|
U'WA EMERGENCY RESPONSE NEEDED!
From: ran.org |
415-398-4404/1-800-989-RAIN organize@ran.org in this post :
1. FROM : Censat Agua Viva
[censat@colnodo.apc.org] Colombian human rights and environmental organization
I write with sad news that the drilling machinery has arrived to U'wa territory. Lines of thousands of military personnel protected the equipment from Saravena to Cedeno. The roadway was blocked by the military thus impeding the mobilization of the people in the region. More than 80 trucks transported the machinery protected by the military. The Colombian government put out a huge amount of economic resources and military personnel to give security to Occidental, meanwhile trampling the U'wa's rights to their own land, recognized by the Royal Land Deeds law of the 1600's, which constitutionally gives the U'wa both soil and sub-soil rights. In a press conference yesterday (the 30th of September), Italian Green Party Senator, Stephano Boco, stated that the Green Party of Europe is prepared to bring the U'wa's case to the tribunals of Haya. Senator Boco also said that Italian representatives are ready to have a permanent presence in U'wa territory. U'wa leader, Berito Cobaria, stated that the U'wa would not give up their rights and would maintain their fight. Cobaria asked for the solidarity from Colombian people and the international community. Now more than ever we need to gather our forces and promote actions that will help the U'wa!
2 KEEP UP THE PRESSURE ON AL GORE! Over the last year Occidental Petroleum has been announcing the dates when they will start drilling on U'wa territory: October 1999, Feb 2000, May, July, September. The biggest testimony to the power of the U'wa resistance and the international solidarity movement is the fact that Oxy's timeline has continually been pushed back. Incredible international pressure has stopped the drilling to date and now its time to get the project canceled once and for all! Reports we received from the drillsite on the morning of Oct 2 confirm that Oxy's convoy of trucks has arrived but are not yet unloaded into the Gibraltar 1 drillsite. The trucks are lining the road within a few hundred yards of the site but over 40 U'wa representatives remain peacefully occupying the area. Over the past 6 months in the United States activists have been confronting Al Gore and demanding that he use his personal and political connections to stop the drilling on U'wa land. Nearly 50 of his campaign appearances have been disrupted and their have been demonstrations at dozens of his campaign offices including symbolic dumpings of blood and oil, lock-downs, and mass occupations. Now with the last of Oxy's machinery at the site we have only 2-3 weeks to stop this project before drilling begins. OCTOBER 6TH DAY OF SOLIDARITY! LET'S SHUT DOWN GORE 2000 CAMPAIGN CENTERS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH CONCERTED ACTS OF MASS NON-VIOLENT CIVIL DISOBEDIENCE! JOIN THE U'WA IN PUTTING YOUR BODY ON THE LINE! Start mobilizing today! Call Gore's office! Write a Letter to the newspaper today! Organize a pre-emptive vigil, demonstration or non-violent direct action today! Whether your group organizes civil disobedience, guerrilla theater, leafleting or a lively rally it doesn't matter. What does matter is that all of us stand together to let Al Gore know that he needs to take action for the U'wa! Many people are involved in efforts to open up the presidential debates to candidates from the non-corporate parties. If you are involved in this important work make sure to highlight the U'wa as one of the many voices being silenced. The silence of both Al Gore and George Bush about the devastating effects of Big Oil (the real high cost of gasoline) is a death sentence for the U'wa lands and culture and all traditional peoples. We must bring the U'wa struggle for survival into the attention of the public at every chance we get. The U'wa were threatened with eviction from their occupation around the proposed drillsite several weeks ago but have held their ground. The Department of Energy and Mines backed off from the eviction after the U'wa came forward with colonial lands claims from the 1660's that showed the King of Spain had granted them land rights including sub-surface rights to Oxy's Gibraltar 1 well-site. These colonial land claims have been honored in Colombia's highest courts many times over the past 50 years, the last ruling being in 1972. According to U'wa leader Jose Cobaria, the reason the U'wa were not evicted was thanks to the new land claims and international pressure. However the cycle of violence that the U'wa feared and warned about is escalating in the region. Helicopters having been flying overhead continually and in the past few days there have been skirmishes between the military and guerrilla factions. With the massive increase in troops violence will inevitably increase. Additionally, international press that has come to the region have been denied access to the militarized area. This past weekend through the 28th, an Italian Senator traveled through U'wa territory as an international observer. The Senator also had meetings with Colombian ministers, and in a press conference this weekend vowed to help stop Italy and the European Union backing of Plan Colombia. Although machinery is moving towards the well-site area, Berito Kuwaru'wa,
U'wa International Spokesperson, said the struggle will continue!! They
need our support now more than ever!
TAKE ACTION! Gore2000 601 Mainstream Dr. Nashville, TN 37228 Phone:
615-340-2000 Fax: 202-456-2685
http://www.algore2000.com under "Take Action" click on your state and then "[state] HQ" and you will find a list of all your local offices. More offices are opening nationwide each day! Find your nearest DNC office at: http://www.democrats.org/action/ Send a check to: Amazon Watch 115 South Topanga Topanga Canyon, CA 90290 Earmarked: U'wa Defense JOIN THE INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY FAST Starting in the coming days activists around the world will begin a solidarity fast to draw attention to the U'wa's desire for peace and an end to the proposed illegal oil drilling on their land. If you would like to be a part of the solidarity fast please join the planning listserve by sending a blank email to uwa-fast-subscribe@topica.com. BECOME A LOCAL ORGANIZING HUB! START A REGIONAL EMERGENCY RESPONSE PHONE TREE. CONTACT organize@ran.org with all your local info! For more information and downloadable materials check out www.ran.org
- www.amazonwatch.org - or - www.moles.org
3 OVER 25 ACTIONS FOR THE U'WA TARGET AL GORE IN THE LAST 2 WEEKS! Please send us reports from your actions as well as media clips! Below is a small sampling: KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK! *Ann Arbor, Michigan-40 people demonstrate in front of Gore's office. *Boulder, Colorado-Sep. 26- 150 people descended on the local Gore headquarters to rally in support of the U?wa. On the pretext of delivering a computer, activists tipped over a barrel of biodegradable fake blood, covering the steps to Gore?s headquarters, and then staged a mass die-in. Two people were arrested. Columbia, Missouri- Students at U. Missouri disrupted an on campus speech by Karenna Gore. Gore said she would meet with activists after the speech if they would stop, but the students demanded that any meeting take place in front of the media. Gore declined the offer, and the demonstrators continued their efforts to make the voice of the U?wa heard. *Philadelphia, Pennsylvania- Over a dozen people marched in front of the Gore offices with signs and flyers. Organizers have been calling the local Gore offices every day since then to demand that Gore take action to support the U?wa. *New York, New York- Several dozen people gathered at Gore's headquarters for guerrilla theater and a lively picket. Activists from the Wetlands Activism Center delivered a mock eviction notice to Gore despite harassment and unfair treatment at the hands of the police and an unrelated Republican protest. * Des Moines, Iowa- 75 people participated in a candlelight vigil accompanied by peaceful but loud chanting outside Al Gore's hotel. The hotel tried to drown out the protesters with loud music but the demonstrators continued until the 11 PM noise ordinance. A small group remained with candles outside the hotel until dawn! * Manchester, NH- Actions on two consecutive days. Activists protest outside Gore's office covered in oil. The next day they were joined by over 100 people from various groups to demand that Gore take action for the U'wa. * Eugene, OR- Activists disrupt a presentation by one of Gore's senior Environmental Advisors demanding that she clarify Gore's position on the U'wa. *Chicago, IL- 10 people demonstrated at a Gore fundraising event with signs and flyers. *London,England- Reclaim the Streets organized pickets and guerrilla theater outside both Fidelity Investments (a heavy investor in Ox) and the Colombian embassy *Melbourne, Australia (rumored action waiting for confirmation)
|