Rallying behind the struggle of the U’wa people of Colombia, at least 2,500 people have arrived during the past week in the small community of Gibraltar, in the department of North Santander. The town is approximately 6 kilometers from the site of the first well planned by Los-Angeles based Occidental Petroleum (Oxy). The campesinos, students, and union members have reportedly joined thousands of U’wa and other indigenous peoples in resuming the blockade of the main road to Oxy’s well site.
“They are maintaining the blockade of the road that leads to Pamplona and are taking shelter in the church, the schools and other sites,” said César Hipólito Mora, the mayor of Cubará, a neighboring town according to Tuesday’s edition of El Tiempo, a Colombian daily.
The secretary of the local Association of Campesinos (ADUC), Reina Rojas, said from Saravena that it is not a strike, but rather a mobilization which involves representatives from the different guilds and unions.
“It’s something indefinite that will only end with a commitment from the Government to halt the petroleum exploration in the Samore Block. We ask that the Ministers of the Environment, Juan Mayr, and of the Interior, Nestor Humberto Martinez come and endorse this agreement,” said Rojas.
Observers in the area report that a heavy military and police contingent in the area is monitoring the protestors, and has stopped some shipments of food and medical supplies bound for the U’wa. On February 11, the police reportedly used tear gas and forcibly removed 450 U’wa who were blockading the road, resulting in the reported drowning of three indigenous children. The body of a four month old U’wa girl was found last week. Two other children, ages 9 and 10, from the Guahibo tribe are still missing and presumed dead.
Just one week ago, Occidental Petroleum Vice-President Lawrence Meriage testified before the U.S. Congress in a subcommittee hearing on the Military aid package to Colombia that “only two groups are intent on blocking the project … leftist guerrillas… and non-governmental organizations in the US.” Meriage further implied that the U’wa were merely pawns of others.
The U’wa issued a statement responding to Meriage’s testimony saying: “We demand that Occidental Petroleum and those in the media who have called us guerrilla sympathizers, rectify these accusations immediately, because they endanger the life of the U’wa community and of those that support us. We fight to defend our cultural principles which benefit society as a whole, and not those particular dark interests.”
“Clearly, opposition to this project began with the U’wa and support among Colombians is broad-based and growing” said Atossa Soltani of Amazon Watch. “Given the widespread protests in Colombia by unions, farmers, students and indigenous communities, the only responsible course of action is an immediate suspension of this project pending a negotiated settlement in which all sides participate.”
In Bogota, members of Colombian non-governmental and indigenous organizations will be holding a solidarity march at 2:00 p.m. today at the Plaza Simon Bolivar which will culminate in a rally at the Ministry of Environment. In the United States, supporters of the U’wa continue to target the two most prominent Oxy shareholders – Fidelity Investments and Vice-President Al Gore Jr. Over 40 nonviolent demonstrations have taken place in the last several weeks.
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