from the two farms owned by the U'wa at Gibraltar
1. Furthermore, Groups in the U.S. are calling on the Clinton
Administration to use diplomatic pressures on the Colombian Government to
ensure a peaceful resolution of this conflict.

"At a time when the US is about to vote for $2 million a day in military aid
to the Colombian security forces, military maneuvers resulting in the death
of innocent U'wa children cause serious alarm about how our tax dollars
could fund more brutality and human rights abuses against innocent civilians
in Colombia," said Steve Kretzmann of Amazon Watch.

In the past week, protests were held in 34 cities in nine countries. These
demonstrations have been targeting the two most important shareholders in
Occidental - Fidelity Investments, which controls about 10 percent of Oxy
stock, and US Vice President Al Gore, who holds up to a half million dollars
in Oxy stock and who has enjoyed the sponsorship of Oxy throughout his
political career. Yesterday, a protest was held outside the Gore 2000
campaign headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.

# # #

The U'wa Communique on the incident follows this press release
(English and Spanish).

U'WA DEFENSE WORKING GROUP

For Immediate Release: February 11, 2000

Contacts: Atossa Soltani 310-456-1340
Martin Wagner 415-627-6700 ext 216
Steve Kretzmann 510-551-7953 or Shannon Wright 415-595-7246

Colombian Police Attack Peaceful U'wa Blockade
Three U'wa Children Killed - U'wa Reserve Militarized

Oxy and Colombian Government Urged to Suspend Operations

Cubara, Colombia -- Dangerously escalating an already tense situation,
Colombian National Police today brutally attacked a group of 450 peaceful
U'wa protesters on a road near Las Canoas, approximately 4 kilometers from
Gibraltar 1, site of the Occidental Petroleum's proposed oil well in
Northeast Colombia. According to an urgent communiqué from the U'wa, this
attack resulted in the death of three U'wa children. Many adults were also
injured and several U'wa are now missing.

The U'wa report that at 8:15 am this morning, four helicopters arrived from
Bogota carrying members of the Colombian National Police who then began to
disperse a group of U'wa men, women, children, and medicine men and their
supporters who have been peacefully blockading the Saravena - Pomplano road
for the past week. Without warning, the police used tear gas and heavy
machinery to charge the blockade, forcing the peaceful U'wa into the Cubujón
River. The road blockades had been effectively stopping Oxy from moving in
construction equipment to the drill site.

The U'wa are in engaged in a tense standoff with the Colombian Government
and Oxy to prevent oil drilling on their sacred ancestral lands. Since
January 19, the region including the site of the oil well have been heavily
militarized. The U'wa also report that even the U'wa reservation has been
militarized and the army is reportedly restricting travel to and from the
reservation. On January 25, The Colombian soldiers reportedly used brutal
methods to evict the nonviolent U'wa, airlifting the last 25 resisters by
military helicopters.

International human rights groups are calling for an immediate suspension of
all activity by Oxy at Gibraltar 1 pending a negotiated settlement with the
U'wa and calling on President Pastrana to withdraw Colombian security forces
from the U'wa Reserve and from the two farms owned by the U'wa at Gibraltar
1. Furthermore, Groups in the U.S. are calling on the Clinton
Administration to use diplomatic pressures on the Colombian Government to
ensure a peaceful resolution of this conflict.

"At a time when the US is about to vote for $2 million a day in military aid
to the Colombian security forces, military maneuvers resulting in the death
of innocent U'wa children cause serious alarm about how our tax dollars
could fund more brutality and human rights abuses against innocent civilians
in Colombia," said Steve Kretzmann of Amazon Watch.

In the past week, protests were held in 34 cities in nine countries. These
demonstrations have been targeting the two most important shareholders in
Occidental - Fidelity Investments, which controls about 10 percent of Oxy
stock, and US Vice President Al Gore, who holds up to a half million dollars
in Oxy stock and who has enjoyed the sponsorship of Oxy throughout his
political career. Yesterday, a protest was held outside the Gore 2000
campaign headquarters in Nashville, Tennessee.

# # #

----- Original Message -----
From: Censat Agua Viva
Sent: Friday, February 11, 2000 11:33 AM
Subject: URGENTE, URGENTE: TRES NIÑOS INDIGENAS U`WAS ASESINADOS POR ACCION
MILITAR Y POLICIAL

DENUNCIA PUBLICA NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL

La Asociación de Cabildos y autoridades tradicionales ASOU`WA y el Consejo
Regional CRIA, denunciamos antes las ONGS de Derechos Humanos departamental,
nacional e internacional, los siguientes hechos:

Hoy viernes 11 de Febrero del 2000, siendo las 8:15 a.m., arribaron fuerzas
mixtas entre policía y ejercito que fueron trasladados por vía aérea, al
sitio de las Canoas, aproximadamente 4 kilómetros de Gibraltar (Norte de
Santander), lugar donde nos encontrábamos concentrados alrededor de 450
indígenas entre mujeres, niños, ancianos de la comunidad U`wa. La fuerza
publica sin ningún aviso, procedió a desplazarnos forzosamente a las
comunidades, con maquinaria pesada y gases lacrimógenos; obligándonos a
lanzarnos al río del Cubujón, debido a la persecución y hechos de fuerza,
quedaron como consecuencia de estos atropellos 3 niños indígenas muertos,
niños y mujeres heridos y contusos, a los igual indígenas desaparecidos.

Denunciamos estos hechos de lesa humanidad en contra de nuestras comunidades
indígenas, que violan nuestros derechos constitucionales, los derechos
humanos y el derecho internacional humanitario.

Solicitamos URGENTEMENTE la intervención de los organismos de veeduría y
control del Estado, como ONGs nacional e internacional a pronunciarse en
contra de estos hechos violatorios a los preceptos constitucionales
indígenas y de Derechos Humanos

Exigimos del Presidente de la República y de la OXY, el respeto de las
comunidades indígenas, a la vez los responsabilizamos de todo acto
violatorio a nuestras comunidades e integridad física y territorialidad
indígena

POR LA DEFENSA DE NUESTROS DERECHOS ETNICOS, POR NUESTOS PRINCIPIOS Y
CULTRUA

COMUNIDAD U´WA

PRESENTES, PRESENTES

ASOU`WA CONSEJO REGIONAL INDIGENA DE ARAUCA
____________________________________________________
English translation

Sent: Friday, February 11, 2000 11:33 AM

URGENT: THREE U'WA CHILDREN KILLED DURING COMBINED POLICE AND MILITARY RAID

DENUNCIA PUBLICA NACIONAL E INTERNACIONAL

The Association of Traditional Uwa Authorities, ASOUWA, and the Regional
Indigenous Council of Arauca, denounce the following to departmental,
national and international Human Rights and Non-governmental Organizations:

1. Today, Friday, February 11, 2000, at approximately 8:15 a.m., combined
Colombian military and police forces arrived by air to the hamlet of Canoas,
approximately 4 kilometers from Gibraltar, Northern Santander deparatement.
At the site, approximately 450 indians -- women, children, men and elders
from the U'wa community -- were gathered. Without prior warning, the public
forces violently evicted the members of the community using heavy machinery
and tear gas, and they forced us to flee by leaping into the River Cubujon.
As a result of these violent acts, three U'wa children died. Other children
and women are wounded, and there are U'wa who are missing.

2. We denounce these crimes against humanity, specifically against the
indigneous people. These actions violate our constitutional rights, our
human rights and international humanitarian law.

3. We urgently request the intervention of governmental and non-governmental
observers, from the national and international levels.We urge you to speak
out against these abusive acts which violate the precepts of the Colombian
Constitution which protect indigenous people and which violate human rights.

4. We demand that the President of Colombia and Occidental Petroleum Company
take measures to respect the indigenous communities, and we hold them both
responsible for all actions which violate our physical well being and
territorial rights.

FOR THE DEFENSE OF OUR ETHNIC RIGHTS, OUR PRINCIPLES AND OUR

THE U'WA COMMUNITY IS PRESENT

ASOU`WA/ CONSEJO REGIONAL INDIGENA DE ARAUCA