Bulletin archive

After the London Summit: Go Out to the People!

2003-10-01T01:00:00Z

For progressive observers, the “London meeting on International Support for Colombia” held on the 10 July, was a disaster. The EU member states, USA, World Bank, IMF and others present were unanimous in their support for the hard-line government of Alvaro Uribe Velez.

Boycott Coca-Cola!

2003-10-01T01:00:00Z

Colombian unions have called for a year long boycott (starting 22 July 2003) of Coca Cola and their products, in solidarity with SINALTRAINAL, the Colombian Food and Drink Workers’ Union.

22nd July Boycott Launch

2003-10-01T01:00:00Z

Bogotá

The day started with a 10am press conference in the HQ of the CUT, an opportunity to tell the world’s media why we were supporting the boycott. The press conference was given by Carlos Rodriguez, President of the CUT, Domingo Tovar, CUT’s Human Rights Director, Javier Correa President of SINALTRAINAL, and Pedro Mahecha of the Jose Alvear Restrepo Lawyers Collective.

Repression Continues

2003-10-01T01:00:00Z

All articles by members of SINALTRAINAL

Attempted Murder of Coca Cola worker and Barrancabermeja SINALTRAINAL leader

On Friday, 22 August 2003, at 12:10pm, a murder attempt was committed against the life of JUAN CARLOS GALVIS, worker at Coca-Cola in Barrancabermeja, President of SINALTRAINAL and the CUT in Barrancabermeja.

Book Reviews

2003-10-01T01:00:00Z

“The Heart of the War in Colombia”

by Costanza Ardila Galvis

Latin American Bureau, 2000; £11.99

Galvis´ book consists of ten internally displaced Colombians recounting their history of violence in a group situation, both as victims and perpetrators. The authors´ own work with CedaVida, an organisation which helps displaced people was the basis for this book. Ten individuals begin with their childhoods, painfully exposing the abuse they have each suffered in different ways. They then carry on to talk of their involvement in the conflict in Colombia. The confrontation of each to their past and what eventually led them to be displaced not only gives the reader an understanding of the cruelty and pain that has been endured by so many thousands of Colombians, but also an understanding of what leads people to this brutality. The people here are not just ´victims´ of the conflict, but are facing up to their responsibility in continuing the cycle of violence. With these stories, we explore the social violence in a domestic situation dominated by machismo, sexual abuse and humiliation, and then we see this repeted in the broader context of political and military violence.

Coke Boycott Campaign News

2003-10-01T01:00:00Z

Scotland

We held a day of action on 13 September. The pitch was at St. Enoch's - in Glasgow's busiest shopping street - and Globalise Resistance collected more than 300 signatures to the petition to Glasgow City Council to remove Coca Cola vending machines from public buildings - including schools - in the city and over 200 pledges never to drink the stuff again! We also handed out various recent urgent actions and briefings from taken from Campaign mailings.

Various stalls included WDM Scotland and a "knock-all-the-Coke-bottles-down" fairground-style attraction - effective in drawing in the younger element (still wielding their Big Macs in their free hands). And a neighbouring busker's sound system was put to good use for haranguing shoppers... So all in all a successful day out!

Paul

Talking with Hugo Chavez: "We Have Proof of the CIA in Venezuela"

2003-10-01T01:00:00Z

The president cancelled his trip to the U.S., scheduled for late September. President Chavez was supposed to give a speech at the opening of the UN in New York, to visit Houston, Texas, the city where the state-owned oil company Citgo will have its new headquarters, and to give a speech in Harlem.

Trade Justice and Colombia

2003-10-01T01:00:00Z

Foreign investment has brought great problems. Since 1988, with the opening up of our economy, we have seen a steady deterioration in the standing of living of most Colombians. With the complicity of successive governments, international capital, directed by the World Bank and the IMF has succeeded in shackling the Colombian economy to their own desires.

Collapse of WTO Talks in Cancun

2003-10-01T01:00:00Z

“Petulant and uncooperative groups of developing countries threaten the future of multilateralism.” This is the way US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick chose to portray the breakdown of the World Trade Organisation’s fifth Ministerial meeting in Cancun (Sept 10-14). The fact that the majority of countries refused to give in to the usual arm-twisting and bribery tactics had clearly unsettled America’s top trade negotiator.

Indigenous Peoples Without Frontiers

2003-10-01T01:00:00Z

While they stir up hatred of Colombians exercising their right to asylum in Panama, while they continue the deportations to Colombia, while they systematically stigmatize the work, support and humanitarian accompaniment that the Panamanian Church and Human Rights Organisations carry out in the Darien…indigenous communities, in solidarity with those Colombians forced across the border, indigenous communities who have paid the price through threats, intimidation, selective assassinations, the burning of our homes, and displacement, have met, talked, laughed, danced, remembered our dreams, our history, and our solidarity in defence of life and land.