Colombian indigenous organization protests five killings in Antioch

Must blog up my encounter with Emma Reynolds MP, the Labour Shadow Foreign Office Minister for Latin America, who I challenged at last weeks Westminster post election Peru meeting.

I told her how disgusted I was with her remark about 'the increasingly authoritarian Chavez' when the previous Labour government had cuddled up to Peru and Colombia where there was state complicity with death squads killing indigenous and/or trade unionists.

Ofcourse despite the massacre at Bagua, the situation has been far more deadly in Colombia than Peru.

Happily in Peru there are signs of change but despite some noises in Colombia the killings continue....the morality of both Labour and Tories to Latin America is upside down, find a country with death squads linked to the state and you will find free trade agreements, warm words and friendship. Where the indigenous have more power i.e Bolivia and Venezuela the governments will be condemned.

At least we can make our voices heard but don't wait for either Labour or Tory to think beyond investment and power politics.

Anyway just stuck this in google translate its via Aidesep about Colombia.

Colombian indigenous organization protests five killings in Antioch

AIDESEP, June 28, 2011. The Indigenous Organization of Antioquia - OIA Colombia, reported that five individuals from two indigenous communities in the Bajo Cauca region were killed.

And the worrisome fact that security forces were present only. The indigenous will be marching in protest Zaragoza.

These deaths occurred in different places from Thursday until Saturday. The most recent occurred in the council's 18 in the rural municipality of Zaragoza,

The victims were Jorge Mejia Estrada, 48 (deputy governor of 18) and his children, Juan Camilo Mejia Bedoya 16 and Steven Mejia Bedoya 15.

In addition, OIA reported the deaths of two indigenous, including the son of the deputy governor of the Union Pato, near the town of Caucasia, on Friday. While the other victim, also from the community of La 18, was killed while leaving work.

Meanwhile, the police confirmed only one of the killings and said it was searching for three missing. "We just know the man who was killed last Thursday, who was identified as Luis Eduardo Hernandez Yanes, 19, and former member of the indigenous ethnic Zenú." Said Colonel Jose Acevedo, police commander in Antioquia.

The directors of the indigenous organization being put in place a special session in Medellin by the Bureau of Human Rights which will be made to prevent further indigenous killings.