Oil Palm Companies Displace 123 Families

THE COLOMBIAN GOVERNMENT AND OIL PALM COMPANIES DISPLACE 123 PEASANT FAMILIES FROM THE VILLAGE OF LAS PAVAS
(Translated by Emily Hansen, a CSN volunteer translator)

            The Police Inspector of the municipality of Penon in the southern part of the  Bolivar province, OMALDO GARCIA CAPATAZ, arbitrarily ordered the DISPLACEMENT OF 123 PEASANT FAMILIES OF THE LAS PAVAS COMMUNITY, despite the fact that the current representatives of the Public Ministry (Municipal Community and Resident Defense) opposed this act and called for its suspension.  The Inspector has disregarded this plea.
            Members of the national police and the Mobil Anti-disturbances Squadron, since the early hours of the morning of July 14th, sealed off the aforementioned precinct preventing the entrance and exit of the inhabitants of the area and of the people who accompany them.  Previously, they entered the community at approximately 1 p.m., and after destroying 7 peasant homes and ransacking the household goods, they proceeded to carry out the orders of evicting and displacing 123 families, among which were various pregnant women, and approximately 100 young boys and girls, some of whom were just recently born.
            In this moment the families whose fundamental rights have been violated find themselves displaced in the village of Buenos Aires in the municipality of Penon in the south of Bolivar.
            Due to the aforementioned grievances, the undersigned organizations demand:

• That the national government guarantees the immediate return of the displaced population to their precinct.
• That INCODER expedite the procedures corresponding to the demand of the community regarding the expropriation that they are currently suffering.
• That the community of Las Pavas be economically compensated for the pain that has been caused by the members of the public force while completing the displacement orders.
• That humanitarian assistance be offered to the displaced population and that special attention be paid to the infant, pregnant and older adult populations.
  

Federacion Agrominera del Sur de Bolivar
Corporacion Sembrar
Comision de Interlocucion del Sur de Bolivar
Fundacion Comite de Solidaridad con los Presos Politicos
Red de Hermandad y Solidaridad con Colombia
Coodinator Nacional Agrario – CAN
Asociacion Nomadesc
Corporacion Utopias
Campana prohibido olvidar
Censat Agua Viva, Amigos de la Tierra Internacional
Grupo Semillas
Proceso de Comunidades Negras
Organizacion Femenina Popular –OFP
Asociacion Paz con Dignidad - Espana  




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