3 Jul 2010

Protest against 'death squad' President's visit to Downing Street


Colombia's Indigenous Protest Against Uribe -


Protest Colombia’s president-elect Santos

11am – 1.30pm Monday 5 July
outside Downing Street, Whitehall London SW1

On Monday 5 July, Juan Manuel Santos, president elect of Colombia, will meet with British premier David Cameron. Santos, like Cameron, comes from the elite, the new president is from one of country’s the richest families, owners of El Tiempo daily newspaper and much else besides.

Santos has emphasised that he will continue the policies of Uribe, in whose government he was Minister of Defence. He is entirely compromised in human rights violations, such as the scandalous policy of ‘false positives’, thousands of Colombians have been executed by the armed forces and then dressed up in guerrilla fatigues to pretend they had fallen in combat.

Like Uribe, Santos surrenders economic and military sovereignty. He will continue the neoliberal policies that have increased poverty, unemployment and social inequality. He is in favour of Free Trade Agreements with the US and EU that will hand over even more control to the multinationals. He welcomes US bases in Colombia that threaten progressive governments in neighbouring countries, especially Venezuela, Ecuador and Bolivia.

The elections were won through corruption and repression. Thirty one trade unionists have been assassinated in Colombia this year alone. Hundreds more in the indigenous, afro-colombian and other social movements are similarly targeted. Colombia is not a democrcay, it is a killing ground.

Santos wants to renovate Colombia’s image internationally, which is why he met Tony Blair’s advisers and will meet Cameron. In providing military, diplomatic and economic support British governments are condemning the Colombian people, the large majority of whom did not vote for Santos, to more human rights violations.

No to ‘false positives’... army execution of civilians!
No to assassination of trade unionists and social movements!
No to aid for criminal government in Colombia!

Called by Polo Democratico Alternativo (UK) and the Colombia Solidarity Campaign.


7pm Tuesday 6 July COLOMBIAN YOUTH ON THE FRONTLINE
Rules of Forensic Evidence: A New Battleground for the Disappeared
Introduced by Carolina Olarte

Jota Ramos – Afrodescendant Rapper, film and presentation
NOTE NEW VENUE: FINFUTURE, 225-229 SEVEN SISTERS Road N4 2DA.
Directions: The FINFUTURE building only a few metres from Finsbury Park station (Piccadilly and Victoria lines, National Rail and buses).
In Finsbury Park station, follow the signs to 'Seven Sisters Road' rather than any of the other exits. Come out of the station into Seven Sisters Road and turn right. After a few metres you should see the Finfuture building on your right. There are signs hanging out over the pavement saying 'Finfuture' and the word is also written up over the main entrance door. If you arrive by 7.00, simply ring the doorbell for attention and someone will let you in.
If you don't make it on time, there will be nobody in reception, so please phone us on 07929 023214 to let you in.
Sometimes people make the mistake of going to Seven Sisters station. Don't do that! It's quite a way away from Finfuture.

Picket of BP HQ in London

VICTORY TO COLOMBIAN OILWORKERS!
NO BLOOD FOR OIL!

5 – 6 pm Thursday 8 July, outside BP HQ
1 St James Square, London SW1 (nearest tube Piccadilly Circus)

Bring banners, placards and let’s make a noise!

Protesta a Santos 11h00 – 13h30 lunes el 5 de julio
- frente a Downing Street, Whitehall London SW1

No a la ayuda a un gobierno criminal en Colombia
No a los falsos positivos..... No al asesinatos de los sindicalistas colombianos

El lunes 5 de Julio, Juan Manuel Santos, el nuevo presidente electo colombiano, se entrevistara con el Primer Ministro Británico David Cameron. Santos, al igual que Cameron, viene de la expresión más pura de familias oligarcas, el nuevo presidente colombiano es hijo de una de las familias más ricas del país y dueñas del monopolio de los medios de comunicación en Colombia, como lo es el periódico El Tiempo.

El Gobierno de Juan Manuel Santos es la más pura expresión del continuamos del gobierno de Uribe, no solo porque Santos se encuentra profundamente comprometido con Uribe, en materia de violaciones a los derechos humanos, la entrega del país a las multinacionales, el desprecio por la soberanía nacional, la presencia de bases militares Norteamericanas, así como la puesta en marcha de la tenebrosa política de los falsos positivos, figura mediante la cual se han asesinado a miles de colombianos, para hacerlos luego pasar como guerrilleros dados de baja en combate, política crimina que llego a su máximo expresión durante el tiempo en que Juan Manuel Santos fue Ministro de la Defensa.

En reiteradas oportunidades el presidente electo Santos ha expresado su disposición a continuar y profundizar el modelo económico neoliberal que ha conducido a incrementar la pobreza, el desempleo y la desigualdad social en Colombia.

No de otra manera se entiende esta visita al Reino Unido, y su previa reunión con el ex Primer Ministro, Tony Blair, quien ya se ha comprometido como uno de sus más cercanos colaboradores del nuevo gobierno.

Llamado por el Polo Democratico Alternativo (UK) y Colombia Solidarity Campaign.

2 comments:

Luis Guillermo RESTREPO RIVAS said...

This article says: "... the large majority of whom did not vote for Santos ...". That is FALSE! In fact Juan Manuel Santos got the biggest number of votes in the whole history of our country: 9.004.221 votes!

Anonymous said...

What a rubbish article!! The author should have done a better research, most what he said are not truth. Misinformation like that confuses the public and creates a wrong idea of what Colombia really is. The new Colombian president got the biggest number of votes in the whole history of the country and it is the hope of many people who wants that the successful policies of the president Alvaro Uribe continue.

Imperialism Is the Arsonist: Marxism’s Contribution to Ecological Literatures and Struggles

Derek Wall ’s article entitled  Imperialism Is the Arsonist: Marxism’s Contribution to Ecological Literatures and Struggles , argues that Ma...