Prisoners incarcerated in the “Palo Gordo” prison of Girón Santander, have announced that more than 754 prisoners—including social and political prisoners—have initiated an indefinite hunger strike; meanwhile, other prisoners in the institution will continue to perform non-violent acts of civil disobedience such as refusing to wear uniforms or rejecting routine counts by prison guards. These measures are being taken to demand guarantees for the respect of the fundamental human rights of inmates.
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JUNE 4, 2012 by LEAH GARDNER BERRUECOS, COLOMBIA—In southwest Colombia people are organizing within and throughout their villages, creating a strong network of resistance to Canadian gold mining. But they’re not fighting for concessions or reforms: they’re fighting to win.
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Careperro Mountain ("Haykatumá in the indigenous Embera language,) is one of the most sacred and important sites for the Embera culture. Beneath this mountain, lies gold, copper and other minerals. When the government awarded nine mining titles to the U.S. company Muriel Mining Corporation in 2005, for the purpose of extracting natural resources in the Chocó, the Embera communities were strongly opposed from the start.
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The Canadian government’s human rights report tabled in Parliament Tuesday regarding implementation of the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement might as well have been a comic strip of three monkeys: “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil.” Its substance is summed up in the first three pages of the eighteen-page report (that’s counting the title page and two annexes that occupy twelve pages). In essence: there will be no human rights report this year because only nine months have passed since the agreement was implemented.
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On May 14th, Olivier de Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, will participate in a special presentation on trade and human rights in Colombia. The Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement, which came into force in August 2011, was heavily criticized for its potential to exacerbate the human rights crisis in Colombia. Both countries have agreed to produce a yearly Human Rights Impact Assessment (HRIA) of the agreements.
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The report, commissioned by CUPW and authored by Asad Ismi, details the impact of Canada’s trade policies with and investment in Colombia. The author reports shocking human rights abuses linked to prominent Canadian companies. The report alleges that at least six Canadian owned companies are linked with military and paramilitary repression in Colombia and two companies in particular are linked to at least eight murders of trade unionists and human rights activists.
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PASC will hold a table and give a workshop Saturday, May 19, in the : Montreal Anarchist Bookfair May 19 -20 2012 10 am - 5 pm At CEDA : 2515, rue Delisle, and Centre culturel Georges-Vanier 2430, rue Workman, a few minutes from Lionel-Groulx metro. Details at : www.anarchistbookfair.ca
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It was just after daybreak on a hazy January morning in Bogota and the 300 bankers were bleary. Summoned at dawn to the auditorium at the foot of their 50-storey office tower, most of them had guessed that their employer—Eduardo Pacheco, owner of Banco Colpatria—was about to confirm the closing of a deal. And no small deal. Canada’s Scotiabank, they understood, was taking a controlling stake in Colpatria. But how did this explain the monstrous transgression against bankers’ hours?
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Ottawa, Canada – Talisman Energy is creating environmental damage in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest and operating in Achuar indigenous territory without consent, a group of Achuar leaders claimed today during a press conference on Parliament Hill. The press conference was sponsored by New Democratic Party MP Hélène Laverdière, who offered introductory comments, and was also attended by NDP MP Craig Scott.
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The ICRC visits more than 70 detention facilities in Colombia to check that the conditions of detention comply with international humanitarian law and other minimum standards. The findings of those visits are shared with the authorities in confidence with a view to improving the detainees' situation. Extract from Colombia report 2011.
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