URGENT ACTION - SINTRAEMCALI ACTIVIST ASSASSINATED
The Association for Social Research and Action, NOMADESC, the Cali Municipal Corporation Workers Union, SINTRAEMCALI, and other organisations that belong to the "The National and International Human Rights Campaign Against Privatisation, Corruption, and the Criminalisation of Social Protest", strongly denounce the vile assassination of the SINTRAEMCALI activist FREDY PERILLA MONTOYA, carried out on 21st February, 2003.
THE EVENTS:
1.- At 7:30 p.m. the worker in the Telephone Management Office of EMCALI E.I.C.E. and SINTRAEMCALI activist , FREDY PERILLA MONTOYA was stopped by unknown individuals who were travelling in a White Truck with polarised windows, with number plates BNJ 469. The individuals tried to force him to enter the truck, but he refused, and when they realised that they would be unable to carry out their mission to take him away they then turned and shot him six times.
2.- The events occurred just 50 metres from the Central Telephone office in San Fernando, Cali, where he had worked for five years, prior to being transferred four months ago to the telephone workplace ‘la Unión’ where FREDY PERILLA MONTOYA worked as a technician. He had worked for twenty years in the company.
We ask you to:
1.- Demand that the Colombian government stops its harrasment, threats, persecution and other crimes against activists and leaders SINTRAEMCALI.
2.- Call for an impartial investigation into the above mentioned events and sanction the material and intellectual authors of this horrific crime.
NEW DEATH THREATS AGAINST ALEXANDER LOPEZ MAYA, REPRESENTATIVE OF THE COLOMBIAN CONGRESS
The Association for Social Research and Action, NOMADESC, the Cali Municipal Corporation Workers Union, SINTRAEMCALI and other organisations that belong to the "The National and International Human Rights Campaign Against Privatisation, Corruption, and the Criminalisation of Social Protest", denounce and condemn the new death threats against the ex president of SINTRAEMCALI, and currently representative of the Colombian Congress, and his family.
These death threats were carried out today, just as Dr. ALEXANDER LOPEZ MAYA, was engaged in an important International tour in the United States. Last Wednesday, Dr Lopez met with important US Congress members in Capitol Hill, Washington. Likewise, he has been engaged in meetings with human rights, social and trade union organisations and made presentations in prestigious US universities.
The Events:
# Today, the 21st of February, 2003, at 11.20 a.m, an individual who originally did not identify himself, called the telephone number 3-26-30-12 at ALEXANDER LOPEZ MAYA’s headquarters in Cali, where his secretary SELENE LOZADA answered the phone. The man called twice, each time asking for r MARIA EUGENIA, who at that time was not present in the office.
# When the unidentified individual was told that she was not there, he asked what time he could locate her. SELENE replied that she would not be there today, and the individual said "what can I do, I need to tell her something urgently". SELENE replied that "you can leave a message with me, who am I speaking to?", to which the man replied "this is Fernando, I have to say something, they are going to kill ALEXANDER. On Tuesday, these people were at the Airport intending to kill him, but they couldn’t."
# The man also said that: "They know that his mother works in a boys college ‘La Normal’. Tell MARIA EUGENIA to take care of herself, the children and above all his mother, because they have been given a lot of money, and I am the driver. SELENE then said "so you are going to kill him", and he responded that "No, I am not going to kill him, they are going to kill him, I care about him, and that is why I am warning you, the next time he is in the airport they are going to kill him." SELENE then asked "Are you sure about what you are saying, becasue I have the phone traced to identify callers", and the individual replied "Yes I am sure, and the phone I am using cannot be traced, their lives depend on you please warn them." The caller then hung up.
Background:
It is public knowledge that Dr. ALEXANDER LOPEZ MAYA, has been subject to death threats for many years and has been the victim of three attempts against his life (of which he escaped without injury), but he was forced to leave the country for six months. After he returned he has been involved in crucial political, social, and economic conflicts in the Municipal Enterprises EMCALI EICE, and played a crucial part in the mediation process with crucial sectors of government, the International community to implement a Salvation Plan for the company.
The Representative LOPEZ MAYA, has been a leading protaganist in inumerable debates relating to the Privatisation process in Colombia and has assumed a leadership role in the defence of the public during the last years and more specifically has formulated strategies for Public Services. It is important to add tat this political leader has defended the integral human rights of Colombian workers, and from the House of represenatives has been a fierce critic of the anti-democratic measures and violations of human rights adopted by the current Colombian President, ALVARO URIBE VELEZ and his cabinet, particularly relating to the proposed REFERENDUM. Dr. ALEXANDER LOPEZ in alliance with several Congressmen from the Democratic Pole, and important social sectors have been leading a proposal for a total boycott of the referendum due to its faciltation of fundamental human rights violations of colombian, andbecause despite the suggestion that it will offer a way out of the crisis that the country is facing, it is more likely to exasperate the social and armed conflcit that the country is undergoing.
We demand that :
1.- Sufficient security is provided immediately and all necessary measures to safeguard the physical and psychological integrity of ALEXANDER LOPEZ and his family
2.- That the above mentioned events are investigated impartially, and that the material and intellectual authors are sanctioned.
3.- That the state organisms of control, that have been investigating earlier systematic persecution and assassination attempts on the life of Alexander López Maya immediately present the findings of their investigation, and explain why they have freed people who were involved in these events.
4. Demand that the Colombian government abandons Resolutión 141 which aims to EMCALI EICE into liquidation and that they comply with the earlier agreement signed on the 29th of January, 2002.
Please send messages to:
Presidente de la Republica de Colombia, Dr. Alvaro Uribe Vélez,
Palacio de Mariño, Carrera 8 No.7-26 Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 00 57 1 286 74 34/286, 68 42/284 21 86 E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co; rdh@presidencia.gov.co
Vicepresidente de la Republica de Colombia Francisco Santos
Conserjería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos
Calle 7, No 654, Piso 3 Santafe de Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax: 00 57 1 337 1351 E-mail: mdn@cable.net.co; infprotocol@mindefensa.gov.co; siden@mindefensa.gov.co
Ministro del Interior y Justicia, Fernando Londoño Hoyos Ministerio del Interior y Justicia
Palacio Echeverri, Carrera 8a, No.8-09, piso 2o., Santafe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax:00 57 1 286 8025 E-mail: mininterior@myrealbox.com