CPTnet
December 22, 2001
COLOMBIA: The SOA and the War on Terrorism. A
letter from Scott Kerr
[Note: Scott Kerr was arrested for trespassing at Fort
Benning in November, along with hundreds of other
people who were protesting the U.S. Army’s training of
Latin American officers there, before he returned to
Colombia.]
Dear friends and family,
This is from a note I wrote to those who are facing
trial for
the School of the Americas (SOA) action this November.
In the paper in Colombia we are reading of the
possibility that Colombia will be the next theatre for
the
war on terrorism. I encourage all of you to be
proactive
and call your reps and senators now before the
propaganda
machine gets rolling.
Fifteen minutes outside of Barrancabermeja there is a
paramilitary (AUC) checkpoint on the arm of the
Magdelena River. This week, a motorist that CPT has
used
has been kidnapped and is presumed dead, and three
indigenous people from Ecuador have also been killed.
This
AUC checkpoint is ten minutes from a [Colombian] Navy
checkpoint and can be seen by one of their towers. I
have
been stopped at both of these checkpoints before, and
the
Navy commander there is well aware of the paramilitary
operations.
The links between paramilitary forces are not debated
in
this city, the lines are very clear.
Be encouraged that we are not fighting for pie in the
sky
idealism. When we struggle to close the SOA we are
protecting farmers all over Colombia.
The impunity continues in Barranca. Thank God some are
in resistance in the States. The human rights
community
here was very energized by the SOA actions and sends
saludos.
in peace for justice,
scott
