Colombian armed forces attack peaceful protest

In Cauca, Colombia, as more than 15,000 peaceful protesters gathered on May 15 to exercise freedom of expression guaranteed under Colombian law, the Colombian Armed Forces of the 26th Brigade, the local police and more than 500 police from an anti-riot squad attacked and wounded 36 people. Six people were detained. One person who was killed was a member of the indigenous peace guard, a nonviolent group that seeks to protect the community from all armed actors by carrying staffs endowed with ceremonial powers of peace and non-violence. The protesters are concerned about the negative impact on their communities of a trade agreement with the United States, the repression against human rights leaders, the possible reelection of President Alvaro Uribe, as well as the erosion of their recognized rights over their traditionally held territories. They had gathered peacefully at a national summit in Maria Piendamo, Cauca, to ask that the government sit down to negotiate with them. Maria Piendamo carries special meaning because it was declared a zone for dialogue and negotiation in 1999 by Colombian civil society. But the government refused to negotiate with the summit participants. For two days the protesters, from campesino, indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities were physically abused by the armed forces and the riot squads. In addition, governors from Cauca and the neighboring province of Nariño, as well as the interior minister of Colombia made unfounded accusations that the peaceful protesters were being organized by the largest leftist guerrilla group, the FARC, which is also considered a terrorist group. American Friends Service Committee staff in the area voiced concern because the government on two occasions on May 17 agreed to sit down and negotiate with the summit participants but instead of sending its negotiating team into the area, it had sent more armed forces.