March 6 Colombia Day of Action
Remembering Victims of War, Paramilitarism & State Crimes
n March 6, Colombian community activists and their allies will be organizing marches and vigils internationally in solidarity with the country's victims of paramilitarism, "para-politica", state crimes and war. In Toronto, on March 6, from 12pm-1pm, there will be a vigil at the Colombian Consulate (1 Dundas St. West @ southwest corner of Yonge St. beside the Eaton Centre).
These actions are in response to a call out made by the National Movement of Victims of State Crimes which aims to break official Colombian government silence on atrocities committed in the country.
Around 4 million have been displaced in Colombia, mostly by extreme right wing paramilitary groups. These groups, working either on their own or in coordination with the armed forces, have disappeared 15,000 people. The corpses of 3,000 victims have been found in common graves, others were just thrown in the rivers. More than 1,700 indigenous people have been assassinated as have been 2,550 trade unionists, and around 5,000 members of the Union Patriotica. The paramilitaries have carried out 3,500 massacres (where five of more victims are murdered) between 1982 and 2005. They have robbed more than six million hectares of land
This call-out for truth, justice and reparation has been widely endorsed in Colombia by family members of those directly impacted by the armed-conflict, labour unions, student groups, sectors of the media, political parties, NGOs, churches and the citizenry at large.
These actions are particularly important considering that the Canadian government is currently negotiating a bilateral Free Trade Agreement with the right-wing Uribe government.
Organizers: Colombia Action Solidarity Alliance (CASA) Polo Democratico Alternativo-PDA (Alternative Democratic Pole)-Toronto Support Group Endorsed: CUPE Ontario International Solidarity Committee
There will also be a March 20 panel discussion on Colombia's humanitarian crisis and the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (information soon to follow).
