By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTA, Colombia — 39 Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, rebels were killed on Wednesday after Colombian troops launched bombs into their Arauca camp. The bombardment comes five days after FARC guerrillas killed a non-commissioned officer and 10 other soldiers in the northeastern Arauca state. Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon described this event on his Twitter account as the biggest blow against the FARC since he first took office in 2010.

General Ernesto Maldonado, commander of the Army’s 8th Division, confirmed that five air force planes bombarded the guerrilla’s camp from the air first, and then Colombian troops stormed the camp by foot shortly thereafter. According to Maldonado, the rebels that were killed on Wednesday were not the rebels responsible for Saturday’s killings, but they were part of the same unit as them.

The bombardment against the guerrillas was in response to the murders of a non-commissioned officer and 10 other soldiers on Saturday in the city of Tres Cruces, inside the province of Arauca. The soldiers, who were guarding the oil industry infrastructure, were killed just hours after the FARC’s announcement that they would release hostages in exchange for allowing Women of the World for Peace members to visit rebels detained in the country’s jail.

The family and friends of the soldiers killed on Saturday have publicly criticized Santos’ government, saying their young sons were thrown into dangerous conditions with little preparation. Saturday’s attack by FARC rebels is the deadliest guerrilla attack against the Colombian government forces in many years.

The FARC is believed to currently have hostage at least 10 Colombian soldiers, despite it’s announcement late February that it would officially stop all abductions. President Juan Manuel Santos has announced that he will be willing to negotiate with the FARC only after all their hostages are released, and only after they pledge to stop “terrorist” actions.

The military estimates that approximately 600 to 700 members of the FARC operate in the Arauca area. Arauca has been a hotbed for leftist guerrilla activity recently, mainly because of the presence of foreign oil companies — potential targets for future attacks and extortion deals.

The FARC, which was founded in 1964 as an anti-government group, is Colombia’s largest and most dangerous guerrilla group with an estimated 8,000 members. The Colombian government has made fighting the FARC a top priority and has obtained billions in foreign aid to help combat the FARC’s terrorist acts. The FARC’s power has recently been dwindling, however, thanks in part to military and police who captured and killed it’s leader, Alfonso Cano late last year.

 

For further information, please see:

CNN – Colombian Troops Kill Dozens of Guerrillas, Defense Minister Says – 21 March 2011

The Wall Street Journal – Colombia Forces Kill 33 FARC Rebels in Arauca – 21 March 2012

Hispanically Speaking News – FARC Guerillas Kill 11 Soldiers at Colombia-Venezuela Border – 18 March 2012

USA Today – Colombian Rebels: Hostages To Be Freed – 18 March 2012

BBC News– Colombian Soldiers Killed in Farc Ambush – 17 March 2012

by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

LIMA, Peru – Last week miners throughout Peru began to protest the increased penalties for informal and illegal mining of gold.  Yesterday, early in the morning, miners in the Madre de Dios region escalated those protests in an attempt to capture control of the airport, markets and government buildings in the city of Puerto Maldonado.

One man was killed from a gunshot wound during the uprising and roughly 30 others were injured.  The 700 police officers called to the area used rubber bullets and buckshot to stop the protestors.  It is reported that 11 police officers were injured from stones thrown by the protestors.

Close to 10,000 miners took part in the uprising on Wednesday.  They were protesting the new laws that will push many un-licensed gold miners in Peru out of work.  The BBC states that an estimated 50,000 miners in Peru operate without the proper licenses and permits.  The new laws enforce stricter penalties for those caught illegally mining.  Some of the proposals make it a crime punishable by imprisonment for up to 10 years.

Peruvian officials defend the stricter penalties by pointing to the environmental concerns raised by illegal mining.  The rate of deforestation is increased by the mining.  As well, the rivers in the southeastern regions, where the illegal mining predominates, have concerning levels of mercury in them.  The mercury is used by miners in the process of extracting gold from the waters.

Officials further noted that they were not targeting the smaller organizations or individuals but instead focusing on breaking up the larger mafia-style groups that exploit economically disadvantaged people, like women and children, for their labor.

The President of Peru’s National Mining, Oil and Energy Society (SNMPE), Pedro Martinez, says that illegal mining is an important issue to tackle because of the dangers it poses.  Martinez estimates that the illegal gold mining brings in more than $2 billion per year.

“We cannot cede one centimeter in the fight against illegal mineral extraction because it puts in danger biodiversity and the health of Peruvians,” was Martinez’s statement.

The illegal mining has increased in recent years with the jump in gold prices.  A previous effort was made by the government to stop the mining when they destroyed the dredges used by the miners.  The miners believe that the government’s actions are motivated by a desire to garner a profit by selling all mining concessions to large multinational companies.  The government says they simply want the miners to obtain the correct permits so that their actions can be monitored and environmental repercussions can be limited.

 

For more information, please see;

Latin American Herald Tribune – Peru “Restoring Order” After Deadly Clashes with Miners – 15 March 2012

BBC – Peru Mining Protests Turn Deadly in Puerto Maldonado – 14 March 2012

NTN24 News – One Killed in Peru Miners Protest – 14 March 2012

The Wall Street Journal – Peru’s Informal Mining Protests Turn Deadly – 14 March 2012

by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASÍLIA, Brazil – The city of Sao Paulo, Brazil recently saw a massive strike by union truck drivers for petroleum companies.  The drivers went on strike for almost three days in response to city officials passing new legislation that banned commercial truck’s from using main through fares during certain times of the day.

Sao Paulo is a very congested urban center with over 11 million citizens and approximately 7 million vehicles.  Throughout the city there are roughly 2,000 gas stations.  By late afternoon yesterday, nearly all those stations were running short on gasoline, and many were already closed down as they had already emptied their gas and ethanol supplies.

The truckers union stated that the new legislation unfairly targets them by limiting their access to major highways during peak hours of the day.  This then forces them to take alternative routes that increase their costs of driving and the time they spend working.  All 800 of the city’s tank truck drivers participated in the strike.

On Tuesday afternoon, a state court judge issued a ruling that the strike must end or the union would be fined an amount of $1 million reais ($566,828 US).  One of the most pressing concerns was that the strike would also shut down public transportation throughout the city.

Claudinei Pelegrini, the Vice-President of the Sao Paulo truck drivers union, enunciated the union’s goal that talks be initiated to revoke the new restrictions.  Pelegrini noted, late on Wednesday, that his members move more than 90% of all petroleum in the city.  He demanded that an agreement must be reached or else truck drivers for food and construction materials would also join the strike.

Despite enunciating these pressures, Pelegrini noted that emergency services would not be affected by the strike.  He said deliveries to airports, hospitals, police and fire stations would take place.  City officials expressed their opposition to the strike, noting that police and military escorts were being used to allow for deliveries of supplies by a few drivers not participating in the strike.

The strike stands to affect local business owners in a drastic way, even if it is successfully ended within the next few days.  NPR reports that Marcelo Fernandes, a local gas station owner, will lose roughly $15,000 in sales for each 24 hour period that his gas tanks stand empty.

“They’re killing us, the government has got to give in to the guys. In the best-case scenario, if they ended the strike now, I don’t think I would get any fuel before Thursday,” said Fernandes.

 

For more information, please see;

CNN – Gas Pumps Near Empty in Sao Paulo due to Trucker’s Strike – 7 March 2012

NPR – Gas Stations Running Dry as Brazil Truckers Strike – 7 March 2012

San Francisco Chronicle – Sao Paulo Drivers Strike, Halt Gasoline Delivery – 7 March 2012

BBC – Sao Paulo Lorry Drivers’ Strike hits Fuel Supplies – 6 March 2012

by Emilee Gaebler
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Viviane Morales, the chief prosecutor of Colombia has been forced to step down from her post.  A lawsuit was filed claiming that Morales was elected improperly according to provisions of the Colombian constitution.  She took office in 2010 and was the first woman to be elected to the position as Colombia’s top prosecutor.

 

The lawsuit claims that Morales was improperly elected because at the time she failed to get the 2/3 majority vote of the Supreme Court magistrates as required.  She was elected by a 14-4 vote and the discrepancy arises because the number of magistrates mandated by the Colombian constitution is 23.  The suit claims that since there were 5 vacancies during her election, and only 18 sitting magistrates, she did not properly take office.

As reported by NTN24 News, the decision to elect Morales ended a 1.5 year impasse between the Supreme Court and the government where the magistrates refused to accept any of the nominees submitted to them.  Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, expressed his regret that Morales resigned.  He noted that during her time as chief prosecutor she performed with, “great dignity, great efficiency, great transparency and great character.”

Morales resigned when the ruling was handed down by Colombia’s Council of State that her election was invalid.  In her resignation speech, she emphasized her aggressive stance in prosecuting even those seen as “untouchable” like government agencies and officials.

During her time as the chief prosecutor Morales investigated, prosecuted and dismantled the DAS department for its use by past-president, Alvaro Uribe’s administration to illegally spy on political opponents.  She also prosecuted a number of past ministers who were close to Uribe including Bernado Moreno, Uribe’s chief of staff, and Andres Felipe Arias, Uribe’s agriculture minister.

In the past year Morales has faced strong criticism and a rash of bad publicity for her marriage to Carlos Alonso Lucio, an ex-guerilla member of the group M-19.  The group is now demobilized but was linked to drug paramilitaries and drug trafficking.  Morales noted that such attacks against her and her husband were “vile, low and slanderous.”

Vice Prosecutor General, Wilson Martinez, will step in until Morales’ successor is elected.  President Santos will now submit a shortlist of three candidates to the Supreme Court for their consideration.  It would be possible to place Morales on that list, however she noted in her resignation speech that she would not be available as a candidate.

For more information, please see;

Xinhua News – Colombia’s Chief Prosecutor Resigns After Adverse Verdict – 3 March 2012

BBC News – Colombia Chief Prosecutor Viviane Morales Resigns – 2 March 2012

Colombia Reports – Colombia’s Unseated Prosecutor General not Available for Re-election – 2 March 2012

Colombia Reports – President Santos Regrets Prosecutor General Resignation – 2 March 2012

Colombia Reports – Colombia’s Prosecutor General Removed From Office – 29 February 2012

NTN24 News – Colombia Prosecutor that Jailed Uribe Officials Ousted – 29 February 2012

 

By Paula Buzzi
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTA, Colombia — At least 11 oil workers were kidnapped on Tuesday by an unidentified armed group as they were working on Colombia’s largest oil-pipeline project, Oleoducto Bicentario. Colombia’s Defense Minister, Juan Carlos Pinzon, announced on Wednesday morning that the workers had been found and freed after a search mission. He later backtracked his statement and admitted that the workers are still missing.

The oil workers were kidnapped as they were riding the bus to work in the rural Arauca province. Colombian authorities are blaming the ELN, Colombia’s second largest rebel group, for the kidnapping because of the location of the act. According to authorities, 500 security forces are looking for the missing oil workers and they are promising a $57,000 reward for any information leading to their safe recovery.

Defense Minister Pinzon’s statement on Wednesday morning stirred up some controversy when it was later discovered that the oil workers were still missing. He confirmed to the media that the oil workers were safe in a military base when in fact they had never been found. Furthermore, he initially said nine workers had been kidnapped, which he corrected to 11 later that day in his redaction.

The kidnapping highlights the dangers of the new booming oil sector in Colombia. Oil and gas companies operating in dangerous rural regions are often vulnerable to attacks by organized crime and drug cartels. The Colombian Petroleum Association has recently warned of an increase in extortion demands on oil companies.  President Juan Manuel Santos has threatened to exile any foreign company that participates in extortion to any criminal group.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Colombia’s biggest rebel group and one of many criminal groups in Arauca, has been bombing oil pipelines and kidnapping civilian workers for decades in order to disrupt the oil market. The FARC is famous for their high profile kidnappings of politicians and business executives.

The kidnapping came only days after FARC announced its intent to stop abducting civilians. Three Chinese oil contractors and a translator are still missing from when the FARC kidnapped them in June.

 

For further information, please see:

Colombia Reports – ELN Blamed For Kidnapping Oil Workers – 01 March 2012

Fox Business – Colombian Military Continues Search For Missing Oil Workers – 29 February 2012

Colombia Reports – 9 Kidnapped Oil Workers Liberated – 29 February 2012

Reuters – Eleven Colombian Oil Workers Kidnapped by Armed Group – 29 February 2011

Associated Press – Colombia’s FARC Announces Halt to Kidnapping – 27 February 2012