(Espanol sigue al ingles.)

*Communique from U'wa Traditional Authorities
*Sign-on letter

PLEASE RESPOND TO Oilwatch Europe to sign on. (oilwatch@aseed.antenna.nl)

======================================================
From: Oilwatch Europe

Dear readers,

The Colombian military have caried out their threat to evict the
U'wa remaining on the proposed drilling site. According to the
press release below three U'wa are missing after the eviction.

Those of you who have not signed the sign on letter (many have
allready see the letter below): Please do it ASAP !!! You will find the
text again below the press release.

Thanks,

Aart van den Hoek

 

COMMUNIQUE TO THE PUBLIC
INVASION AND EVICTION OF THE UWA PEOPLE
Violation of national interest and cultural identity

Today, The 25th of January, 2000, in an ashamed action by the
military and police forces, headed by Major Victor Hugo
Rojas, we, indigenous U'wa people, were evicted from our land:
Santa Rita and Bellavista, where the oil perforation well
Gibraltar is located. The armyused helicopters to take us out
from our land, and after this action three of our brothers are
missing.

Since the 22nd of January, 10 big trucks had arrived to the area
of the Samore Block, transporting machinery to start the
building up of a road through Cedeno , in order to arrive to our
territory, in this sense the absolute determination of the
Occidental of starting the oil activity was ratified, without taking into
account that here we inhabit men, women, children, elders, cultures and
history, their only and main concern is to carry out the oil extraction

These violations have been supported by the General Director of
Indigenous of the Interior Ministry, the lawyer Nubia Morales,
judge from the municipality of Toledo, and the governor of
Northern Santander, Jorge Garcia Herreros, who in a cynical
tone said: those animal indians have to be evicted violently".
We hold the Colombian Government responsible for this action
and its in particular the President, Andres Pastrana Arango and
the Occidental Company, OXY.

This eviction action does not recognize our propierty right and
possession that we, the Uwas authorities and People, through
a contract, held the 18th of Novermber, 1999, in the First
Notary and registered properly in the Ofice of Register and
Public Instruments, Pamplona Sessional.

The communal ethnic territories are inalienable, can not be
seized and are imprescriptible, and that they are protected by
the title deed of colective territory, according to the
consitutional and legal rights (articles 1, 2, 63,70, 286 and 330 of the
National Constitution, Agreement 179 OIT, law 21
of 1921)

We are calling the General Procurator of the Nation, The
Defensor of the People and the Human Rights groups to come
to our invaded territory immediately.

We invite the national and international community to double the
support action of denunciation and solidarity with the Uwa
people.

We are calling the governments of the world to reject the
Colombian Plan, deny the resources to the Colombian
government , which only aim is to increase the violation against
the Colombian people and in particular, against indigenous
groups.

THE UWAS TERRITORY IS SACRED
THE UWAS WILL NOT GIVE UP OUR CULTURAL,
HISTORICAL AND MILLENARY RIGHTS.
CULTURES WITH PRINCIPLES ARE NOT SOLD
WE THE UWAS DEFEND LIFE AND PLANET EARTH.

Cubara, January 25, 2000

CABILDO MAYOR U´WA
Cubara, Boyaca, Colombia

FOR MORE INFORMATION: 011 571 2812071; 011 571 3376950; 011 571 2458906; 011
571 2456860

E-mail: cobacata@colnodo.apc.org; censat@colnodo.apc.org
*****************************************

 

Dear ....,

We object against the drilling of oil in the traditional lands of the
Colombian U'wa indians.

The U'wa have repeatedly stated that they do not want -at any
price- that oil development takes place in their territory.

To them the earth is sacred and oil is considered the blood of
the earth which cannot be taken without destroying the balance
of nature.

Furthermore they are aware that in Colombia, as in may other
places in the world, the development of the oil industry will lead to
pollution, violence and the erosion of their culture.

Therefore they say NO to oil development!!!

We, undersigned organisations and individuals, support their
case!

We think that it is maddness to sacrifice more of the earths
remaining nature and distinct cultures for the exploitation of oil.

The amount of fossil fuels found on the earth is allready much
bigger than the amount we can burn without risking serious
climate impacts.

Therefore we ask you to do anything within your influence to
prevent further exploration and exploitation activity within the
traditional U'wa territory.

 

signed,

 

 

Aart van den Hoek, Oilwatch Europe

Alexandra Wawryk, student, South Australia.

Dmitry Lisitsyn, Chairman "Sakhalin Environment Watch",
Russia.

Dr. Irene Novaczek, Earth Action, Prince Edward Island,
Canada Earth Action, Prince Edward Island, Canada

EcoCreactive Jugendplattform, Luxembourg

Evelyn Underwood, UK

Felix Tuodolo, Ijaw Youth Council, Nigeria

Greg Muttitt, Corporate Watch U.K

Iva Zalite, Green Liberty, Latvia

Isaac Osuoka, Oilwatch Africa

Jan Bargen, Germany

Jaroslava Colajacomo, Reform the World Bank Campaign Italy

Margriet Zoethout, Both ENDS, Netherlands

Mick Green, Friends of Cardigan Bay, UK

Mr. Rimantas Braziulis, Chairman Lithuanian Green
Movement/Friends of the Earth, Lithuania

Nengi Onyeagucha, Watch the Niger Delta, Nigeria

Samuel Nguiffo, Cameroon

Sarmite Pujena, journalist, Latvia

Saulius Piksrys, Chairman, "Atgaja" Community Lithuania

Simon Waters, director, TREES-Temperate Rainforest
Environmental Education Society, Canada

Ulla Lehtinen, Friends of the Earth, Finland

Vanessa Gray, UK

______________________________________________

COMUNICADO A LA OPINION PUBLICA

INVASION Y DESALOJO AL PUEBLO U`WA

Atropello a los intereses nacionales y a la identidad cultural

El dia de hoy, 25 de Enero del ano 2000, en vergonzosa accion de las
fuerzas militares y de policia, en cabeza del Mayor Victor Hugo Rojas
Aragon, indigenas del pueblo U`wa fuimos desalojados de nuestras
propiedades Santa Rita y Bellavista, donde se encuentra ubicado el punto de
perforacion Gibraltar I. Los militares utilizaron helicopteros para
sacarnos de nuestros
predios y despues de esa accion resultaron desaparecidos tres de nuestros
hermanos indigenas.

 

Ya desde el 22 de enero habian llegado diez tractomulas al area del bloque
Samore, transportando la maquinaria para iniciar la apertura de la
carretera a traves de la vereda Cedeno, hasta llegar a nuestras tierras,
con lo que se ratificaba la absoluta determinacion de la Occidental de
iniciar la actividad petrolera, pasando por encima de hombres, mujeres,
ninos, ancianos, culturas, historia, con tal de extraer el petroleo que se
encuentra en nuestras tierras.

 

Estos atropellos han contado con el respaldo de la Direccion General de
Asuntos Indigenas del Ministerio del Interior, de la abogada Nubia Morales,
juez del municipio de Toledo, y del gobernador de Norte de Santander, Jorge
Garcia Herreros, quien en forma cinica manifesto : "esos indios animales
hay que desalojarlos violentamente".

 

Hacemos responsable de la accion del desalojo y de lo que pueda generarse
con ella al gobierno colombiano, en particular, al presidente de la
Republica, Andres Pastrana Arango, y a la empresa Occidental de Colombia, OXY.

 

La accion del desalojo desconoce el derecho de dominio y posesion que
adquirimos el pueblo y las autoridades U`wa sobre estas tierras, mediante
contrato de compraventa, exento de todo vicio, celebrado el dia 18 de
noviembre de 1999, ante la Notaria Primera y registrado debidamente en la
Oficina de Registro e Instrumentos Publicos y Privados, seccional Pamplona.

Las tierras de las comunidades indigenas o grupos etnicos, son
inembargables, inalienables e imprescriptibles, segun disposiciones
constitucionales y legales (articulos 1º, 2º, 63, 70, 286, 287 y 330 de la
Constitucion Nacional, Convenio 179 de la OIT, ley 21 de 1921).

Convocamos a la Procuraduria General de la Nacion, a la Defensoria del
Pueblo y a los organismos de Derechos Humanos para que se hagan presentes
de manera inmediata en nuestro territorio invadido.

Invitamos a la comunidad nacional e internacional a redoblar las
actividades de apoyo, de denuncia y solidaridad con el pueblo U`wa.

Hacemos un llamado a los gobiernos del mundo para que rechacen las
solicitudes de apoyo al Plan Colombia y nieguen recursos al gobierno
colombiano, que busca con ese Plan incrementar los atropellos contra el
pueblo colombiano, en particular, contra los pueblos indigenas.

EL TERRITORIO U`WA ES SAGRADO
LAS CULTURAS CON PRINCIPIOS NO TIENEN PRECIO
LOS U`WAS DEFENDEMOS LA VIDA DE LA HUMANIDAD Y DEL PLANETA TIERRA.
NO RENUNCIAREMOS A NUESTROS DERECHOS

Cubara, 25 de enero de 2000

CABILDO MAYOR U´WA
Cubara, Boyaca, Colombia

INFORMES: telefonos (desde EEUU, marque 011 571 en lugar de 091).
091 2812071
091 3376950
091 2458906
091 2456860

E-mail:cobacata@colnodo.apc.org censat@colnodo.apc.org

Sus comunicaciones deben ser dirigidas a:

JUAN MAYR, Ministro del Medio Ambiente, Juan_Mayr_M@Hotmail.Com
y
Jmayr@minamb.gov.co 3361166, 2886877, 2840363

Dr. ANDRES PASTRANA, Presidente de la Republica de Colombia, Palacio de
Narino, Fax 2867434. Bogota. pastrana@presidencia.gov.co

Dr. GUSTAVO BELL LEMUS, Consejero Presidencial para los Derechos Humanos,
Fax 571 3418364. Bogota.

Dr. JAIME BERNAL CUELLAR, Procurador General de la Nacion, Fax 571 2840472,
3429723. Bogota.

Dr. ALFONSO GOMEZ MENDEZ, Fiscal General de la Nacion, Fax 571 5702000.
Bogota.

Dr. FERNANDO CASTRO CAICEDO, Defensor del Pueblo, Fax 571 3461225. Bogota.

Dr. NESTOR HUMBERTO MARTINEZ NEIRA, Ministro del Interior, Fax 571 2515884.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

************************************************************
Distribuido por: Distributed by:
'AMAZON ALLIANCE' FOR INDIGENOUS AND
TRADITIONAL PEOPLES OF THE AMAZON BASIN
1367 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20036-1860
tel (202)785-3334
fax (202)785-3335
amazoncoal@igc.org
http://www.amazoncoalition.org

Disclaimer: All copyrights belong to original publisher.
The Amazon Alliance has not verified the accuracy of the forwarded message.
Forwarding this message does not necessarily connote agreement with the
positions stated there-in.

Todos los derechos de autor pertenecen al autor originario.
La Alianza Amazonica no ha verificado la veracidad de este
mensaje. Enviar este mensaje no necesariamente significa que
la Alianza Amazonica este de acuerdo con el contenido.

La Alianza Amazónica para los Pueblos Indígenas y Tradicionales de la
Cuenca Amazónica es una iniciativa nacida de la alianza entre los pueblos
indígenas y tradicionales de la Amazonía y grupos e individuos que
comparten sus preocupaciones por el futuro de la Amazonía y sus pueblos.
Las ochenta organizaciones del norte y del sur activas en la Alianza
Amazónica creen que el futuro de la Amazonía depende de sus pueblos y el
estado de su medio ambiente.

The Amazon Alliance for Indigenous and Traditional Peoples of the Amazon
Basin is an initiative born out of the partnership between indigenous and
traditional peoples of the Amazon and groups and individuals who share
their concerns for the future of the Amazon and its peoples. The eighty
non-governmental organizations from the North and South active in the
Alliance believe that the future of the Amazon depends on its peoples and
the state of their environment.

 

______________________________________________
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