Colombia authorities arrest farmer's leader

international | rights, freedoms and repression | news report Tuesday October 11, 2005 20:54 by Colombia Solidarity Network - Colombia Solidarity Network colombia at lasc dot ie

A leader of the communities in southern bolivar, Colombia was arrested by the army along with two others.

Urgent Action

Leaders in Southern Bolívar Detained

La Federación Agrominera del Sur de Bolívar
La Corporación Sembrar
La Red de Hermandad y Solidaridad Con Colombia

Inform the International and national human rights organizations and public and denounce the following events.

Micoahumado is a community which in response to the deterioration of the social and armed conflict in the region began in 2003 a process of building an organizational process as civilians for life, justice and peace called Local Constituent Assembly of Micoahumado

On 8th of October 2005 at 5.30 a.m. members of the Nueva Granada Battalion based in Barrancabermeja along with members of the prosecutors forensic team (CTI) burst ino the the hamlet of Micohumado cordoning it off and preventing the inhabitants from leaving.

The entrance and searching of the houses of Isidro Alarcon Bohorquez and Ana Elba Galvia. Various CDs and legally held and registered civilian use walkie talkies on loan from the Local Association of Miners which were used for communications were taken from the house of Isidro Alarcon.

The arrest of Isidro Alarcon a member of the Federación Agrominera del Sur de Bolívar (Agro-mining Federation of Southern Bolívar) and a leader fo the Peace Laboratory financed and supported by the European Union through the Programme for Development and Peace in Magdalena Medio which also receives the support of the Diocesis of Magangue and various regional and national human rights organizations. He is also a leader of the Constituent Assembly.

The arrest of Laura Cristina Canonico, the partner of Isidro and Elba Maria Galvis also a member of the Federation who were informed that there was an arrest warrant out for them for the crime of Rebellion. The arrestees were taken by helicopter to the city of Bucaramanga. On October 8th their lawyer was denied access.

During the operation a Canadian citizen belonging to the Christian Peace Maker Teams ( which accompany projects in Micoahumado) took a photograph. The prosecutor informs him that this prohibited as this is a judicial operation and demands that he hand over the roll of film. Given his refusal to do so the prosecutor confiscated his passport. Later he returned the passport obliging the Canadian to sign a statement where he recognises his refusal to hand over the roll of film.

We ask the National and International Human Rights Organizations to make public statements on this new aggression against the farming and craft mining communities of Southern Bolívar that despite everything seek to build spaces of resistances, community and autonomy in the face of the social and armed conflict that exists in the region.

We ask the Colombian government ot immediately free the arrested leaders and to cease its policy of criminalization of the social movements.

We ask the European Union to make a statement on the events and its support for the communities that participate in the Peace Laboratories and to demand of the Colombian government that the leaders not be processed.


Supported by the Red Europea de Hermandad y Solidaridad Con Colombia.


October 10th 2005