COLOMBIAN ARMY UNIT MURDERS PEACE COMMUNITY LEADER

An Update From the Colombia Support Network

On February 21, 2005 , the 11th Brigade of the Colombian Army, based in the state of Cordoba, massacred 7 people of the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado, among those one of its founders, LUIS EDUARDO GUERRA. Luis Eduardo, age 35, was killed with his 11-year old son, DEINER GUERRA ; his companion, BELLANIRA AREIZA- GUZMAN, 17 years old; a leader of the Mulatos settlement and its Peace Community, ALFONSO BOLIVAR TUBERQUIA -GRACIANO, age 30 ; Alfonso’s companion, SANDRA MILENA MUNOZ-ROZO, 24 years old; and their children, SANTIAGO TUBERQUIA-MUNOZ, age 2, and NATALIA ANDREA TUBERQUIA-MUNOZ, age 6.

Luis Eduardo had gone to his farm near Mulatos, some 7 hours’ walk from San Jose, on February 19 to harvest cocoa beans; he planned to return on February 21. But about 11 a.m. members of the 11th Brigade detained him and the others and threatened to take them away and kill them. A half brother of Luis Eduardo, who also was accompanying him, succeeded in running away from the soldiers, but Luis Eduardo, Bellamira and Deiner were taken to the next settlement of La Resbalosa to the farm of Alfonso Bolivar.

On February 22 Luis Eduardo’s half brother went to the home of Alfonso Bolivar looking for Luis Eduardo and the others. He found blood and followed a trail to a grave near the house, where he was horrified to find the cut-up bodies of Luis Eduardo and the others.

A delegation of some 300 people is traveling to La Resbalosa to recover the bodies of Luis Eduardo and the 6 others who were the victims of this vile crime by the Colombian Army, which receives hundreds of millions of dollars each year from the US Government.

Luis Eduardo was a great leader of the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado. He visited Madison, Wisconsin the sister community of San Jose, about 4 years ago. He also went to speak at the School of the Americas Watch rally at the gates of Fort Benning. He had also traveled in Europe, describing the principles and development of the Peace Community.

We ask that you write to President Uribe and Vice-President Santos to urge that they investigate these horrendous crimes, asking that they sanction those responsible. President Uribe’s government is under orders from the Inter-American Court to protect residents and leaders of the Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado.

Please write your Senators and Representatives and express your outrage at our government’s support for the Colombian Army, which kills its own peace-loving citizens. It is time to end U.S. support for the Colombian military !!!!

URGENTLY WRITE TO YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS

– PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA DR. ÁLVARO URIBE VÉLEZ DIRECCIÓN ELECTRÓNICA: auribe@presidencia.gov.co PALACIO DE NARIÑO CARRERA 8 N° 7-26 TLF 5629300 FAX 5662071

– VICEPRESIDENCIA DE LA REPUBLICA DR. FRANCISCO SANTOS DIRECCIÓN ELECTRÓNICA: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co

DR. CARLOS FRANCO DIRECTOR DEL PROGRAMA PRESIDENCIAL DE DERECHOS HUMANOS Y DERECHO INTERNACIONAL HUMANITARIO DIRECCIÓN ELECTRÓNICA: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co

Colombia Support Network P.O. Box 1505 Madison, WI 53701-1505 phone: (608) 257-8753 fax: (608) 255-6621 e-mail: csn@igc.org http://www.colombiasupport.net

Madison, February 24, 2005

We at the Colombia Support Network, received with great sorrow and indignation the news of the murder of one of the leaders of the San Jose de Apartado Peace Community, Luis Eduardo Guerra, who died with seven other peace-loving civilians, including three children, at the hands of the 11th Brigade of the Colombian Army. Just three years ago Luis Eduardo visited us in Wisconsin, sharing his experiences for us in San Jose’s sister community of Dane County (Madison).

Later Luis Eduardo spoke at the annual rally at the gates of Fort Benning against the training, of Colombian military offices given at the School of Americas (now WHINSEC).

We were especially struck by his determination and commitment to peace even while describing the serious threats made against the Peace Community and its leaders like him. We send out sympathies to the Peace Community and resolve to redouble our support for the ideals which Luis Eduardo expressed so well in word and deed and for the San Jose Peace Community that made those ideals a reality for many families.

We call upon the Colombian government to punish those responsible for this horrendous massacres and we call upon the U.S. Government to withdraw all support for the renegade Colombian Army which in the name of "democratic security" murders so many peace-loving civilians, while actively collaborating with illegal cutthroat paramilitaries which are the principal drug-traffickers supplying cocaine to this country. Further U.S. support for these criminals would be intolerable.

Please join us in writing to Colombian president Alvaro Uribe Velez and other Colombian officials, your Senators and Representatives in Congress and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to protest the action of the Colombian Army and U.S. support for their criminal activities.

COLOMBIA SUPPORT NETWORK

YOUR RESPECTIVE SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES IN CONGRESS

COLOMBIA DESK STATE DPT Tel (202)647 3360 200 Constitution Ave N.W. Washington D.C. 20210 barclaycg@state.gov

– PRESIDENTE DE LA REPÚBLICA DR. ÁLVARO URIBE VÉLEZ DIRECCIÓN ELECTRÓNICA: auribe@presidencia.gov.co PALACIO DE NARIÑO CARRERA 8 N° 7-26 TLF 5629300 FAX 5662071

– VICEPRESIDENCIA DE LA REPUBLICA DR. FRANCISCO SANTOS DIRECCIÓN ELECTRÓNICA: fsantos@presidencia.gov.co

DR. CARLOS FRANCO DIRECTOR DEL PROGRAMA PRESIDENCIAL DE DERECHOS HUMANOS Y DERECHO INTERNACIONAL HUMANITARIO DIRECCIÓN ELECTRÓNICA: cefranco@presidencia.gov.co

Doctor Jorge Alberto Uribe Minister of Defense Avenida El Dorado con Cra. 52 CAN, Santa fe de Bogotá. Fax: (+57 1)222.18.74; E-mail : siden@mindefensa.gov.co ;infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co ; mdn@cable.net.co

DRA. ELBA BEATRIZ SILVA DIRECTORA UNIDAD DE DERECHOS HUMANOS Y DERECHO INTERNACIONAL HUMANITARIO DIRECCIÓN ELECTRÓNICA: elbsilva@fiscalia.gov.co DIAGONAL 22 b No. 52-01 TEL FAX: 5702022

Colombia Support Network P.O. Box 1505 Madison, WI 53701-1505 phone: (608) 257-8753 fax: (608) 255-6621 e-mail: csn@igc.org http://www.colombiasupport.net

http://www.globalexchange.org/countries/colombia/csnguerraupdate.html