>From: "Jon Corlett" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > >U'WA DEFENSE WORKING GROUP US OIL GIANT OCCIDENTAL PETROLEUM USES >US COLOMBIAN MILITARY AND GORE'S $500,000 INVESTMENT TO CEASE U'WA PEOPLE > > >[NOTE: You can help the U'wa people's struggle against Occidental >Petroleum by contacting the Rainforest Action Network. Protests >are scheduled in several U.S. cities on February 3, in a bid to >pressure Oxy to respect the rights of the U'wa people. See the >RAN website for more information. Visit www.ran.org -DG] > >__________________________ >U'WA DEFENSE WORKING GROUP > >Tuesday, 25 January 2000 > > Colombian Military Invades U'wa Tribe's >Legal Territory to Protect Oxy's Oil Project >-------------------------------------------- > >Today's meeting between President Clinton and Colombian President Andres >Pastrana in Washington to discuss increased US military funding drew >criticisms from international human rights groups concerned about the >recent militarization of the U'wa people's legal, traditional lands. Just >days ago, the Colombian armed forces were sent to the U'wa land in order >to secure the area for oil drilling by US oil giant Occidental Petroleum >(OXY). The U'wa fear that the current stand-off on their land could lead >to violence against their tribe by the US-supported Colombian military. > >According to a communique issued by the U'wa people and information from >the Colombian military, since January 19, at least 500 -- and as many as >several thousand -- Colombian soldiers have been occupying an area of the >traditional territory to which the U'wa have recently gained legal title. >The soldiers have encircled the 250-plus U'wa people who since >mid-November have maintained a peaceful encampment at the site in order to >block the planned oil drilling by Occidental. Known as Gibraltar 1, this >site just borders the newly expanded Unified U'wa Reserve. The U'wa >recently obtained title to the 2 farms directly where Occidental hopes to >drill. Under the Colombian Constitution, indigenous lands cannot be >expropriated. > >"We prefer genocide at the hands of the Colombian government over >relinquishing our Mother Earth to the oil companies," states the U'wa >communique. > >According to additional U'wa field reports yesterday, Occidental is >planning to use armed military personnel to construct the drill site. The >U'wa also report that Occidental has directly instructed the military >brigade to block members of the U'wa tribe from entering or leaving the >occupation site, isolating community members from their tribal leaders. >The company and the military have also reportedly prohibited the use >cameras in the area. > >"The truth here in Colombia is that the military is being used to suppress >peaceful Indians and protect US oil companies," stated a spokesperson by >the U'wa tribe by phone. > >The U'wa people's campaign to protect their land from oil exploration has >once again reached international headlines this week in the Financial >Times and Time magazine as Vice President Gore's $500,000 stocks in and >extensive campaign contributions from Occidental have come under public >scrutiny. "Gore can make the difference. He can save the U'wa and avert a >public relations disaster for himself by intervening now," said Atossa >Soltani of Amazon Watch. Protests are planned at Gore campaign stops in >New Hampshire later this week. > >U'WA DEFENSE WORKING GROUP is endorsed by the following organizations: >Action Resource Center, Amazon Watch, Earthjustice Legal Defense Fund, >EarthWays Foundation, Indigenous Environmental Network, Project >Underground, Rainforest Action Network, Sol Communications, U'wa Defense >Project, International Law Project for Human Environmental and Economic >Defense. > >For more information or interviews, contact: Shannon Wright, 415/398-4404 >ext. 316 or 415/595-7246; Steve Kretzmann, 510/551-7953; or Atossa Soltani >310-456-1340. > >________________________________________________________________ >**************************************************************** >* CLM-NEWS is brought to you by the COLOMBIAN LABOR MONITOR at * >* http://www.prairienet.org/clm * >* and the CHICAGO COLOMBIA COMMITTEE * >* Email us at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or * >* Dennis Grammenos at [EMAIL PROTECTED] * >* To subscribe send request to [EMAIL PROTECTED] * >* subscribe clm-news Your Name * >**************************************************************** > > > > > > >_______________________________________________________________________ > > >REVOLUTION, COMMUNIST & CONTINUOUS ! ! ! > > http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Congress/8805/ > >LENIN & RUSSIAN REVOLUTION PAGES: http://members.xoom.com/joncorlett/ > >RCP SITE: http://www.geocities.com/jcorlett8/ > >CHINA COMREV SITE: http://www.geocities.com/jcorlett3/ > >E Mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >To Subscribe or Unsubscribe; Click Reply in E Mail Program, > >enter 'Subscribe' or 'Unsubscribe' on Subject line and Send to: > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > >If wish to receive only certain types of Revolutionary Communist Information >Please Specify. > > >_______________________________________________________________________ > > __________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. 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