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National Indigenous Organization of Colombia Communique
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There is Still Time to Deactivate the Deadly Bomb Hanging Around the Neck of the U'wa People Six weeks ago a judge from the Penal Circuit of Bogota ruled in favor of the injunction filed by the U'wa people, recognizing the imminent danger that they face from oil exploration in their territory. The decision was appealed by the national government and the international oil company, Occidental Petroleum, and yesterday the Superior Tribunal overturned the initial decision. In response, the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia would like to declare to the public opinion that: 1. In our country economic interests continue to take priority over the right to life and the cultural integrity of indigenous peoples. 2. The Colombian people have been induced into an extreme dependence upon money, which has led to random acts of violence proving that the human condition has reached a critical level. In permitting the oil project to go forward the government is encircling the "neck" of the U'wa community with a deadly bomb that threatens to annihilate them. In this case, the U'wa have not even been allowed the option of buying back their own lives. With Oxy's oil project the bomb will inevitably explode. 3. When the first massacre occurred, the first embezzlement, the first rape, the first robbery.....nobody stood up to defend their rights. The Colombian people did not have the ability to prevent the situation from getting worse. The indigenous peoples, and in this case the U'wa, at the first perception of risk to their culture, to their rights, to their natural laws, rose up to demand respect and all the indigenous peoples rose up with them; is this not the great lesson that the country should learn from the indigenous peoples? 4. We have been told that without the oil from Samoré Block, the country will have to import oil in the year 2004. We have been told that Samore will be the panacea of the country. We have been told so many things that they have confused our collective memory and that is why we have forgotten that this issue was preceded by, and can be traced to, another time when we were promised that the crude from Caño Limón would be the salvation of the country's finances. But that didn't happen, and instead of the promised benefits, another indigenous peoples faces extinction. They have left cities with violence, prostitution and unhealthy ambitions. They have told us so many lies that they have confused our collective memory and withered the hearts all Colombians. Finally, we hope that all the indigenous peoples and the social sectors of the country and of the world will help diffuse this deadly bomb that encircles the U'wa peoples' neck and could end the lives of the U'wa and all indigenous peoples of Colombia. We still have time! EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Santafé de Bogotá, May 16, 2000 |