[S-Amer-Chat] UWA communique to AL GORE ! 20
solidarity actions around U.S.
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Mon, 16 Oct 2000 15:31:59 +0100
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To: uwa_updates@igc.topica.com
From: Patrick Reinsborough <organize@ran.org>
Date: Thu, 12 Oct 2000 15:09:32 -0700
ACTIVISTS IN 20 CITIES CALL ON AL GORE TO TAKE ACTION FOR THE U'WA!
U'WA SEND LETTER TO AL GORE! DELIVER IT TO YOUR LOCAL GORE OFFICE!
HELP THE U'WA WITH THEIR MOBILIZING IN COLOMBIA!
In this post :
1. U'wa Letter to Al Gore
2. Press Release Oct 6th National Day of Solidarity
3. Reports from U'wa solidarity actions around the country!
4. U'wa fundraising
5. Plan Colombia: An Assault on Native People by Al Gedicks
*** apologies for the delay in this update. We've had numerous
technical and communication problems***
The latest we hear from the U'wa in Colombia (Oct 11) is that
50 U'wa remain at the drillsite. The machinery is being assembled
and fortunately things remain peaceful despite the massive military
presence. Grassroots mobilizations around the world have brought a
great deal of attention to the U'wa struggle and are a major force
casting a spotlight on this precarious, militarized region.
We must all keep up the great work and continue to support the
U'wa's struggle for survival.
The U'wa continue to organize around Colombia and around the
world. U'wa representatives are headed to Spain to gather more
documentation on the Royal Land Deeds which granted them the sub-surface
rights to their territory. U'wa leaders will also be participating in
upcoming talks in Costa Rica on the future of Colombia. These talks
will include the government, different guerrilla groups, representatives of
indigenous communities and various civil society organizations.
Time is running out to stop the project before the drilling begins!
Below you will find a letter from the U'wa to Al Gore calling on him to
stand up for the principles of indigenous rights and environmental
protection. The U'wa need our help to make Al Gore listen! Take the U'wa
letter and deliver it to your local Gore2000 or DNC offices. Keep the
pressure up! This mobilization is important not only for the future of
the U'wa people but to educate the public about the fact that both the
"major" political parties have become tools of the corporate agenda.
Regardless of what Bush or Gore says, corporate profit margins are still
more important than human rights, peace and the environment.
Whether its a Letter to the editor, pickets and demonstrations, raising
funds, educational events, non-violent direct action or just prayers
do what you can to spread the word and support the U'wa people.
Keep us informed about your local organizing and send in any media that
you get locally so we can pass it on to the Gore campaign.
Contact Rainforest Action Network 415-398-4404/1-800-989-RAIN or
organize@ran.org.
FOR BACKGROUND INFO and DOWNLOADABLE MATERIALS
www.ran.org www.amazonwatch.org www.moles.org www.arcweb.org
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#1
(el version en espanol es abajo)
Association of the U'wa Traditional Authorities
Recognized by Decree No. 1088 of 1993
Registy Resolution No. 003, January 1997,
General Address of Indigenous Affairs. Ministry of the Interior
U'wa United Reserve, Cubara, Boyaca, October 6, 2000
Vice President of the United States of America
Mr. Al Gore
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave., NW
Washington, D C 20500
Esteemed Vice President Al Gore:
We, the millennial and sovereign U'wa indigenous people,
with this letter, would like to inform you of our thinking
regarding indigenous cultures and the conservation of a
healthy environment.
For millennia, the U'wa culture has respected the laws of
nature, which imply respect for our mother earth so as to
maintain the equilibrium of planet Earth and to make life
on Earth possible. Today humanity is beginning to understand
that restoring our broken relationship with mother nature
is the only way that we can save ourselves from the grave
error of passing onto our children a world dying from
its own contamination.
To continue, we present to you a synthesis of the problem
involving the U'wa people, Oxy, and the Colombian government.
In 1995, Oxy initiated seismic exploration activities in our
ancestral and sacred territory despite our absolute opposition
to this oil drilling project. For us, Oil is the Blood of our
mother earth. The U'wa don't accept this project because it
violates our cultural and territorial principles, it will
destroy our healthy environment and it will create a zone of
armed conflict where the people most affected will be our
communities.
Mr. Gore, on Saturday September 30, the U'wa territory was
invaded by more than 90 trucks which were transporting the
drilling machinery for the Gibraltar 1 well site in our ancestral
territory. The militarization is impressive: More than 3,000
personnel from the army were escorting the machinery and the
U'wa daily felt that all of our fundamental human rights were
being disregarded and violated. The militarization is part of
the major aid package supported by the United States Government,
known as the Plan Colombia, which was supported by Oxy before
the United States Congress. Despite the fact that we have
demonstrated to Oxy and the Colombian government that we are
the legitimate owners of these lands, a fact which is supported
by Royal Land Title documents that were issued by the Spanish
Crown between 1600 and 1800, they have not responded and today
are continuing with the project.
Mr. Gore, knowing that your family has stock in Occidental
Petroleum and that this company is destroying our culture, our
mother earth and the healthy environment, has been responsible
for the abduction and assassination of three North American
indigenous activists, our brother and sisters, Terence Freitas,
Ingrid Washinawatok and Lahena'e Gay, who had seen how Oxy had
penetrated our sacred territory, for the death of three
indigenous children, for injured indigenous people and for the
multiple abuses by the public forces who used tear gas
against the indigenous and farmer populations with fatal
consequences and for the aggression of the local, regional
and national governments of Colombia, of the guerrillas and
other actors that don't share our mission, we respectfully
ask you as Vice President, as a socially minded shareholder,
as a person who says that he is a defender of the environment,
to make a gesture of humanity, and of the morality and ethics
you profess and order an immediate withdrawal by this company
from our ancestral, sacred territory, Kerachikara.
With a gesture of this magnitude you will be materializing the
concept of respect for the life of people and of nature a mission
which all of humanity is charged to defend.
Only in this way will human beings/humanity have a future.
The last point we will make to you is this: WE DON'T WANT
TO HAVE TO HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR
CULTURE; YOUR SILENCE SIGNIFIES THE DEATH OF PLANET EARTH
AND CONSEQUENTLY OF THE POSSIBILITY OF LIFE UPON HER.
We are certain that you are going to make the best decision
in the case of the U'wa, for a man of environmental and human
principle will be a good means to demand respect for the U'wa
culture. This respect, which will only be achieved if the oil
project on our territory is canceled, will be the flag that
future generations will carry to save the environment of
planet earth.
In this way violence and environmental destruction will not become
our history but will instead be of the U'wa people of Colombia and the
world.
Believing that these words contain your very spirit and they will be
welcomed by you and your supporters
Sincerely,
Sovereign U'wa Indigenous People
U'wa Traditional Authorities
U'wa Communities
U'wa Council
Roberto Perez Gutierrez
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