PRESS RELEASE # 1 Bogota, September 16th, 2002 Arrests, food and vehicles confiscated and other forms of aggression against the peasant mobilization. While the Military Forces and the Police are blocking the free movement in Cauca, Sucre, Tolima and Caldas among other regions, paramilitary groups have installed road-blocks and are striking terror into the population. Although the National Government has authorised the mobilization and the UN has asked for guarantees to be ensure the protection of people on the march, the civilian authorities and military have not done enough to protect the right of the peasants to protest and mobilise. Since last week, human right organizations put in an appeal of Early Alert, because of the declaration of paramilitary groups that the people on the march were military target. In different regions of the country there have been arrests of peasants, including international observers, as happened in the Sucre department in Chalan in the first hours of the morning today. The Battalion of infantry # 5 of Chalan is keeping Daniel Justo Gutierrez and Ana Andres Ablanedo, members of the NGO Sodepaz, and the general secretary of Fensuagro, Rudy Robles, in the square of the village. In La Maria - Piendamo, Cauca, the Army has arrested many peasants. In the Tolima, the access routes to the main roads have been blocked by the Army. 7000 peasants are being held by the Army in the vicinity of Icononzo. In Pasca, Cundinamarca, the Army displayed banners forbidding the peasant mobilization. Only 15 minutes from Popayan, in the Tambo, the paramilitary forces have installed a road-block where they are confiscating food, impounding the vehicles and reiterating the death threats against those who participate in the march. In the vicinity of Balboa, Cauca, they have installed another blockade which has prevented the marchers from continuing. In Totoro, the Army and the Police stopped the mobilization coming from Inza and Paez. In the region of Chlan, Sucre, besides the detentions by the army, the paramilitaries have forced the population to remain inside their homes, under the threat of death if they take part in the march. These and other intimidatory violations of rights of mobilization and freedom of expression will be presented in a press conference this evening. MORE REPORTS - COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE. Luis Alberto Mata: cel 310- 2120722 Nelly Velandia: cel: 310 - 4812733 Olga Gutiérrez: cel: 310 - 2082453 Edilia Mendoza - 334 2921 - 2841
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