Help Stop Deforestation in the Choco, Colombia
10/12/99
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RELAYED TEXT STARTS HERE:
Title: Urgent Action: Help Stop Deforestation in the Choco,
Colombia
Source: Colombia Support Network, Chicago Chapter
Status: Distribute freely with credit given to source
Date: October 12, 1999
CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE DEFORESTATION IN THE CUENCA DEL CACARICA, CHOCO,
COLOMBIA
The Forcibly Displaced African-Colombian Communities of the Cacarica
Basin of the Choco, provisionally settled in Turbo, Bocas del Atrato
and Bahia Cupica have denounced the illegal and indiscriminate
deforestation of their lands by the YIREH cooperative, which
apparently acts as a middle-man to the logging corporation Darien
Woods Company, MADARIEN.
While the community resists returning to their lands until the
Colombian government fulfills their list of conditions for a Return
with Dignity, loggers are taking advantage of their absence to cut
own the trees in the territories that have been titled to the
Communities under the Law 70 for Black Ethnic Communities.
This represents just one more example of the massive on-going
deforestation for commercial sale in Colombia, a country that ranks
fifth in the world for the greatest rate of deforestation of tropical
forests. (Diocese of Quibdo, 1996) The Cacarica Basin borders the
Los Katios National Park, which is home to one of the highest levels
of biodiversity per square mile in the world.
On August 19-21, a verification commission comprised of
representatives of the Communities, of national and international
NGOs, and government entities, traveled to the zone to investigate
the deforestation. The following is a translation of the
Communities' testimony, published in their newsletter Humanos del
Mundo:
"...We were witnesses, together with entities of the government and
institutions of the State, of the horrendous panorama of
deforestation and devastation that the Darien Woods Company (Empresa
Maderas de El Darien) is doing in the region of the Cacarica. Before
our very eyes we saw two boats pass - belonging to this company -
towing through the water more than 400 trees of the Cautivo
(endangered) species. We heard high-tech heavy machinery that does
not sink into the muddy swampland, we saw how they continued opening
channels to take out our natural wealth, we felt the occupation of
our school buildings that have now been turned into encampments for
the workers. It was not a lie; large companies are turning our
territory into a cemetery for nature; no longer did we guide
ourselves through the trees but rather with the sun hitting our
foreheads. This is an Ecocide."
They gathered testimonies of the company workers, and confirmed that
CODECHOCO, the governmental entity that authorizes logging contracts
in the region, is aware of the illegal deforestation and has done
nothing to stop it.
We ask that you write a letter to President Pastrana and to the
Minister of the Environment Juan Mayr expressing your opposition to
the deforestation in the Cacarica Basin and calling for an immediate
halt to the logging project. Below is a sample letter.
DEFORESTATION IN THE CACARICA
SAMPLE LETTER
(Please phrase in your own words)
Doctor
ANDRES PASTRANA ARANGO
President of the Republic
Palacio de Narino
Cra. 8 No. 7-26
Bogota, COLOMBIA
Fax (011-571) 283-7324
Fax (011-571) 286-7434
Fax (011-571) 287-7937
Fax (011-571) 281-8262
Doctor
JUAN MYER
Minister of Environment
fax: (011-571) 288-7639
Dear President Pastrana, / Minister Myer
I am writing to express my support for the Forcibly Displaced
Communities of the Cacarica in Process of a Return with Dignity,
currently settled in Turbo, Bocas del Atrato and Bahia Cupica.
I would first like to applaud your administration for the work it has
done to provide most of the necessary conditions for the Communities'
Return with Dignity. However, at the same time I am very concerned
about the deforestation that the Darien Woods Company, MADARIEN,
doing in the territories that have been titled to the Communities
under Law 70 for African-Colombian ethnic groups.
The YIREH cooperative, which apparently is working under MADARIEN and
using its machinery, is currently engaged in illegal logging in the
Cacarica. This not only harms the communities, but also threatens to
destroy the ecosystem of a rainforest that is a treasure for all
humanity.
A verification commission conformed of governmental agents, NGOs, and
representatives of the Cacarica Communities went to the affected
region August 18-21 and eye-witnessed the ecological destruction.
The commission also found that local CODECHOCO and other public
officials in the area seem to be aware of the deforestation, but have
not taken measures to put a stop to it.
Moreover, the Communities have reported acts of harassment by the
CONVIVIR and paramilitaries, who are apparently trying to pressure
and intimidate the Communities into silence, so that the logging
project can continue without opposition.
I urge you make a Presidential Decree, declaring illegal the logging
and commercial exploitation of wood that private companies such as
MADARIEN are doing in the region.
Secondly, I ask that investigations be made of
local public officials who, by acts of omission, negligence and
tolerance, are allowing for the massive destruction of this
rainforest.
Thirdly, I ask that the dredging of the Perancho and Peranchito
rivers in the Cacarica Basin begin as soon as possible. The
government's delay in solving this problem is impeding the
Communities from being able to return and thereby allows private
logging companies to exploit the land in their absence.
And finally, I urge you to take measures to insure the safety of the
Communities and the NGOs who accompany them, so
that they will not suffer repression for having denounced the
ecocide.
I thank you for attention.
Sincerely,
Colombia Support Network
P.O. Box 1505
Madison, WI 53701
(608) 257-8753 fax (608) 255-6621
csn@igc.apc.org http://www.igc.apc.org/csn/