Milwaukee, WI – Colombia Action Network organizer Tom Burke came here Oct. 28 to speak about U.S. intervention in Colombia. Burke, who was served a Grand Jury subpoena in the FBI activist raids in late September, made strong observations on people’s movements both in the U.S. and Colombia.

“The U.S. government is targeting us for speaking out against war and oppression. In the U.S., for anti-war activists, repression comes in the form of FBI raids and grand jury investigations,” said Burke, “In Colombia, it comes in the form of prison, torture and death squads. We understand that the U.S. government is intent on putting some of us in prison, just as they target and set up hundreds of young Arab and Muslim men. The U.S. government imprisons young African-American, Chicano, Latino and other people in ever increasing numbers to control them and rob them of their dignity.”

Burke travelled on a fact-finding trip to Colombia hosted by the Oil Workers’ Union (USO) in 2003. At the time Burke was an executive board member of SEIU Local 73, a 23,000-member public sector union in the Chicago area. Burke was in Colombia at a time when death squads murdered three trade unionists every week. Colombia continues to be the most dangerous place in the world for union activists, with one murdered every week. Often implicated in these tragedies are U.S. corporations such as Coca-Cola, Drummond Coal and Chiquita Banana. Farm, labor, women and student activists in Colombia are regularly kidnapped, imprisoned, tortured and murdered simply for organizing for social change.

“For activists in the U.S. interested in supporting the people of Colombia, shutting down the School of the Americas is a major step,” said Burke, referring to the U.S. government-led training site in Fort Benning, Georgia for foreign paramilitaries, many of whom are implicated in human rights abuses.

Large national protests against the School of the Americas will be held Nov. 19-21 at Fort Benning. Buses are being organized around the country to attend. Look to www.soaw.org for more information.

#MilwaukeeWI #InJusticeSystem #Colombia #ColombiaActionNetwork #FBI #SchoolOfTheAmericas #USO #September24FBIRaids #Americas

Denunciamos al Buro de Investigaciones Federales, FBI. Por el hostigamiento a los activistas del movimiento Anti-Guerra y de Solidaridad en varios estados a través de país.

El FBI comenzó visitando seis casas en Chicago y Minneapolis esta ma ñana, Viernes, 24 de septiembre de 2010, a la 08:00 a.m. Tiempo del Centro. El FBI entrego Citatorios de Corte para testificar ante un Gran Jurado Federal a cerca de una docena de activistas en Illinois and Minnesota. Ellos además intentaron de intimidar a otros activistas en California y en Carolina del Norte.

“El gobierno espera usar un Gran Jurado para tender una trampa para acusarlos falsamente de actividades ilegales a los activistas. El objetivo de esas redadas es hostigar y tratar de intimidar el movimiento contra las guerras y ocupaciones militares de U.S.A. y a los que se oponen al apoyo de U.S.A. a regimes represivos,” dijo el activista de solidaridad con Colombia Tom Burke, uno de los que recibió un Citatorio de Corte por el FBI. “Ellos están diseñando para suprimir la oposición y la libertad de expresión, a dividir el movimiento pacifista y despejar el camino para mas intervenciones militares de U.S.A. en el Medio Oriente y Latinoamérica.

Esta supresión de los derechos democráticos esta dirigida hacia aquellos quienes dedican mucho de su tiempo y energía para apoyar las luchas de los pueblos de Palestina y Colombia contra la ocupación y guerras financiadas por U.S.A. Los activistas están involucrados con bien conocidos grupos anti-guerra, incluyendo muchos de los líderes de las grandes protestas en contra de la Convención Nacional de los Republicanos en St. Paul, MN. En Septiembre de 2008. El FBI enfatiza que el Gran Jurado estuvo investigando a los activistas por posibles cargos de terrorismo. Esto es un intento del gobierno de U.S.A. para silenciar a esos que apoyan la Resistencia a la opresión en el Medio Oriente y Latinoamérica.

Los activistas involucrados No han hecho nada ilegal y están rechazando a ser atraídos dentro de conversaciones con el FBI acerca de sus puntos de vista político ó la organización contra las guerras y ocupaciones. Los activistas están involucrados con muchos grupos, incluyendo el Grupo de Solidaridad con Palestina, Estudiantes por una Sociedad Democrática, el Comite Anti-Guerra Ciudades-Gemelas, Red de Accion por Colombia, la Organizacion Socialista Camino de Libertad y el Comite Nacional por la Libertad de Ricardo Palmera (Un Prisionero Político Colombiano).

Steff Yorek un activista anti-guerra por mucho tiempo y uno de los activistas a quienes sus casas fueron cateadas, llamó las redadas “Una indignante expedición de pesca.”

Nosotros Urgimos a todos los activistas progresistas a mostrar solidaridad con estos individuos señalados como objetivos por el gobierno de U.S.A. Los activistas tienen el derecho a No hablar con el FBI y son animados a negarse cortésmente, solo decir “NO.”

Por favor contactarse: info@colombiasolidarity.org ó info@fightbacknews.org si le gustaría proveer apoyo a los activistas.

#EstadosUnidos #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #PalestineSolidarityGroup #NationalCommitteeToFreeRicardoPalmera #AntiWarCommittee #ColombiaActionNetwork #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #FederalBureauOfInvestigationFBI

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following national call to action from the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee.

We denounce the Federal Bureau of Investigation harassment of anti-war and solidarity activists. The FBI raided seven houses and an office in Chicago and Minneapolis on Friday, September 24, 2010. The FBI handed subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury to eleven activists in Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan. The FBI also attempted to intimidate activists in California and North Carolina.

This suppression of civil rights is aimed at those who dedicate their time and energy to supporting the struggles of the Palestinian and Colombian peoples against U.S. funded occupation and war. The FBI has indicated that the grand jury is investigating the activists for possible material support of terrorism charges.

The activists involved have done nothing wrong and are refusing to be pulled into conversations with the FBI about their political views or organizing against war and occupation. The activists are involved with many groups, including: the Twin Cities Anti-War Committee, the Palestine Solidarity Group, the Colombia Action Network, Students for a Democratic Society, and Freedom Road Socialist Organization. These activists came together with many others to organize the 2008 anti-war marches on the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

We ask people of conscience to join us in fighting this political repression, as we continue working to build the movements against US war and occupation.

Take Action:

Call the U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder at 202-353-1555 or write an email to: AskDOJ@usdoj.gov.

Demand:

• Stop the repression against anti-war and international solidarity activists.
• Immediately return all confiscated materials: computers, cell phones, papers, documents, etc.
• End the grand jury proceedings against anti-war activists.

Plan and Support national days of protest at FBI offices or Federal Buildings, September 27 and 28th.

A demonstration has been called at the Minneapolis FBI Office Monday, 4:30, September 27th(111 Washington Ave. S.).

In Solidarity, the Anti-War Committee – www.antiwarcommittee.org

#UnitedStates #AntiwarMovement #StateRepression #PalestineSolidarityGroup #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #AntiWarCommittee #ColombiaActionNetwork #StudentsForADemocraticSocietySDS #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganizationFRSO #FederalBureauOfInvestigationFBI #September24FBIRaids

We denounce the Federal Bureau of Investigation harassment of anti-war and solidarity activists in several states across the country. The FBI began turning over six houses in Chicago and Minneapolis this morning, Friday, September 24, 2010, at 8:00 am central time. The FBI handed subpoenas to testify before a federal grand jury to about a dozen activists in Illinois, Minnesota, and Michigan. They also attempted to intimidate activists in California and North Carolina.

“The government hopes to use a grand jury to frame up activists. The goal of these raids is to harass and try to intimidate the movement against U.S. wars and occupations, and those who oppose U.S. support for repressive regimes,” said Colombia solidarity activist Tom Burke, one of those handed a subpoena by the FBI. “They are designed to suppress dissent and free speech, to divide the peace movement, and to pave the way for more U.S. military intervention in the Middle East and Latin America.”

This suppression of democratic rights is aimed towards those who dedicate much of their time and energy to supporting the struggles of the Palestinian and Colombian peoples against U.S. funded occupation and war. The activists are involved with well-known anti-war groups including many of the leaders of the huge protest against the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, MN in September 2008. The FBI agents emphasized that the grand jury was going to investigate the activists for possible terrorism charges. This is a U.S. government attempt to silence those who support resistance to oppression in the Middle East and Latin America.

The activists involved have done nothing wrong and are refusing to be pulled into conversations with the FBI about their political views or organizing against war and occupation. The activists are involved with many groups, including: the Palestine Solidarity Group, Students for a Democratic Society, the Twin-Cities Anti-War Committee, the Colombia Action Network, the Freedom Road Socialist Organization, and the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera (a Colombian Political Prisoner).

Steff Yorek, a long-time antiwar activist and one of the activists whose homes was searched, called the raids “An outrageous fishing expedition.”

We urge all progressive activists to show solidarity with those individuals targeted by the U.S. Government. Activists have the right not to speak with the FBI and are encouraged to politely refuse, just say “No”.

Please contact info@colombiasolidarity.org or info@fightbacknews.org if you would like to provide support to the targeted activists.

Contact: Tom Burke, 773-844-3612; Steff Yorek, 612-865-8234

#UnitedStates #AntiwarMovement #StudentsForADemocraticSociety #StateRepression #PalestineSolidarityGroup #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #NationalCommitteeToFreeRicardoPalmera #AntiWarCommittee #ColombiaActionNetwork #FreedomRoadSocialistOrganization #FBI #FederalBureauOfInvestigationFBI #September24FBIRaids

NO to U.S. bases in Colombia!

Peace Not War

We oppose U.S. intervention and war in Colombia. We oppose the seven new U.S. bases being built to wage war on the Colombian people and threaten their neighbors. We say “NO to U.S. bases in Colombia!” We want peace and friendship with our neighbors, not war.

U.S. Dirty War—7 U.S. Bases

The U.S. is waging a dirty war in Colombia. Plan Colombia brings poverty, misery, and death to the Colombia people. It is a counter-insurgency war aimed at the poor peasants and workers. Plan Colombia is a war plan to fight the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a growing and expanding rebel insurgency that defends the movements of workers and peasants.

The U.S. government supports the small wealthy Colombian elite and their corrupt death squad government. The U.S. funds, arms, and directs the Colombian military and its death squads. Death squads murder a Colombian trade unionist every week. The Colombian military and their death squads repress the mass movements of workers, peasant farmers, indigenous, Afro-Colombian people, students, and progressives. U.S. corporate military contractors spray plant-killing chemicals to displace poor peasants from areas where the rebellion is strong or land where U.S. companies want to exploit natural resources. Over 5 million poor peasants and rural people are displaced.

The new U.S. bases agreement calls for 800 U.S. military advisers and 600 corporate military contractors, but there is no limit. The U.S. bases are a reaction by the White House to the failure of Plan Colombia. Despite what you might read in the U.S. press, the Colombian elite and their politicians are less popular and growing more isolated from the Colombian people. They are losing control of the situation. The rebellion is spreading and growing stronger. The U.S. bases are an act of desperation to counteract the growing movement for independence in Colombia and Latin America.

Close the SOA and Cut Off the Colombian Military

As part of the campaign to say “NO to U.S. bases in Colombia!” we are calling for mobilization to shut down the School of the Americas (SOA) at Fort Benning, Georgia, November 19-21st, 2010. It is at the SOA, where the U.S. trains the Colombian military officers who direct the death squads and abuse human rights.

Solidarity with the Colombian People

We are in solidarity with the Colombian people. Colombian’s do not want U.S. bases any more than American tax-payers want to pay for them. The U.S. government is doing the bidding of the rich people who rule the U.S. and attempt to dominate other countries. We are in this struggle together as we demand “NO to U.S. bases in Colombia!”

Colombia Action Network – CAN

http://www.colombiasolidarity.org

#UnitedStates #Colombia #ColombiaActionNetwork #Americas

The jailing and repeated postponement of trials of Liliany “Lily” Obando tells the story of a powerful woman. She is dealing firsthand with the extreme repression facing many Colombians who oppose the government. In Colombia there are over 7000 political prisoners. Colombian trade unionist Liliany Obando was arrested in the summer of 2008. Her arrest came during a string of attacks by the Uribe government targeting leaders of Colombia's growing struggles for social change.

Obando is a typical Colombian. She has taken up the challenge to fight for the rights of the people – the ones who don't matter to the rich in charge in Colombia and their puppeteers here in the U.S. government. Through her work with FENSUAGRO, a Colombian union, Obando championed the rights and welfare of Colombian farmers and rural wage laborers. Her work was transparent and legal under Colombian law, but Liliany Obando now sits in prison.

In Colombia dissent is dangerous. This is especially so for FENSUAGRO, as Colombia's largest peasant and farm worker federation. “We consider our struggle a just and important struggle. We fight for farm workers in defense of life, land and territory,” explains one of the union's leaders. The union fights for farmers because they have learned repeatedly that the Colombian government will prioritize the rights of multinational corporations over the rights of a Colombian farming community. Their organization teaches organic growing practices, seed preservation and union organizing.

In their many years of struggle FENSUAGRO became a strong union, a union that has saved communities, changed lives for the better and that brought the voice of rural workers to the ears of all of Colombia. For the work that they do, their members and supporters are abducted, detained, arrested and murdered. FENSUAGRO is the most targeted union by military and paramilitary violence in Colombia.

“Lily's trial has everything to do with her work with FENSUAGRO,” says James Jordan of the Alliance for Global Justice. “The Colombian government is trying to destroy the union. The war in Colombia is built around driving farmers off their land and of course the union is at odds with that goal.” Obando is charged with rebellion. This is a charged linked with the Colombian government's claim that she raised money for Colombia's growing insurgency, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP).

The charge of rebellion is a non-specific charge used in the country to imprison student, union and social justice leaders, often for years at a time. The government uses these long imprisonments as an attempt to cripple a growing movement. “It's a consecutive process of arrests. They can imprison 20 people in jail for two or three years and only after that length of time are the prisoners released because there is no evidence against them. By then they've already arrested another 20,” further explained the FENSUAGRO leader.

This concept is certainly clear in the Obando trial. Her trial only began after a year of imprisonment and since then she has faced constant postponements. “Basically she's dealing with a system and, in particular, a judge who has shown himself overly lenient towards the military and paramilitaries but with Lily, won't even consider routine home detention and presents a court process that is constantly delayed”, stated Jordan.

Jordan continues, “Lily spends a day or two in court and then waits weeks and weeks in prison for another session while members of the military are being released after 90 days for not yet having been brought to trial. The military officials – who everyone knows are responsible for the massacre in Mapiripan- the judge is just letting them walk.” In Obando’s most recent two-day session on Feb. 15 and 16, her trial was again postponed for another two months. This has happened repeatedly over the course of seven months since the trial was scheduled to begin. The constant rescheduling is an exhausting process to put Obando through, it makes it difficult for Obando’s supporters to attend the court sessions, and furthermore, makes home detention and ever more reasonable request.

“Of course they're not going to be fair,” stated Jeremy Miller. Miller traveled to Colombia as a representative of the Colombia Action Network this past summer and met with Obando in prison. “Lily's trial is another attempt by the Colombian government to criminalize any dissent. We have to remember too that this is also a fight for the sovereignty of Colombia. The U.S. is trying to build seven military bases in Colombia and has always intervened in Colombian affairs for their own interests. They've spent $7 billion trying to control people in Colombia. Lily is a threat to the rich because what she is doing is right. She stands for the truth and for justice. They're scared of her and the people like her because they are losing their battle.”

Supporters of Liliany Obando all over the world, including trade unionists in Canada and Australia as well as Latin America solidarity activists in the U.S., have been targeted for interrogation and harassment. This is in addition to the ongoing intimidation Obando herself deals with every day. In Colombian prison, Obando faces misrepresentation of facts, outright lies, coercion from guards, the theft and mistreatment of personal belongings, as well as the threat of being moved to another prison.

“Despite everything, Lily's spirits remain strong”, reports Jordan. “She continues to organize from the prisons and to fight for the rights of all political prisoners. In the face of everything she has not backed down, nor given in to the false claims against her. She's a fighter. She's an inspiration.”

The next session of Obando’s trial is scheduled to begin April 22 and 23. To donate to Liliany Obando’s legal defense send a check or money order made out to the “Alliance for Global Justice” to AFGJ, 1247 E Street SE, Washington, DC 2003 with “Lily Obando Defense Fund” in the memo line.

#Colombia #BogotáBDC #ColombiaActionNetwork #LilianyObando #Americas

Fight Back! Forum at the SOA: No to U.S. Intervention in Colombia!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm

Location: Howard Johnson Presidential Room

1101 Veterans Pkwy, Columbus, GA

No To US Bases In Colombia!

Close the School of the Americas!

Free Lily Obando!

The US is expanding its dirty war in Colombia. Training death squads at the School of the Americas is a big part of that, but there is more. The Pentagon will soon occupy seven bases in Colombia, adding to the $7 billion spent on a war against the Colombian people over ten years. US troops will increase to 1400, with 600 US mercenaries fighting in the counter-insurgency war. The US will pour $46 million into the Palenquero base alone for “refurbishing”. This is bad news for the Colombian people who live under a corrupt and criminal government led by President Uribe. It is also bad news here at home too, as we face the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression—as well as a health care crisis, a housing crisis, and two ongoing US occupations. Why is the White House escalating the war in Colombia instead of seeking peace? Our HOPE is for peace with our neighbors, not more US bases! We want CHANGE, not more US intervention!

The fact is that the US Empire is in decline and is losing its grip on Latin America. Throughout the region, people’s movements are sweeping into power, with democratic, reform minded, and socialist leaders. Militarizing Colombia is central to US plans to stop this progressive wave and reverse it. However, Plan Colombia, the current US war plan, is failing. Plan Colombia is aimed against the most powerful revolutionary group in Latin America—the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The FARC organizes poor peasants and the disenfranchised to defend themselves against the rich Colombian elite and to take back their country from US corporations. Inside Colombia, the revolution, both armed and unarmed, is deepening and spreading, even reaching the cities. In the face of this, the White House and Congress are siding with the wealthy land owners and big corporations by funding and supporting Colombia’s corrupt government—nearly tripling the Colombian Military in ten years. The new US bases will clearly threaten Colombia's neighbors too.

Colombian Death Squads – “Made In America”

Colombia sends more soldiers to the School of the Americas than any other country in Latin America. Colombia also has the highest number of human rights abuses. The Pentagon directs the Colombian Military and their training at SOA, and gives the nod to their death squads. Colombia's former top general, Mario Montoya trained and instructed others at the SOA. Montoya along with two other Colombian generals and 24 Military officers were forced to resign last year due to the “false positives” scandal – they “hired” unemployed men in the cities, shot them dead in rural areas, and then dressed them in FARC uniforms to claim success against the revolutionaries. We say, “Close the SOA!”

Free Lily Obando

Liliani “Lily” Obando is a political prisoner of the Colombian government. Unfortunately, Lily's story is all too familiar—she works as union organizer with FENSUAGRO, the largest peasant and farm worker federation. She produces documentary films and writes about the struggles of those who work the land. Here films show that in Colombia, there are more displaced people – around four million, than in Iraq. It is outrageous! Thousands of labor unionists and other activists are routinely assassinated and threatened by death squads. Coca-Cola, Drummond Coal, and Chiquita Banana are all known for funding death squads.

Like many unions and other groups, FENSUAGRO is heavily repressed. The Colombian Army and their death squads killed 1500 members of FENSUAGRO over the past 30 years. Counting 450 murdered since President Uribe took over in 2002. Lily Obando was about to release her study of these assassinations when Uribe ordered her arrest in August 2008. Besides assassinating popular leaders, arrest and detention is the new tactic of the reactionary government. Liliani Obando is charged with “rebellion” and “managing resources related to terrorist activities”. Despite the danger, Lily is willing to challenge the injustices that are imposed by the US supported war in Colombia. Now Lily is fighting for the rights of women prisoners. Since her imprisonment, Lily’s two young children and her elderly mother barely scrape by. We demand “Free Lily Obando!”

Speakers Include:

• James Jordan from the Campaign for Labor Rights
• Angela Denio from the National Committee to Free Ricardo Palmera
• Sarah Buchner from Students for a Democratic Society
• Jeremy Miller from the Colombia Action Network
• Kosta Harlan from Freedom Road Socialist Organization

#ColombusGA #ColumbusGA