Many of you may have met Euripides Yance, last year when he toured the UK. In response to the latest and very serious threats against his life and those of other activists in Barranquila a few of us from Bristol Colombia Solidarity Campaign and supportive friends have just set up: http://www.fotocola.net/
The idea is that people will take a photo of themselves with friends and family showing their opposition to the violence and/or their support and solidarity; holding a sign, words on face, a banner from the roof of your house,….
If you then email it to fotococacola@gmail.com it will be uploaded to the site asap and together we will start building a huge display of protest to the policies of Coca-Cola and other multinationals is Barranquilla, and the Colombian state, showing them that despite its being xmas the international community is still watching what is happening.
I also hope that it will be a bridge of solidarity: from people comfy and safe at home this xmas to people who are living under such huge oppression in Colombia.
If you don’t want your face on the internet – be creative.
Thank you
Claire
Members of Hands Off Venezuela and War on Want joined Colombia Solidarity Campaign on its emergency protest outside the Colombian Embassy in luxurious Knightsbridge, London on 21 December. Picketers demanded the release of Telesur journalist Fredy Mu?oz detained by Colombian authorities since 19 November, and handed in a letter of protest demanding that Vice-President Santos withdraws his comments targeting food and drinks workers union SINALTRAINAL?
Colombia Solidarity calls on Santos, who is formally responsible for human rights within the government, to withdraw his prejudicial comments against SINALTRAINAL, do everything possible to ensure the life and safety of the people targeted in the Black Eagles death threat and their families, and to instigate a thorough criminal investigation into the intellectual and material authors of the death threat.
Christmas and New Year is a notoriously dangerous time for Colombian trade unionists, a killing season when paramilitaries are let off the leash free of international scrutiny. It is therefore particularly important that protests continue worldwide. Further actions are planned in Bristol, Barcelona and Sydney.
Wherever you are, send an urgent message to Vice-President Francisco Santos
c/o Colombian Embassy
3 Hans Crescent
London
SW1
email: mail@colombianembassy.co.uk
with a copy to info@colombiasolidarity.uk
