Tras la triste noticia del asesinato del
padre José Reinel Restrepo, párroco del municipio de Marmato, conocido públicamente
como oponente al proyecto minero de las empresas canadienses Medoro Ressources
y Gran Colombia Gold, las organizaciones canadienses han firmado un comunicado
para expresar profunda preocupación sobre la posibilidad de que las empresas
mineras canadienses estén agravando la violencia política en la zona o, por lo
menos, aprovechándose de ella. En este comunicado, se solicita a la Embajada de
Canadá que coopere en las investigaciones a fin de garantizar que los hechos
relacionados con el asesinato de Restrepo se esclarezcan y que se establezcan
mecanismos de imputabilidad para asegurar que las empresas mineras canadienses
que operan en Colombia no provoquen, agraven o se aprovechen de la violencia
política y de las violaciones a los derechos humanos.
El asesinato del padre Restrepo se da poco
más de dos semanas después de que el Primer Ministro Harper festejara en Bogotá
la entrada en vigor del Tratado de Libre Comercio entre Canadá y Colombia. Si bien
quienes anteponen los derechos humanos al libre comercio han sido acusados de
“proteccionismo”, este asesinato plantea de nuevo la pregunta de
quién requiere mayor protección: las empresas canadienses o los defensores de
los derechos humanos de Colombia que defienden los intereses colectivos de sus
comunidades.
El PASC les invita a difundir ampliamente
este comunicado y a escribir al Primer Ministro canadiense así como a la
GranColombia Gold con el fine de expresar su apoyo a éste comunicado y sus preocupaciones
en cuanto a las actuaciones de las empresas canadienses quienes aprovechan y
alimentan la violencia política en Colombia.
Stephen Jose ph
Harper, Primer Ministro de Canadá : p...@pm.gc.ca
En linea :
Firmado por : Atlantic
Regional Solidarity Network, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Canadian
Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Christian Peacemaker Teams CPT Colombia,
Coalition québécoise sur les impacts socio-environnmentaux des transnationales
en Amérique latine, CoDevelopment Canada , Colombia Action Solidarity Alliance
(CASA), International Council of Latin American and Caribbean Women in Canada,
Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network, Members of the Extractive
Industries Research Group (EIRG), York University, Members of the Executive
Committee of The Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean at York
University (CERLAC), MiningWatch Canada , Muslim Unity group Toronto, Partners
in Mission Unit, The United Church of Canada, Projet Accompagnement Solidarité
Colombie (PASC), Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) , The Steelworkers
Humanity Fund, Toronto Haiti Action Committee.
Más informaciones sobre el caso :
Contexto : proyecto minero canadiense y resistencia
del pueblo de Marmato
En réponse à
l'assassinat du prêtre José Restrepo Reinel opposant notoire au projet de mine
à ciel ouvert développé par les entreprises canadiennes Medoro Ressources et
GranColombia Gold, plusieurs organisations canadiennes ont signé une
déclaration conjointe pour exiger que l'ambassade canadienne en Colombie exerce
de son influence pour s'assurer qu'une enquête éclaircisse les motifs de cet
assassinat, lequel survient quelques jours après les déclarations publiques du
prêtre à l'encontre des minières canadiennes qui entendent détruire son village
(Marmato, département de Caldas). Les organisations signataires demandent
également que des mécanismes d'imputabilité soient mise en place pour garantir
que les sociétés minières canadiennes investissant en Colombie n'alimentent pas
la violence politique et ne profitent pas du climat d'impunité pour faire taire
les opposant-es à leurs projets économiques. Soulignons que cet assassinat
survient deux semaines après la visite du Premier ministre canadien en Colombie
destinée à célébrer l'entrée en vigueur de l'Accord de libre-échange
Canada-Colombie.
Le PASC vous encourage à diffuser largement
ce communiqué au sein de vos réseaux.
Nous vous invitons également à envoyer ce
communiqué au Gouvernement canadien et à la Gran Colombia Gold en mentionnant
votre appui envers ce communiqué et en exprimant vos préoccupations quant à
l'agissement des entreprises canadiennes qui profitent du climat de violence
politique en Colombie pour engranger des profits.
Stephen Jose ph
Harper, Premier ministre du Canada : p...@pm.gc.ca
VOIR EN LIGNE :
Ce communiqué est endossé
par : Atlantic
Regional Solidarity Network, the Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Canadian
Union of Public Employees (CUPE), Christian Peacemaker Teams CPT Colombia,
Coalition québécoise sur les impacts socio-environnmentaux des transnationales
en Amérique latine, CoDevelopment Canada , Colombia Action Solidarity Alliance
(CASA), International Council of Latin American and Caribbean Women in Canada,
Latin American and Caribbean Solidarity Network, Members of the Extractive
Industries Research Group (EIRG), York University, Members of the Executive
Committee of The Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean at York
University (CERLAC), MiningWatch Canada , Muslim Unity group Toronto, Partners
in Mission Unit, The United Church of Canada, Projet Accompagnement Solidarité
Colombie (PASC), Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) , The Steelworkers
Humanity Fund, Toronto Haiti Action Committee.
Plus d'informations en espagnol et
anglais.
********************************************************************************************
In response to murder of priest in Colombia,
Canadian civil society calls for stronger protection for human rights defenders
Canadian labour, faith, social justice, and solidarity organizations have sent
a letter to the Canadian Embassy in Colombia expressing concern that Canadian
mining companies may well be aggravating or benefiting from violence. Civil
society groups are troubled by recent news of the murder of Father José Reinel
Restrepo, an outspoken advocate against the displacement of the urban centre of
Marmato in the department of Caldas to make way for an open-pit gold mine
project owned by Toronto-based Gran Colombia Gold.
Father Restrepo’s murder comes little
more than two weeks after Prime Minister Harper celebrated the coming into
effect of the Canada Colombia Free Trade Agreement in Bogotá. Harper accused
those who put human rights before free trade of “protectionism.”
This tragedy, however, raises the question about who needs greater protection:
Canadian corporations or human rights defenders in Colombia standing up for
collective interests in their communities.
On September 2nd, the body of Father
Restrepo was found shot dead near his motorcycle on a road between the
municipality of Belén de Umbría, Departamento of Risaralda and the municipality
of Viterbo, department of Caldas, south of the municipality of Marmato. The 36
year-old priest had served for two years in the parish church of Marmato. No
perpetrators in this crime have yet been identified, nor has a motive for
Father Restrepo’s killing been determined.
Shortly before he was killed, Father
Restrepo gave declarations to the Colombian press, stating that the church is a
defender of the poor, and that “this Canadian multinational company wants
to take advantage of the population; they want to drive them out.” “They have even gone so far as to want to relocate the
parish church,” he said, “…they’ve come and asked me if
I agree with the relocation of the town […] I’ve openly told them
that I’m not in agreement with this.”
Canadian social organizations are asking
that the Embassy to cooperate with investigations, to urge the company to do
the same, and to provide stronger guarantees and mechanisms to hold companies
to account, particularly in the context of Colombia’s armed conflict.
PASC invite you to
widely disseminate this joint letter in your network and to also send it to the
Canadian Prime Minister and to Gran Colombia Gold to show your support to this
declaration and express your concerns regarding the actuation of the canadian
company investing in Colombia who are aggravating the political violence in
this country.
SEE IN LINE :
Endorsed by : Atlantic Regional Solidarity Network, the
Canadian Union of Postal Workers, Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE),
Christian Peacemaker Teams CPT Colombia, Coalition québécoise sur les impacts
socio-environnmentaux des transnationales en Amérique latine, CoDevelopment
Canada , Colombia Action Solidarity Alliance (CASA), International Council of
Latin American and Caribbean Women in Canada, Latin American and Caribbean
Solidarity Network, Members of the Extractive Industries Research Group (EIRG),
York University, Members of the Executive Committee of The Centre for Research
on Latin America and the Caribbean at York University (CERLAC), MiningWatch
Canada , Muslim Unity group Toronto, Partners in Mission Unit, The United
Church of Canada, Projet Accompagnement Solidarité Colombie (PASC), Public
Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) , The Steelworkers Humanity Fund, Toronto
Haiti Action Committee.
More informations about this case :
More informations about the mining canadian
project in Marmato :
Coordinación de Comunicación
GRUPO SEMILLAS
Calle 28 A#15-31 Ofc.302 Bogotá, Colombia