Unlimited Nerve and Audacity

[Translated by Brice O'Connell, a CSN volunteer translator]

The Peace Community of San José has provided an abundance of evidence regarding

paramilitary activity in the territory of their settlements. Also numerous are the

rights requests addressed to the President of the Republic begging for him, in

accordance with his constitutional obligations, to act to restrain the unity between

the actions of criminal groups and State agents. After the "armed strike" of a few

days ago, the Government threw its hands up in horror trying to conceal all the

support it had lent them. The Government's presence is permanent and its quantity

of men does not permit them to hide their guilt. This support and impunity the State

utilizes to cover them constitutes its true strength.

For our side, we will continue to give evidence of their serious crimes before the

country and the world:

From Tuesday the 24th to Friday the 27th of January 2012 the

paramilitaries appeared for the first time in the districts La Esperanza

and El Porvenir. From there they organized patrols in the surrounding

areas, placing reserves and checkpoints in the roads. The farmers that they

requisitioned were told that they need to give their support or they will be

assassinated and that they will exterminate the Peace Community. They also

announced that they are going to take el ganado de los campesinos, el cual ya

no les pertenece.

Saturday the 28th of January, 2012, around 11am, the paramilitaries fired

warning shots in the district of El Porvenir. All of the threats that have been

uttered in that district have forced six families from to be displaced. Other

families are preparing for their displacement: new serious crimes of the war

of the State.

The same Saturday the 28th of January, 2012, army troops entered the

district of Mulatos, of the peace community, where they uttered, as is now

customary, new threats against the Peace Community and announcements of

their impending extermination. At less than an hour distance away, the army

and paramilitary complement each other in similar terrorist acts, but the

militaries say that "they don't see" the paramilitaries.

Therefore, we will continue on under the terror and anxiety, but nothing will make

us back down from our insistence for an alternative world or our solidarity. To

renounce it would be to jeopardize our ideals against criminals. Again, we are

thankful for the solidarity of so many people that share this search and reject these

disgraces.

Peace Community of San José de Apartadó

February 2, 2012

(This translation may be reprinted as long as the content remains unaltered, and the source, author, and translator are cited.)

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