Threats of another massacre in peace community

international | crime and justice | press release Thursday December 15, 2005 14:37 by San Jose de Apartado Peace Community - Colombian Peace Community sanjose_ireland at hotmail dot com Antioquia Colombia 086 0554665

San Jose de Apartado under threat again...

We want to leave written evidence of the following:

- At 9am last Wednesday, December 14th, at the bus terminal in the town of Apartado in Colombia near where our peace community is situated, a member of the paramilitary forces approached a person from the Buenas Aires area near San Jose and said ' Because we knew one another before, I just want to warn you about this, and so that you can tell your family to leave San Josesito, (the new village where the peace community have been displaced to), because we are planning a massacre in San Josesito, between the 24 and 31st of December. We have been talking to the police and the army about this so they will disappear from the area when we arrive. We have to get rid of those people in San Josesito before the decommissioning commences so it will be soon. I would leave now if I were you.'

-On December 12th, at around 3pm, Wilmar Durango and Apolinar Guerra were seen talking to police. Wilmar Durango approached the San Jose bus and said 'don't worry , ye' re time has almost arrived' . Wilmar Durango is a paramilitary who is frequently seen with the army and the police in the area. He has been involved in the deaths of people from the peace community. He admitted to murdering Yorbelis a member of the peace community on October 2nd 2004. Apolinar Guerra has also been involved in murders and threats to the community. He is also seen regularly with the police and the army.

We are asking for international solidarity to publicise this threat of another massacre against our community so that it will not happen. They always carry out the threats. For example in february 2005 when they massacred 8 people and then murdered arlen salas in november. The nerve of the paramilitary groups who work alongside the colombian military. We have to remain strong against this government action to exterminate the peace community. Even though we live in fear, we will continue to work in solidarity as a community. We will not go back on our principle to remain neutral against all the armed groups in this civil war. We are grateful for international support so that these terrible threats and massacres against our community may stop.
The Peace Community of San Jose de Apartado
December 14th.
If you want to help please phone the Dept of Foreign Affairs Political Section and ask that they contact the COlombian GOvernment immediately: 01 4082767/ 4082849.