TITLE: Support Women Leaders!

AUTHOR:

ORG: Colombia Support Network

DATE: March 8, 2001

The month-long campaign of international solidarity with the Organizacion Femenina Popular (OFP), a women's organization in Barrancabermeja, ends today (March 8) with a celebration and public demonstration for International Women's Day. The organization has received numerous threats from paramilitary forces, which have expressed their goal of driving the OFP out of the city. Yesterday, March 7, the director of the OFP, YOLANDA BECERRA, received a threatening phone call on her cell phone. The caller warned that if the OFP carried out its plans for a public demonstration on March 8, that YOLANDA would "have to pay the consequences." This occurred at approximately 10:15 a.m. in the Northeastern sector of the city, known as the Kennedy neighborhood. At the same time, plainclothes men who identified themselves as part of the United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia-the largest paramilitary group in Colombia) threatened several women from the OFP who were publicizing the March 8 activities. PLEASE CONTACT U.S. and COLOMBIAN OFFICIALS TO: *express concern for the safety of Yolanda Becerra and the other women of the OFP. *voice your support for the work of the OFP and other social, labor, and human rights organizations under fire in Barrancabermeja *urge the authorities to take all appropriate actions to combat paramilitary activity in Barrancabermeja. It is especially important to contact local officials in Barrancabermeja to let them know of your concern. Faxes in English are fine. Please make sure that the names of the OFP and Yolanda Becerra are clearly visible. Hint: To make international phone calls at a reduced rate, dial 10-10-834 before dialing the international code (011), followed by one of the international numbers listed below. Calls placed using the 10-10-834 code cost $0.22/minute to Colombia. Gustavo Bell Lemus Vice Presidente de la Nación Consejería Presidencial de Derechos Humanos Calle 7 No 6-54 Piso 3 Santafé de Bogotá Colombia Phone (1) 336-0311 Fax (1) 341-8364 Mari Dieterich (speaks English) Secretary for Human Rights U.S. Embassy in Colombia Phone: (1) 315-0811 ext. 2451 or (1) 315-2129 Fax: (1) 315-2163 DieterichME@state.gov Mayor of Barrancabermeja Alcalde Julio Cesar Ardila (7) 622-9091 (phone) (7) 622-0777 (phone/fax) (7) 622-2535 (phone/fax) Major Agustin Rodriguez (Navy)-Barrancabermeja Comandante de la Flotilla Fluvial del Magdalena Medio Phone: (7) 620-9271 (3) 399-8595 (cellular) Fax: (7) 620-9266 Colonel Hernan Dario Moreno Velez (Army)-Barrancabermeja Comandante Battalion Nueva Granada Phone: (7) 622-3348 Fax: (7) 622-9425 Ten. Col. Jose Miguel Billar Jimenez (Police)-Barrancabermeja Policia Nacional (Barrancabermeja) Phone: (7) 621-3780 Your Senators and Representative(s) Phone Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121 Colombia Support Network P.O. Box 1505 Madison, WI 53701-1505 (608) 257-8753 (voice) (608) 255-6621 (fax) csn@igc.org (e-mail) END top