Campesinos Block Roads
As of Feb. 1, some 5,000 campesinos were continuing to block a main highway through northern Colombia to demand that the government take action against rightwing paramilitary groups operating in the areas of Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and Troncal del Caribe. Residents of 70 local communities stranded some 15,000 vehicles on Jan. 23 when they blockaded the highway between the Caribbean port cities of Santa Marta, capital of Magdalena department, and Riohacha, capital of La Guajira department.
Intra-Paramilitary Dispute
Protest leaders say the Campesino Self-Defense Forces of Cordoba and Uraba (ACCU) led by Carlos Castano is disputing control of the region with the Campesino Self-Defense Forces of La Guajira and Magdalena, an independent paramilitary group led by Hernan Giraldo. The paramilitaries transport illegal drugs from coves in La Guajira to ships on the open seas.
Protestors Resumed After More Murders
The protesters agreed on Jan. 26 to open up the highway to some traffic after authorities promised to regain control of the area from the paramilitaries. But campesinos resumed their blockade on Feb. 1 after some 50 paramilitaries from the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) - an umbrella organization founded by Castano - massacred five people and abducted 12 others on Jan. 30 in the village of Perico Aguao, in La Guajira. Paramilitaries murdered four more campesinos in Aracataca, Magdalena, on Jan. 30. [El Heraldo (Barranquilla) 1/27/02; El Pais (Cali) website 2/1/02;
El Tiempo (Bogota) 1/24/02; La Republica (Lima) 2/2/02 from AFP; Caracol Noticias 1/23/02; Article by Carlos Oliveros S. (www.lalibertad.com.co) 1/24/02, posted on colombia.indymedia.org]
From the
Weekly News Update on the Americas (ISSN 1084-922X), published by the Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York, 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012, 212-674-9499,
wnu@igc.org.
Paramilitaries Use Aircraft
El conflicto entre el Pueblo Embera Katío y la hidroeléctrica Urrá S.A.
