National Office
3628 12th Street NE
1st Floor
Washington, DC
20017
202.547.6112
202.536.4708 fax

WFP Colombia Alert
Urgent Action for Life and Human Rights in Cauca, Colombia, Crisis in the defense of human rights in Cauca province
November 4, 2005

Dear friends,

Two very important leaders of the vibrant social movement in the southwest Colombian province of Cauca have been jailed. These personal friends of WFP need our help.

José Vicente Otero Chate, a Nasa indigenous leader and former mayor of the municipality of Caldono, was detained on October 6. And Miguel Alberto Fernández Orozco, President of the CUT (United Workers' Central)-Cauca and leader of the campesino (peasant farmer) organization CIMA, was detained on November 1. SEE “TAKE ACTION!” BELOW TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY.

These are just the latest in a series of attempts by the government to suppress the dynamic, unified social movement in Cauca, which has repeatedly mobilized tens of thousands of people in defense of their communities, lands and human rights, and against so-called "free trade" deals and persecution by the paramilitary. Miguel and José Vicente are recognized, well-known leaders of these efforts, and so the indigenous, campesino and Afro-Colombian social movement in Cauca sees their detention as an attack on everyone involved.

A flood of messages sent quickly to Colombian and U.S. authorities could make the difference in securing the release of Miguel and José Vicente. In addition, it would let the people who seek to suppress Cauca's social movement know that any future attacks will be met with a strong international response, which would discourage them from making such attacks.

Miguel, who has been a leader of both the campesino organization CIMA and of the regional United Workers' Central office for many years, has received a series of death threats in recent years. In 2004, he spent several months in exile in Massachusetts, as part of the (now defunct) AFL-CIO Solidarity Center protection program for threatened Colombian unionists. Since returning to Cauca, he has received renewed death threats against himself and his family on at least two occasions. The charges brought against Miguel appear to be -- incredibly -- that he invented death threats against himself.

José Vicente, the former mayor of Caldono municipality, was instrumental in carrying out a popular consultation in Cauca this past March on the Andean Free Trade Agreement that is currently under negotiation between the U.S. and Andean governments. Two months later, his home was raided by members of the Colombian Army, who planted weapons inside, then accused him of terrorism. He was arrested on October 6.

TAKE ACTION!

We suggest that you write to the following US government officials in support of Vicente and Miguel’s release.

Simply ask US officials to:

*Ensure that the Colombian authorities investigate whether there are any real charges against José Vicente and Miguel and what grounds there are for the charges, and see that they are released if there is nothing against them.

Contact Information:

U.S. Ambassador William Wood: AmbassadorB@state.gov
Human Rights Officer Laura Kirkpatrick: kirkpatricklh@state.gov

Please copy ("cc.") the following addresses on the e-mails you send, so that Cauca's social organizations will know what communications the government authorities are receiving: fundcima@yahoo.com, anucurcauca@hotmail.com, cric@emtel.net.co.

See the WFP website for the full translation of the original alert from Cauca’s social organizations.

Please let me know what you hear back from Ambassador Wood and Officer Kirkpatrick. Between the Colombia team and the WFP office in DC, we will do personal follow-up with the Embassy on behalf of these friends, known personally to many of you as well.

Our deep thanks to the American Friends Service Committee and a former WFP Colombia International Team member for providing this alert on behalf of José Vicente, Miguel and all those from Cauca’s steadfast social movement.

For peace,
Janna