FACTS
Saturday, February 19 2000, at 2:00 p.m. five men, in civilian clothes and armed with short arms entered violently into the Franciscan house. Friar Duvan Tabarquino was alone in the house resting. He was awakened with a pistol to his forehead. He was kicked in the stomach. Immediately he was interrogated: where did you hide him? asking about Fr. Jose de Jesus Caro Pinzon. Fr. Duvan was left on the floor badly hurt.
CONSEQUENCES
Fr. Jose de Jesus Caro was forced to leave the region to protect his life having to leave the work of service that he had been part of for 8 years. Fr. Duvan is affected psychologically and physically and receiving medical treatment. The Franciscan Fraternity and the peasant communities that are part of the project are being threatened but the Fraternity firmly convinced to continue with their commitment of accompanying the poor peasant communities in their effort of achieving better life conditions.
LOCATION
In a small rural municipality of 8000 inhabitants, named Matanza, an hour and a half from the city of Bucaramanga, Capital of the state of Santander, Colombia, the Franciscan Brothers have worked for eight years in evangelization, promotion and organization of the peasant communities and of promotion of human rights at a local, regional, national and international level.
CONTEXT
Undoubtedly in the Colombian context this was not an isolated event as is clearly seen from the different actions of the paramilitary groups who are actively or passively supported by the military units. This was clearly evident during the last week when at least four massacres were perpetrated on peasants (Ovejas Sucre) and also in the massacre on February 19th in the peace community of San Jose de Apartado in which five peasants were assassinated and two were injured and which was denounced by the Intercongregational Commission of Justice and Peace of the Conference of Religious of Colombia as a clandestine action of the military.
Supported by:
Provincia franciscana de San Pablo
Comision de justicia y paz de la Conferencia de religiosos de Colombia.
Comision de justicia y paz de la provincia de San Pablo
Comision de Justicia, paz y reverencia con la Creacion de la familia
Franciscana de Colombia.
Franciscans International de Colombia.
Corporacion Sembrar.
Proyecto Nunca Mas
Conferencia de Religiosos de Colombia.
Comunidades Eclesiales de Base.
Comision de Justicia y Paz de las Hermanas de la Presentación.
Provincia del sagrado Corazon Religiosas Terciarias Capuchinas.
Provincia de Nuestra señora de Montiel Religiosas Capuchinas.
WE ASK THAT:
You send a letter to:
Dr. Andrés Pastrana Arango
President of Colombia
pastrana@presidencia.gov.co
cc. to:
Mr Curtis Warren Kamman, US Ambassador to Colombia: Fax: 57 (1) 315-2197
Dr. Jaime Bernal Cuellar. Procurador General de Nación. Santa fe de Bogotá. Fax (571) 3429723
Fernando Tapias Stahelin, Comandante de las fuerzas Militares fax 571 2-222935
P. Mario Torro ofm, Provincial. Apartasdo Areo 03 Periera, Ris. Colombia
Local and regional autorities:
Orlando Lizcano Garcia Alcalde de Matanza Fax: 57-76-298184
