En Camino

This is from our friend Pablo Leal, in Oaxaca...

México, December 6, 2006

Dear friends and compañeros,

The repression against activists and militants who participated in the Oaxaca Commune is escalating. Two days ago, three leaders of the Popular Assembly of Oaxaca (APPO) were arrested in Mexico City.

Those who have not been arrested are either in hiding or out of the city.
The EZLN has called for world wide mobilizations in solidarity with the Commune on December 22.

Despite all the violence, the over 300 political prisoners, the torture, the over 30 disappearances, the more than 10 assassinations, the Commune has not been defeated.

Open Letter from the "In the Name of Democracy" collective to the Organization of American States (OAS) and to the People of Ecuador

Saturday November 25, 2006

Mr. Jose Miguel Insulza
Secretary General
Organization of American States
Washington, D.C.
And
People of Ecuador

The people of Ecuador have a right to participate in free and fair elections. We support them in their struggle to exercise this fundamental right. We add our concerned voice to that of others demanding transparency and denouncing the grave irregularities reported in the first round of the presidential elections on October 15, 2006. We are particularly concerned with allegations regarding the unethical and partial behavior of the OAS head of mission, Rafael Bielsa, in the face of irregularities and manipulations on the part of Alvaro Noboa´s campaign. Our concern with the situation in Ecuador, based on abundant and reliable information and allegations of fraud in the first round and upcoming run-off in the presidential elections makes it imperative for us to write this public statement.

Bulletin 053, National Indigenous Organization of Colombia
Friday, May 12, 2006
www.onic.org.co

TO:
Communication media
People's Defender
Office of the Inspector General, Ethnic Affairs
National and international NGOs dedicated to human rights advocacy

Warm greetings.

The National Indigenous Organization of Colombia announces that on Monday May 15, 2006, we the diverse indigenous peoples will carry out a great National Mobilization Summit, with a call to wake up and not conform passively to projects of death that threaten the life of the peoples and national sovereignty itself.

This is a communique from ACIN about the May 15 Mobilization in Colombia.

All this is difficult to see, understand, resist, and change. It demands unity, creativity, intelligence, solidarity, commitment, sacrifice and much work, but also much joy and much desire for life. -- The Indigenous and Popular Mandate

The mobilization has begun. The demand for the right to a different country. In an uprising of consciousness, humble gifts are brought together to generate liberty, solidarity, and justice.

Colombia is not the country we have dreamed of. Today more than ever, we stand by what we stated in the Indigenous and Popular Mandate: “The state that should protect us persecutes us.” Recent events confirm this. Under the banner of the mobilization, the Black, Mestizo, and Indigenous communities of Suarez and Morales have marched to the city of Cali to demand fulfillment of the agreements that have gone unfulfilled for 20 years. In Cali they were met by ESMAD (public forces). There are wounded and detained. In recent days advisors of Piedad Cordoba and Carlos Gaviria have been assassinated. So have 10 campesinos in Meta. One group of social organizations has been threatened with death by "demobilized" paramilitaries.

Manuel Rozental
Pueblos en Camino
Toronto, 2006-03-24

A partir de unos hechos recientes en Ecuador y en Colombia, se presenta una interpretación general y unos desafíos globales. Considero que los hechos reclaman una capacidad de reconocimiento y de reacción mayor y mas apropiada de la que existe en la practica, sin las cuales, los pueblos que resisten se quedan solos en sus actos heroicos y el imperio y sus agentes mienten, roban y matan a nombre de la justicia, la libertad y la democracia desde el inmerecido pedestal de la respetabilidad y el reconocimiento que, por criminales no merecen. Desde el clamor de los hechos de hoy y frente a responsabilidades y decisiones concretas, la historia de estos momentos nos llama para que la lucha digna no se ahogue en la soledad y para que la indignidad no siga avanzando impunemente. Examinar lo que venimos haciendo, lo que hicimos o dejamos de hacer en estos días, lo que podemos y debemos cambiar requiere de tomar las decisiones necesarias para tener la capacidad de reconocer la dimensión y magnitud de lo que los hechos representan y la responsabilidad individual y colectiva que nos corresponde para afrontar el horror y defender la dignidad.

Official reports called it a “comfortable” victory for President Alvaro Uribe. Of the 100 contested seats for the Colombian senate, Uribe’s supporters obtained 61 seats while those counted as opposition (Liberals and the leftist Polo Democratico Alternativo) obtained 29 seats, while “Independent” parties obtained the remaining 10 seats. At the Chamber of Representatives, the seats went 91 for Uribe, 45 for opposition and 30 for independents of the total 166 seats. In practical terms, this means that Uribe counts with an absolute majority for the upcoming legislative agenda which includes ratification of the recently signed Free Trade Agreement with the USA and a number of reforms that will facilitate corporate control over wealth, resources and territories, as well as savings, investments and cheap labor.

by Justin Podur

Two pieces are attached to help understand and mobilize support for the democratic left in Colombia regarding the upcoming Congressional and Presidential elections; the initial one by Manuel Rozental is inspired by the one circulated by Senator Jorge Robledo. These pieces are simultaneously intended to be analytical and an invitation to supporters of democracy within and beyond Colombia to speak up and act to help mobilize a collective conviction from Colombian people towards a much needed popular transformation of that country.