Violence and deforestation in the Chocó region

Colombian forests are undergoing a severe process of destruction. The civil war that is devastating the country can be considered one of the main causes of deforestation. Due to the prevailing state of violence in Colombia, entire rural communities are obliged to leave their homes and lands. Additionally to their effects from a social and cultural point of view, forced displacements also create conditions for further negative impacts on forests.

The Pacific Region of the country, known for its abundance of natural resources and cultural richness, as well as for the constant process of depredation that it has suffered since colonial times is victim of this type of activities. The Forcibly Displaced Afro-Colombian Communities of the Cacarica Basin of the Choco, provisionally settled in Turbo, Bocas del Atrato and Bahia Cupica have denounced the illegal and indiscriminate deforestation of their lands by the YIREH cooperative. This company is apparently operating in connection with the logging corporation Darien Woods Company (Maderas de El Darien).

While the community resists returning to their lands until the Colombian government fulfills their list of conditions for what they call a "Return with Dignity", the above named company is taking advantage of their absence to log in the territories that have been legally awarded to the communities under Law 70 for Black Ethnic Communities. Moreover, the communities have reported acts of harassment by paramilitaries, who are trying to intimidate them so as to avoid their opposition to logging activities in their territory. It is important to mention that the Cacarica Basin borders the Los Katios National Park, which is home to one of the highest levels of biodiversity per square mile in the world.

From August 19 to 21 a verification commission integrated by representatives of the communities, national and international NGOs, parliamentarians and delegates from government bodies, travelled to the area to investigate the ongoing deforestation process. The following is a translation of the Communities' testimony, published in their newsletter "Humanos del Mundo":

"...We were witnesses, together with representatives from government bodies and institutions of the State, of the horrendous scenario of deforestation that Maderas de El Darien is causing in the region of the Cacarica. Before our very eyes we saw two boats pass by -belonging to this company- towing through the river more than 400 trees belonging to endangered species of the "catival" forests. We heard high-tech heavy machinery that does not sink into the muddy swampland; we saw how they continued opening channels to take out our natural wealth; we were sadenned by the occupation of our school buildings that have now been turned into camps for the workers. We are not lying: large companies are turning our territory into a cemetery for nature; no longer did we walk through the trees but rather with the sun hitting our foreheads. This is an Ecocide."

According to testimonies obtained from the company's workers, CODECHOCO -the governmental body in charge of granting logging contracts in the region- is aware of the illegal deforestation and has done nothing to stop it. Such omission and negligence is collaborating with the massive destruction of the forest.

An action at the international level is being carried out to stop this destruction. You can address the following Colombian authorities, expressing your concern on the accelerated deforestation and the suffering of the communities of the Cacarica Basin, and calling for an immediate suspension of every logging contract in the area:

Mr. President
Dr Andres Pastrana Arango
Fax (011-571) 283-7324
(011-571) 286-7434
(011-571) 287-7937

Mr Minister of the Environment
Dr. Juan Mayr
fax: (011-571) 288-7639

Official statement of the U´wa people:

The U´wa territory is sacred
The cultures with principles don´t have a price

Mobilization of the U´wa people and of the support groups of Colombia and of the world demanding the annulment of the environmental license granted to the Occidental Petroleum company by the Colombian government to drill the Gibraltar well in the ancestral U´wa territory.

The U´wa´s Council and the Colombian environmental organization which are part of the Committe "Colombia is U´wa" communicate to the national and international public opinion the following:

1. On Sunday the 14th of November, 200 indigenous U´was settled down in a place of its traditional territory, where the OCCIDENTAL Of COLOMBIA, OXYCOL hopes to drill the well Gibraltar 1, to demand the national government the immediate cancellation of the environmental license to the company OXYCOL, and thus to prevent that their territory will be profaned by the oil companies.

2. Likewise, On November 16th, "the second audience U´wa for Life" was carried out in the city of Bogotá, capital of Colombia, where a numerous commission of indigenous U´was was present along with their traditional authorities, and more than 100 national delegates of organizations of indigenous, environmentalists, black communities and social groups who support the struggle of the U´wa native people. There were also representatives of indigenous people from Ecuador, of international organizations such as: Friends of the Earth Uruguay´s Chapter, Ecological Action from Ecuador, the support campaign U´wa from the U.S., French delegates and of OILWATCH International.

3. On November 17th, a large demonstration which began at the National University of Colombia and went to the headquaters of the Ministry of the Environment was carried out, where the representatives of the community U´wa demanded president Andrés Pastrana and the Minister of the environment, Juan Mayr, the immediate cancellation of the oil exploration in Samoré´s area.

The U´wa´s council and the Comité Colombia is U´wa have agreed to strengthen our actions which will allow the definite withdrawal of the OCCIDENTAL from the Uwa´s territory and in this way, we demand from the national and international community all the support, as follows:

1. To refuse to participate in the Environmental Alliance for Colombia which is not more than the government's farce to obtain resources under the name of the environmental emergencies of the country, while its actions show contempt or violent solutions to the environmental conflicts. We ask not to meet with Andrés Pastrana's government nor with the Minister of the environment, to discuss environmental issues until it cancels the environmental license to OXYCOL.

2. To send letters to the President of the Republic, to the Ministries of the environment, of Mines and Energy and of the Interior, demanding the immediate cancellation of the oil exploration in the ancestral U´wa territory.

3. To expose OXYCOL for its genocidist action, carried out against the U´wa people, as it had done before against the Guahibo people, in the area of Arauca, Colombia, in what today is known as Caño Lemon's oil Field, where this company destroyed the Sanctuary of Fauna and Flora, sacred place of the Guahibo culture.

4. To support the campaign that the organizations of the U´wa people and the Committee Colombia is U`wa are holding with the support of nets, organizations and international campaigns. To show your support through organized demonstrations in the Colombian embassies and consulates, every second Thursday of every month.

The struggle of the U´wa people is a fight for life, to maintain the example of sustainable societies, to resist against the ferocity of schemes of looting and destruction. In these crucial moment for this indigenous group, we are expecting to have your solidarity. The struggle of the U´wa people is the fight of the people of the world.

INFORMATION - U´WA COUNCIL
Tel: 0978 838037
Cubará, Boyacá

COLOMBIA is U´WA COMMITTEE
Tel: 091 2812071- 091 3376950 - 091 2456860 - 091 2458906
E-mail: cobacata@colnodo.apc.org / censat@colnodo.apc.org
Santafé of Bogotá - Colombia

If you are interested in sending a letter you can use the following sample or write your own one, but please do also send a letter to the cabildo Mayor (U´wa Council) and to the Colombia is U´wa Committe.

Dr. Andres Pastrana
President of Colombia

Dr Juan Mayr
Minister of Environment

We are writing to express our concern about the fact that your government has authorized OXYCOL to drill an oil well in the place Gibraltar 1, located inside the ancestral territory of the U´wa people. This authorization ignores their cultural and spiritual values and the rejection that they, the U´was, and many Colombian, have vigorously expressed against all oil activity that profanes their ancestral territory. This authorization is a threat to their physical and cultural survival of the U´was.

The initiation of the oil activity will worsen the existing social conflicts and it will lead to the militarización of this region by those who seek to protect the interests of the multinational companies.

It is known by the world that Colombia is one of the countries with more biological and cultural diversity and that this country would have a lot to win if it directs its development plans toward strategies that lead to sustainable societies.

Respectfully, we demand from your government the fulfillment of the national constitution and to respect the rights of the indigenous people. We demand that the Environmental License is cancelled to OXYCOL. It is still time so that your government will have a true sustainable society that really preserves life and cultures. It is still time that the wise decisions of the U´wa people are listened .

Sincerely,

Their communications should be directed to:

JUAN MAYR, Minister of the environment, Juan_Mayr_M@Hotmail.Com and Jmayr@minamb.gov.co 3361166, 2886877, 2840363

Dr. ANDRÉS PASTRANA, President of the Republic of Colombia, Palace of Nariño, Fax 2867434. Bogotá. pastrana@presidencia.gov.co

Dr. GUSTAVO BELL LEMUS, VicePresident of the Republic of Colombia, Fax 571 3418364. Bogotá.

Dr. JAIME BERNAL CUELLAR, General Attorney of the Nation,
Fax 571 2840472, 3429723. Bogotá.

Dr. ALFONSO GOMEZ MENDEZ, General District attorney of the Nation, Fax 571 5702000. Bogotá.

Dr. FERNANDO CASTRO CAICEDO, Defender of the People,
Fax 571 3461225. Bogotá.

Dr. NESTOR HUMBERTO MARTINEZ NEIRA, Minister of the Interior,
Fax 571 2515884.