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DAM-L Abduction of South American aboriginal opposing dams <fwd>



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Date: Mon, 04 Jun 2001 12:18:29 -0700
To: irn-biobio@netvista.net
From: Monti Aguirre <monti@irn.org>
Subject: LS: URGENT ACTION FREE KIMI ALIVE
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[ Charset ISO-8859-1 unsupported, converting... ]
URGENT ACTION!

WE DEMAND KIMI PERNIA DOMICO BE RELEASED ALIVE!!!!

Indigenous leader of Urr? dam-affected populations kidnapped in Colombia



Please Act Immediately!

Berkeley, June 4, 2001

Dear Friends,

The Embera-Kat?o people from Colombia need your immediate action to get 
KIMI PERNIA DOMICO freed alive from armed groups which have abducted him. 
Three armed men on motorcycles kidnapped Kimi, a very important traditional 
leader of the Embera-Kat?o people of the Alto Sin? Basin on Saturday, June 
2 at 6:30 P.M. in Tierralta, C?rdoba.

Kimi, the grandson of a great Embera shaman has been a spokesperson for the 
Embera in defense of their lands, rights and autonomy following the 
construction of Urr? dam, which flooded a large expanse of their lands and 
has deprived them of fish, their main food staple. He led a four-month 
vigil at the Ministry of the Environment in Bogot?, which resulted in the 
opening of negotiations between the Embera-Kat?o people and the government 
and Urr? S.A, the dam owner. On April 19, 2000, an agreement was signed 
which was to have guaranteed that steps be taken to ensure the survival and 
well being of the Embera.

Last year, February 2000, Kimi visited the United States and alerted the 
public and US Senators and Representatives to the violent consequences that 
Plan Colombia would bring to his people and to the civilian populations of 
Colombia.  He gave testimony at that time about paramilitary and military 
collaborations, and emphatically stated that increases in military aid to 
Colombia would have devastating consequences for the unarmed civilian 
populations caught in the crossfire. He also spoke of the impacts that the 
construction of the Urr? dam had brought to his community.

The escalation of violence in the Embera-Kat?o's lands has been caused by a 
struggle for power in the region between paramilitary forces and 
guerrillas. In Kimi?s words "we are caught between two fires - they 
threaten us, they burn our houses and canoes, they kill our leaders, and 
involve us in a war that is not ours." Kimi has been outspoken against 
intimidations to grow coca in their territory.

Today, the paramilitaries and the guerrillas are restricting access to the 
Embera territory. Recently, seven Embera people were kidnapped by the 
paramilitaries, and guerrillas assassinated eight peasants traveling 
through the area.

We urge you to demand of Colombian authorities that they do everything 
possible to get Kimi back alive.

We ask that you do ANY of the following:

1. Your Senators and Representatives should be voicing your concerns.  Call 
your US Senators and Representatives and ask them to:
? contact US Ambassador to Colombia, Anne W. Patterson and the US State 
Department, asking them to speak out against Kimi Pernia Domico's 
disappearance to the Colombian government.  She should write and speak with 
the Colombian President, the Ombudsman of the Nation, the Ministry of the 
Interior, the District Attorney, and the Chief of the Armed Forces 
insisting that they do everything possible to get Kimi back alive now.
2. Fax the President of Colombia expressing your concern for Kimi?s life 
and asking him to do everything possible to make sure that Kimi is released 
alive now.

Se?or Presidente Andres Pastrana Arango
Presidente de la Republica
Palacio de Nari?o, Carrera 8 No.7-26
Santa Fe de Bogot?, Colombia
Fax: + 571 287 7939, + 571 284 2186, + 571 289 3377 or + 571 337 1351
Salutation: Dear President / Excmo. Sr. Presidente

Please cc:

Se?or Vicepresidente Gustavo Bell Lemus
Alto Consejero Presidencial para Asuntos de Derechos
Humanos y lucha Contra la Corrupci?n
Cra. 8 #7-26, Palacio de Nari?o
Santa Fe de Bogot?, Colombia
Fax: + 571 337 1351
Salutation: Dear Vice-President / Excmo. Sr. Vicepresidente

Dr. Humberto de la Calle
Ministerio del Interior
Carrera 8, No.8-09, Piso 2
Santa Fe de Bogot?, COLOMBIA
Fax: + 57 1 286 8025 / 281 5884 / 342 3201
Salutation: Sr. Ministro/Dear Minister

3. Write directly to Anne W. Patterson,  Ambassador in Colombia expressing 
the concern of US citizens to the Colombian government regarding Kimi 
Pernia Domico?s disappearance.
? AmbassadorB@pd.state.gov
Tel. (011-571) 315-0811
Fax (011-571) 315-2197

4. Write to Ambassador Luis Alberto Moreno
? Embassy of Colombia to the U.S/ Embajada de Colombia ante los Estados Unidos
2118 Leroy Place, NW
Washington, DC, 20008
(202) 387 8338 - Fax: (202) 232 8643
emwas@colombiaemb.org

For additional information:


Monti Aguirre    	
Latin America Campaigns
International Rivers Network
707-869-1637 / 510-848-1155
Fax: 510-848-1008monti@irn.org	

Sandra C. Alvarez
Global ExchangeColombia Human Rights Program
415.255.7296  ext.228 or800.497.1994
Fax: 415.255.7498
sandra@globalexchange.org




^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Monti Aguirre
Latin American Campaigns
International Rivers Network
1847 Berkeley Way
Berkeley, CA. 94703 USA
Phone:  510 . 848.11.55 and 707 . 869.16.37
Fax:    510 . 848.10.08
e-mail:  monti @irn.org
<http://www.irn.org>http://www.irn.org


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