28 Jan, 2002
Colombia Solidarity Campaign (UK) PRESS STATEMENT:
Matters have taken a serious turn for the worse and hour by hour concern grows for the SINTRAEMCALI workers in two occupations in Cali and Bogota to stop the privatisation. Speaking from inside the Bogota occupation at 3.15pm in Colombia (8.15pm UK time) SINTRAEMCALI union president Alexander Lopez said that negotiations have broken down. “The national government invited us to an appointment today, at 11am in Bogota. In spite of the risks and the prejudicial reports against us leaders of the union in the Cali and national press, we formed a negotiating team made up of myself and Lucho Hernandez, as well as four community representatives, in order to meet at 11. But at 7am this morning the national government said that the corporation will be liquidated on 4th April, by order of the national government. And that they would not pay the debt for PTAR, the water treatment plant. In the face of this tyrannical decision of the government aginst our city, we decided to defend the provision of public services and take the headquarters of privatisations in Colombia, at least of water, electricity and telecommunications privatisations. And so we arrived here and at 10.30am the workers occupied. Of course it is a peaceful occupation. We urge the national government to change its policies of privatisations, of price increases and, on these terms, we await the response of the national government. This occupation is peaceful, we are against corruption and privatisation” It was only when they heard the latest government announcement, pre- empting the negotiations that were due to take place today, that the workers decided to mount the second occupation. The talks that have been taking place during the morning in Bogota between the union and community organisations on the one hand and the Superintendent of Public Services on the other have therefore not been substantive, as Caicedo cannot go beyond the parameters already set by the central government. Meanwhile from Cali Mario Novelli reports:
"I have just left and re-entered the Tower, as one of the workers was very sick. The situation outside is very, very tense, more troop movements, and I was asked by the police if I was sure I wanted to go back in.
Those inside are calm and prepared. Outside loads of EMCALI trucks and cars are parked in the road, and hundreds of workers are gathering in total defiance of the Emergency Law that is in force."
Mario Novelli, 2.45pm Colombia time [7.45pm UK] Monday 28th January
RECOMMENDED ACTION: Send urgent protests opposing any forced entry into the CAM tower or the Superintendent of Public Services in Bogota to evict the SINTRAEMCALI occupiers by violence to:
ANDRÉS PASTRANA ARANGO
Presidente de la República,
Presidencia de la República
Carrera 8 No. 7-26 Palacio de Nariño,
Santa Fe de Bogotá
Teléfono. +57.1.5629300 ext. 3550 (571) 284 33 00
Fax +(57)1 – 286 74 34 – 286, 68 42 -284 21 86
Mail to: rdh@presidencia.gov.co
LUIS CAMILO OSORIO
Fiscal General de la Nación. (Attorney General)
Diagonal 22 B No. 52 – 01 Bogotá.
Telefax: 57.1.5702022.
Mr VICTOR RICARDO,
Ambassador to the UK,
Embassy of the Republic of Colombia
Flat 3A, 3 Hans Crescent, London SW1X 0LN, UK
Tel: (020) 7589 9177. Fax: (020) 7581 1829.
E-mail: mail@colombianembassy.co.uk
Andy Higginbottom, Co-ordinator Colombia Solidarity Campaign