Once again we met with various organizations and it is impossible to capture everything in a blog. But here's a taste of who we met and what we heard...
The Women's Organization of Colombia
Yolanda Becerra, leader of the Popular Women’s' Organization in Colombia -Organization Feminina Popular (OFP) - visited OPSEU in February this year as part of a delegation of social organizations who belong to COMOSOC. Their mission was to convince Canadians that a free trade agreement would make conditions worse for the majority of the people of Colombia. Here in Bogota, Yolanda talked more about her organization and the work they do. OFP began 37 years ago and was born out of supporting the struggles of oil workers in one region in particular. Working out of women's houses and setting up programs throughout the country, there are now 3500 women active in OFP. Their work spans health care issues, education, culture, human rights and community development. They have been particularly active in denouncing the civil and human rights violations carried out by the paramilitaries (a term used to describe the death squads proven historically to have close links with the military and the state) in various regions. The destruction of social networks has affected women in particular and OFP has consistently stepped up to denounce these acts. Because of this, four women leaders have been killed and countless others threatened, accused of terrorism, accused of being guerillas.
OFP has a new project - setting up a soy bean production scheme. They are producing soya milk, bread, tofu, etc. and while it’s a source of income, it is also empowering women as they work together.
Another important initiative of OFP is the Women Against War. Right now the question is why the U.S. is building seven new military bases in Colombia. OFP will be organizing workshops and raising the issue throughout the region, not just Colombia.
OFP pamphlets
Housing with Dignity
We met with a network of Colombians who are defending their constitutional rights - especially the right to housing with dignity. They are opposing the expropriation of their homes and land because it is a violation of civil rights and constitutional rights.
In Colombia housing and shelter are supposedly guaranteed under the constitution but since Bill 794 in 2003 the law has changed, making it easier to expropriate people's homes.
Close to 500,000 people have been removed since Bill 794 and sometimes 100 - 200 police are brought in to force people from their homes. Family services officers also come in to take children as without a home families cannot care for children. This forces the family to find and reclaim children as well as try to find housing. The lawyer and the judge may also be part of the expropriation scheme and team. All attend and all are part of the “expropriation mafia”. After paying 100s of thousands of pesos the family may miss a payment after which the bank moves in. These payments have usually just paid the interest on their loan and that makes it easier for the banks to come in and take it all away.
In Bogota, 100-150 homes are expropriated daily with about 350 expropriations daily across Colombia. Many of these families would like to continue to make payments but cannot. The financial system (banks and others) are part of the power structure that has elected the Conservative Coalition members to Congress. The banks in Colombia have not decreased interest rates as others have done during the economic crisis. Interest rates in Colombia can be as high as 40% at the consumer level.
There is no help for these people from any of the branches of the government. Court decisions in these cases are in favour of the banks and those who resist expropriation are branded as terrorists and are incarcerated. Once houses are expropriated they are put on public auction. People in the USA, Spain and England can bid in the auctions, buy the homes, and then rent them out. Most expropriations occur in areas where high end development projects are underway. People are threatened by paramilitary groups and some then sell at a low price. The remaining residents are directly challenged by the paramilitaries with family members killed and so they leave to save their lives.
The Constitutional Court has ruled that these actions are not consistent with the Constitution but the government has ignored these rulings. The rulings will be provided as a reference to assist OPSEU in lobbying the Canadian Government and for a possible meeting with the Canadian Ambassador to Colombia.
Representatives from the network oppposing the expropriation of housing and land.
The National Organization of Indigenous communities(ONIC)
We had an excellent meeting with the Colombian National Organization of Indigenous People (ONIC) in their office in Bogota. Their office was buzzing with activity and it was a warm and welcoming environment.
There are 45 aboriginal organizations in Colombia, representing 102 indigenous groups. Of these groups, 82 are not officially recognized by the government. In 31 separate districts, large mining concessions are soon to be developed. Some areas are populated by aboriginal people while others are populated by Black Colombians. Both groups suffer a similar fate.
While the Constitution requires the government to consult with residents in these areas this has not taken place in indigenous areas that are not “recognized” by the government.
The Cerrejon coal mine is one example. Millions of tons of coal are produced with much of it going to New Brunswick and Nova Scotia for power production. The coal dust affects the health of nearby native people. While they suffer, profits from the mines go to the government, with nothing coming back to cover the negative affects suffered by the indigenous people.
ONIC has shown how Canadian mining companies assisted the Colombian government in reforming the mining laws in Colombia. These companies will benefit if the FTA is implemented.
When Kimy Pernia, the previous ONIC leader (who was assassinated) was in Canada in 2001 he spoke of the need to pass legislation to require Canadian mining companies to abide by the same rules in effect in Canada when they work in other countries. Bill C-300, "An Act Respecting Corporate Accountability for the activity of Mining, Oil or Gas Corporations in Developing Countries" has still not passed through parliament eight years later. This leaves 750 indigenous communities in Colombia under threat from mining primarily done by Canadian companies.
ONIC is trying to get the government to recognize the 82 excluded indigenous areas. It would make it more likely that meaningful consultations and negotiations could take place; otherwise they will be ignored.
The ONIC representatives also spoke of the increase of armed groups on their land, especially the Colombian Army. Under the Democratic Security Program the indigenous groups are expected to assist, support and cooperate with the army’s High Mountain and Mobile Battalions.
The creation of army bases has used valuable agricultural lands while dividing groups and this loss of land has resulted in less food and starvation in some areas. Native people will cease to exist without their land. Once they lose their land base people must move to cities and this opens up the land for development.
Torture, killings and disappearances often precede land development initiatives. All are designed to ensure there is no opposition to the project.
These actions have again put the people of the ONIC under great pressure. They believe that that there is a specific government policy not to recognize their rights. The government has dragged out any discussion or action to establish processes to address this matter. There have been 450 process/claims presented to government and for the last three years the government has suspended all consultations to clarify and address these claims.
The indigenous groups are marginalized and the same techniques are used against them as are used against all others who challenge the government. When they peacefully protest they are faced with criminal charges and surveillance, labeled as terrorists and accused of putting Colombian development at risk.
OPSEU member Yhony Muñoz meets up again with German Casama, ONIC
ONIC leaders and OPSEU
ONIC had four requests:
- Continue the dialogue on these issues
- Assist in lobbying for the recognition of aboriginal rights in Colombia through pressure from the international community
- Raise the issues in Canada and expose the complicity with the Colombian regime
- Ensure the laws recommended by Kimy are legislated in Canada
ONIC and indigenous people in Colombia are facing a huge battle over their land and we are committed to taking the message back to our members as soon as possible.
Senator Jorge Robledo
Senator Robledo with OPSEU delegation
Senator Jorge Robledo is a member of the Colombian Congress representing the Polo Democratico Alternativo party - the opposition party in Colombia. The FTA is also bad for Canadians and this cannot be forgotten, says the Senator. Even Paul Krugmann, Nobel prize-winning American Economist, says that Colombia is not a country with which FTAs should be established.
FTAs cause the rapid spread of a financial crisis like the one that started last year. With global trade and the elimination of borders, problems spread rapidly. There is already a 60-80% free trade environment in Colombia and the country has a 20 year history of "near" free trade. It can draw from this experience:
- Unemployment has increased
- The quality of remaining employment has decreased
- A good health system has been turned into a business
- Public agencies have been transferred to private hands
- State agencies now belong to trans-nationals based outside of Colombia
- Foreign companies are taking over from Colombian Companies
- Colombia’s food self sufficiency has ended with food now being imported
- Mining development has had many bad effects on the people and the environment
This can only get worse if the 1,300 page Colombia/USA FTA proceeds. It will completely erode Colombian control over all areas, including those few areas that remain within national control.
While the human rights issues are important, even without these the FTA is a bad idea. The Senator has not focused on the Human Rights abuses as a result. Others have done that for us.
And what has his opposition brought him - threats from the government and the President! On the same day that President Uribe met with Prime Minister Harper the Senator received notice that the Prosecutor’s Office had opened an investigation to determine his links with terrorist groups. The timing was not coincidental. He had met earlier with the Canadian House of Commons to set out his party’s position on the FTA and the record of the Colombian government.
To counter this effect and try to discredit him and his message Uribe would have ensured Harper was given a copy of the investigation notice along with his own comments in support of the investigation. This is classic Colombian government action!
He was met with a great deal of media attention as a result. The media carried the President’s message far and wide and the stigma of the allegations will be hard to shake.
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