SOS for KIMY and the Embera Katio! (updated 20 June)

KIMY PERNIA DOMICO REMAINS DISAPPEARED!

MAINTAIN THE PRESSURE ON THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT!

The Coalition "SOS for Kimy"* informs that Kimy Pernia Domico remains disappeared by paramilitaries.

* SOS for Kimy is a Canadian coalition conformed by the Center for World Indigenous Studies, Food for Chiapas, Development and Peace, Canadian Union of Public Employees, the Canadian Labour Congress (CLC), the Parkdale Legal Community Services of Toronto, CoDevelopment Canada (Vancouver), the Third Encounter for Humanity and Against Neoliberalism, the Andean Council of Aboriginal Nations, the Interchurch Committee for Human Rights in Latin America (ICCHRLA), Canadian Colombian Association (CCA) and the Canada-Colombia Solidarity Campaign (CCSC) acting on behalf of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) in the campaign to save Kimy Pernia Domico.

The Facts:

June 2, 2001 @ 6:20pm: Kimy Pernia Domico, leader of the Embera Katio Nation, was abducted and dissappeared at gun point by paramilitaries as hewas leaving the offices of the Indigenous in the town of Tierralta, Cordoba province, Northwestern Colombia.
Kimy Pernia led the fight against the Canada-supported Urra hydroelectric project, which flooded thousands of hectares of land occupied by 2,800 Embera-Katio Indians. The Embera Katio have been struggling for their survival in the face of a Urra 1 dam megaproject.Because of their struggle, the Embera Katio have been the targets a systematic terror campaign.

To date, at least four (4) Embera Katio leaders, including traditional elder Alonso Domico Jarupia, have been assassinated by paramilitary forces of the United Self defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), headed by Carlos CastaÃ±o.

June 1: One day before his abduction, Kimy Pernia meets, in the city of Medellin, with other indigenous organizations and a Canadian diplomatic delegation that included Canada's Ambassador to Colombia, indigenous leaders from the Assembly of First Nations and the NGO Rights and Democracy.

It was put forward at that meeting that an International Tribunal and Verification Commission be established in order to investigate and make visible the ethnocide of Colombia's indigenous people by armed actors, particularly the paramilitaries.

June 4: Two days after Kimy Pernia's disappearance, Cordoba's Police Colonel, Henry Caicedo GarcÃa, made declarations to the media stating justifying the abduction by claiming that the Embera people collaborated with the guerrilla and the Kimy was personally involved in drug trafficking.

Colonel Caicedo also stated that: "Kimy gave lists of settlers (colonos) to the FARC so they would kill them." These allegations are absolutely false and the police has provided NO EVIDENCE to support the claim.

Days before his abduction, Carlos CastaÃ±o, in an interview with Bernard Henry-Levy from the weekly magazine, "Semana", was asked the following question: "The leader of the Embera Katio, what harm could he do to the AUC?" To which CastaÃ±o emphatically responded: "The dam! He was stopping the functioning of the dam!"
Despite this evidence, the Colombian Embassy in Canada continues to state that: "[the] Colombian authorities have not yet determined the responsible parties for the kidnapping of Kimy Pernia Domico." (Ambassador Fanny Kertzman). The ONIC and Embera Katio clearly identify the AUC as the intellectual and material authors of the disappearance.
June 10: The Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) National Indigenous Organization of Colombia announce that an indigenous march to Tierra Alta to take place called "S.O.S. for Kimy: We are going to find our brother!" to search for their brother farm by farm, scheduled to commence on June 13.
June 14, 2001: The governor of Cordoba province, JESUS MARIA LOPEZ, passed a decree (000472 of 2001) prohibiting the indigenous search action for Kimy on the grounds that the there would not be sufficient police of army troops to protect the march since they would all be occupied protecting the annual beauty pageant and Cattleman's Fair (it should be noted that in Cordoba, there is a historic symbiotic relationship between cattle ranchers and paramilitaries) insinuating as well that the march would compromise public order and safety. The Indigenous marchers stated they would continue with their plans to search for Kimy to which governor Jesus Maria Lopez responded that he would displace troops to keep them from marching. In other words, there were not enough troops available to protect the march but there were enough to keep it from happening.
June 18, 2001 - The Embera Katio and their supporters from ONIC and national and international NGOs, commence their search.
June 19, 2001 - Because of the absence of guarantees for the indigenous march, and threats issued against them, the Embera have decided not to march into the Monteria, Cordoba's capital. The search through the rural area surrounding Tierra Alta and Valencia continues.
June 20, 2001 - The ONIC and the Indigenous Organization of Antioquia (OIA) has denounced publicly a paramilitary intimidation campaign directed against the indigenous march. Paramilitaries are constantly circling the Tierra Alta's central plaza, where the Indigenous march delegates are camped, issuing constant threats in an attempt to seed fear among the marchers.

CONTINUE YOUR ACTIONS!

We urge you to continue in the campaign to save Kimy Pernia. Please sendyour letters to the Colombian government, their embassies, the police andmilitary of Cordoba and the governor of Cordoba demanding that Kimy Perniabe returned to his people alive, insisting that the international communitywill not rest until Kimy Pernia is safe.

1. Write another letter toPresident Pastrana, re-iterating your concern for Kimy, asking forup-to.date information on what he is personally doing to ensure his release.Reiterate that there is profound international concern for Kimy's life.

2. In your letters insist that the authorities do more to ensure the safety ofthe indigenous marchers and that you are aware that the ONIC and OIA havedenounced a paramilitary campaign aimed at intimidating and discouraging themarchers.

3. Call authorities in Cordoba Province demanding information onthe status of the search for Kimy. Send Letters To:

Senor President Andres Pastrana Arango Presidente de la Republica Palacio deNarino,
Carrera 8 No.7-26 Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax: + 571 287 7939, + 571 284 2186, + 571 289 3377
or + 571 337 1351
Or try +571 336 2109 / 2867434 / 286 6842 / 284 2186
Pastrana@presidencia.gov.co
or Apastra@presidencia.gov.co
Senor Vice-president Gustavo Bell Lemus
Cra. 8 #7-26, Palacio de Narino Santa Fe de Bogota, Colombia
Fax: + 571 337 1351
Ambassador Fanny Kertzman Colombia's Ambassador to Canada Ottawa,
Canada
FAX: 613-230-4416
Email: info@embajadacolombia.ca

MAKE PHONE CALLS TO:

Jesus Maria Lopez Gobernador de Cordoba Monteria
Fax: +(57)-4- 7826060
TEL:+(57)-4-7823120, 7823233
Celular phone: 6551533
Tierra Alta Police (CÃ³rdoba):
+57- 4-771063 Ask for: Capitan Archibold
Frasquillo Military Post (Tierralta):
+57- 4-7833497 Ask for: Coronel JairoSalguedo
XIII Army Brigade of Monter=Ãa (Cordoba):
+57-4-7774556 Ask for: Coronel Ovalle

COPIES TO:

Hon. John Manley Minister of Foreign Affairs
Fax: (613) 996-3443
EmailManleJ@parl.gc.ca

OrganizaciÃ³n Nacional IndÃgena de Colombia ONIC
Apartado Aereo
32395onic@colnodo.apc.org

Cabildo Mayor Embera Katio
CAMAEMKA
camaemka@col3.telecom.com.co

Canada Colombia Solidarity Campaign
colombiacrisis@latinmail.com

ICCHRLA

Fax: (416) 921-3843
icchrla@web.ca