OXY BEGINS DRILLING ON U'WA LAND!

SOLIDARITY ACTIONS NEEDED!

#1 TAKE ACTION FOR THE U'WA!

"We will in no way sell our Mother Earth, to do so would be to give up our work of collaborating with the spirits to protect the heart of the world, which sustains and gives life to the rest of the universe, it would be to go against our own origins, and those of all existence." - Statement of the U'wa People, August 1998

"We are all children of the Earth, help us to defend her." -Berito Kuwar U'wa, spokesperson Traditional U'wa Authority

Tens of thousands of activists around the world have been organizing to support Colombia's U'wa people in their struggle to protect their lands and culture from Occidental Petroleum's efforts to drill. The U'wa, like traditional indigenous peoples everywhere on the frontiers of the expanding corporate global economy are in a life or death struggle. We have reached a dire moment in the struggle - as of Nov 3 Occidental has begun test drilling at the Gibraltar 1 drillsite.

Hundreds of solidarity actions have happened in cities across nearly 20 countries. In the U.S. U'wa supporters have continually demanded that Vice President Al Gore break his silence on this issue and use his long standing personal and political ties to both Oxy and the Colombian government to help the U'wa. With the drilling now under way it is even more important that we answer the U'wa call for international solidarity actions.

Oxy has clearly chosen to begin the drilling at a time when they think they can use America's presidential election to avoid public scrutiny of their criminal actions. It is up to us to break the silence and push Vice President Al Gore to speak out at this critical time.

The sacred traditions of the U'wa have been disregarded, their rights trampled as thousands of troops have invaded their ancestral homelands and the future of their people hangs in the balance. The issue is clear - will Al Gore call on Oxy and the Colombian government to stop the project or not? Will Al Gore stand up for human rights and the environment or will he continue to allow Occidental to buy his silence?

Contact the Vice President and ask him!
Demand he take action!
Call/fax the Vice President's office in D.C.
phone 202-456-2326 fax 202-456-2685

Internationally go to your nearest Colombian or US embassy! Let them know that there is a global people's movement demanding justice for the U'wa!

Mobilize in your own community. Whether its a prayer circle, a rally, a vigil, an informational picket, a fundraiser or an act of non-violent civil disobedience - stand up for the U'wa and make your voice heard.

The struggle for justice must take many forms but please remember to make sure whatever actions you take are in keeping with the U'wa spirit of resistance and are respectful, dignified and non-violent.

For background information on the U'wa, Al Gore's connections to Oxy and for downloadable materials check out www.ran.org www.amazonwatch.org www.moles.org www.arcweb.org

THE U'WA NEED MONEY! In order to continue their resistance and to engage in mass mobilizing the U'wa need tens of thousands of dollars to pay off debts, buy food and supplies! Can you help?

Let us know what's happening in your community. Contact Rainforest Action Network at organize@ran.org or 1-800-989-RAIN/415-398-4404

ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS!

#2 U.S. Oil Co. Drills Near Indian Land

AP Online 11/03/00, 9:22p (Copyright © 2000, AP Online)

By JARED KOTLER Associated Press Writer

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - In a step a Colombia Indian tribe says spells death for its culture, an American oil company began test drilling on Friday just outside the tribe's reservation, the state-run oil company announced.

Leaders of the U'wa Indian tribe have protested the Occidental Petroleum Corp. project for years, at one point even threatening a mass suicide should the company be allowed to drill in the area near Colombia's eastern border with Venezuela.

The 8,000-member U'wa nation has likened oil exploration to draining the "blood of mother earth." The group also fears that oil exploration close to its home will bring violence.

In a statement Friday, the government-run oil company Ecopetrol said Occidental's project is critical for Colombia's economy. It could produce 1.4 billion barrels of crude and bring federal and state governments up to $14 billion from contracts with Los Angeles-based Occidental, Ecopetrol said.

There was no immediate reaction from the U'wa, who have staged protests outside the drilling site all year.

Courts cleared the way for the exploratory drilling in May. Occidental originally proposed drilling directly on U'wa lands, but the drill site was moved just outside the group's officially recognized territory.

U.S.-based environmental and indigenous rights activists have raised the issue in the American presidential campaign, holding protests and urging Vice President Al Gore to divest family stock holdings in Occidental. Green Party candidate Ralph Nader issued a statement Monday urging Occidental to cancel the project.

"The human rights and lives of the U'wa are worth more than the commercial interests of Occidental Petroleum," Nader said.

Colombia's armed factions congregate around areas rich in valuable resources, and its 36-year conflict has already spilled over onto U'wa territory. Last year, leftist guerrillas kidnapped and killed three American activists who had come to Colombia to work with the U'wa.

Guerrillas frequently bomb oil pipelines as part of an extortion scheme and to protest foreign "exploitation" of Colombia's resources. The military stations large numbers of troops at oil installations to protect them from rebel attacks.

#3 Friday November 3, 4:41 pm Eastern Time
Occidental drills on tribal-claimed Colombian land

BOGOTA, Nov 3 (Reuters) - Occidental Petroleum Corp (NYSE:OXY - news) began drilling a long-delayed test well Friday in a potentially oil-rich corner of Colombia, where U'wa Indians have threatened mass suicide to defend what they claim as ancestral lands.

The $40 million, 14,300-foot (4,360 meter) Gibraltar-1 test well in northeast Norte de Santander province had been scheduled to be sunk in the first half of the year.

But drilling was repeatedly postponed because of legal challenges from U'wa leaders, Marxist rebel attacks and bad weather.

A statement from the Mines and Energy Ministry and state oil company Ecopetrol said drilling in the so-called Samore block finally got under way early Friday.

The block has been billed as the country's biggest oil prospect and is thought to hold reserves of about 2 billion barrels, according to officials at U.S. -based Occidental.

The government statement, which said results from the test were expected ``in the coming months,'' referred to potential reserves of 1.4 billion barrels of crude. Occidental has said it will take about seven months to complete the well.

The field could ensure supplies of oil, Colombia's leading source of export revenues, well into the next decade.

Leaders of the 7,000-member U'wa community have insisted repeatedly that the Gibraltar well site encroached on tribal lands that belonged to their semi- nomadic forebears.

But Occidental, backed by the Colombian government, maintains the well site is located just outside the legal limits of an U'wa reservation.

``LIFEBLOOD OF MOTHER EARTH''

In the past, the U'was, who view oil as ``the lifeblood of Mother Earth,'' have threatened to commit collective suicide by jumping off a cliff if the Samore project proceeded.

Tribal leaders could not be reached for immediate comment on their losing battle with the U.S. oil giant. But they have received strong backing from U.S.-based environmental groups in their struggle against the company, which dates back to 1992.

Environmentalists even used the U.S. presidential election campaign to publicise the U'wa land dispute, criticising Democrat Al Gore for owning family shares in Occidental.

Leftist guerrillas, who operate in the area around the U'wa reservation, oppose foreign involvement in the oil industry and have repeatedly attacked construction and engineering equipment being moved into the Gibraltar well site.

Colombia is currently producing about 653,000 barrels of crude per day and exported $3.4 billion of oil in the first nine months of the year.

But proven reserves, which stand at about 2.3 billion barrels, are dwindling and the country could become a net importer of oil again by 2005 if no major new finds are made.