Our voices, joined together, made some difference two weeks ago. Here’s another alert about two more leaders who have been “disappeared” in Colombia. The alert comes from the Lutheran World Relief Columbia Program.

FOR LIFE AND HUMAN RIGHTS IN CAUCA, COLOMBIA

Two very important leaders of the vibrant social movement in the southwest Colombian province of Cauca have been jailed.

José Vicente Otero Chate, a Nasa indigenous leader and former mayor of the municipality of Caldono, was detained on October 6. And Miguel Alberto Fernández Orozco, President of the CUT (United Workers' Central)-Cauca and leader of the campesino (peasant farmer) organization CIMA, was detained on November 1. These are just the latest in a series of attacks against Cauca's dynamic social movement, which has repeatedly mobilized tens of thousands of people in defense of their communities, lands and human rights, and against so-called "free trade" deals and persecution by armed groups. Miguel and José Vicente are recognized, well-known leaders of these efforts, and so the indigenous, campesino and Afro-Colombian social movement in Cauca sees their detention as an attack on everyone involved.

A flood of messages sent quickly to Colombian and U.S. authorities could make the difference in securing the release of Miguel and José Vicente. In addition, it would let those who seek to suppress such organizations' work know that any future attacks will be met with a strong international response, which would discourage them from making such attacks.

Miguel, who has been a leader of both the campesino organization CIMA and of the regional United Workers' Central office for many years, has received a series of death threats in recent years. In 2004, he spent several months in exile in Massachusetts, as part of the (now defunct) AFL-CIO Solidarity Center protection program for threatened Colombian unionists. Since returning to Cauca, he has received renewed death threats against himself and his family on at least two occasions. The charges brought against Miguel appear to be -- incredibly -- that he invented death threats against himself.

José Vicente, the former mayor of Caldono municipality, was instrumental in carrying out a popular consultation in Cauca this past March on the Andean Free Trade Agreement that is currently under negotiation between the U.S. and Andean governments. Two months later, his home was raided by members of the Colombian Army, who planted weapons inside, then accused him of terrorism. He was arrested on October 6.

Please hold Miguel, José Vicente, and their families in the prayers of your own family and church this weekend, wishing them a safe and speedy return to their homes.

TAKE ACTION

We ask that you write to the following U.S. and Colombian government officials in support of José Vicente and Miguel’s release. Your messages can be short and simply written -- the important thing is that they see how many of us care what happens to Miguel and José Vicente.

1. Ask US officials to:

* Ensure that the Colombian authorities investigate whether there are any real charges against José Vicente and Miguel and what grounds there are for the charges, and see that they are released if there is nothing against them.

Contact Information:

U.S. Ambassador William Wood: AmbassadorB@state.gov

Human Rights Officer Laura Kirkpatrick: kirkpatricklh@state.gov

2. Ask the Colombian Government to:

*Guarantee protection for the lives and integrity of the communities, organizations and leaders involved in the civil society actions and mobilizations.

* Ensure compliance with due process and other fundamental rights, particularly in the cases of JOSE VICENTE OTERO CHATE and MIGUEL ALBERTO FERNANDEZ OROZCO.

Contact Information:

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Vélez: Fax (57) 1-566-2071

auribe@presidencia.gov.co, dh@presidencia.gov.co

The Governor of Cauca, Juan José Chaux Mosquera:

Fax (57) 2-824-3597

Please copy ("Cc.") the following addresses on the e-mails you send, so that Cauca's social organizations will know what communications the government authorities are receiving: fundcima@yahoo.com; anucurcauca@hotmail.com; cric@emtel.net.co.