INSPP statement in honour of day of solidarity with Colombia's political prisoners
14th October 2010
Political prisoners
Remembering Colombia's Political Prisoners: We Demand a Humanitarian Exchange of Prisoners of War and Freedom for All Political Prisoners!
The following is a statement by the International Network in Solidarity with Colombia's Political Prisoners (INSPP) in Honor of the Day of Solidarity with the Colombian Political Prisoners (October 15)
Today is a day we remember members of the political opposition deprived of their liberty in Colombia. While the government there denies such prisoners exist, the fact is that more than 7,500 persons are jailed for political reasons. Most of these are incarcerated due to government frame-ups, paid informers, false evidence and a goal of repressing dissent. Sadly, indications are that the Colombian state only intends to increase this number. Over the past ten years, with funding and oversight from the US government, Colombia has increased its prison capacity by 40%. At the same time, there has been an increase by 300% of the number of persons arrested for arbitrary and political reasons. Typically such prisoners serve at least two or three years in prison before having their cases dismissed. However, these are only the prisoners that the state admits were arrested falsely. The actual number of the wrongly arrested is much higher.
According to Traspasa los Muros (Comité Permanente de Solidaridad con Las Detenidas y Los Detenidos Politicos), there are three categories of political prisoners: Prisoners of Conscience, arrested for political and labor activities and for speaking out about human rights; Prisoners due to Set-ups, arrested on the basis of false and fabricated evidence; and Prisoners of War-the smallest segment, including some 500 members of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) and an unspecified number from other guerrilla groups, such as the ELN (National Army of Liberation). Most of those arrested have done nothing more than express their opinions and mobilize for social and political change. More often than not, they are jailed for the vague and nebulous charge of "Rebellion". These Prisoners of Conscience and Prisoner due to Set-ups should be released immediately.
Prisoners of War are included as political prisoners because the armed struggle is itself rooted in political, economic and environmental conflict. A majority of guerrilla combatants come from peasant communities that have been threatened with displacement in order to make large tracts of land and resources available to transnational corporations and Colombia's very rich. This is a conflict that cannot be solved through acts of violence, war and repression. Instead, the conflict must be subjected to a legitimate political process of dialogue among all major parties--the only road to a just peace.
Virtually all sectors of Colombian society concerned with reducing violence and building peace have said that the likely first step toward dialogue and resolution will be a humanitarian exchange of Prisoners of War. While the FARC has arbitrarily released a number of its captives, there has so far not been reciprocation by the Colombian government. Nevertheless, both the FARC and the ELN, as well as the administration of Pres. Juan Manuel Santos have released statements recently indicating a willingness to consider a prisoner exchange and the beginning of a process of dialogue. Still, this has also accompanied an increase in war-related offensives. The task that lies before the Colombian people and those who support them is to take advantage of these developments to press for a peace process.
Thus, the INSPP calls upon solidarity activists and human rights defenders to join us in calling for:
* A humanitarian exchange of prisoners of war and freedom for all political prisoners;
* An end to foreign funding of the Colombian conflict;
* The beginning of a peace process based on dialog that brings all major parties to the table.
The conflict in Colombia, which is now in its 46th year, has far-reaching consequences not only for all of Latin America but, indeed for the world peace. Now is the time for world citizen's to come together and demand an end to this war and not only for the sake of Colombia, but as a step toward peace for all Earth's peoples. We call on Colombia's President Santos to open the door to peace, not war in his country.