Afiche peregrinación al Casanare
COS-PACC: National Pilgrimage to Casanare, October 31 to November 1, 2009
Throughout almost all of the departments of Colombia, the countryside has been bloodied and marked by the absence of many thousands of forcibly disappeared persons, millions of internally displaced people, as well as the victims of many other violations. Nonetheless, denunciations, protests and diverse expressions of memory have been able to bring some dignity to the victims. In other regions, silence and terror has invisibilised the victims and buried their memory.
The victims have also been made invisible in the department of Casanare. It is estimated 2,553 persons were forcibly disappeared in the department from 1989 to 2007. Nonetheless, many of these people were not registered by any source whatsoever and when registered most of these sources did not reach the general public. Furthermore, only a small number of the cases was reported by the mass media, though with limited and incorrect information. The interests behind this silence are known throughout the country: oil exploration and exploitation. Especially in Cusíana and Cupiagua, a wave of savage repression was unleashed against all social movements and resulted in annihilating whole populations. Over many years, CHÁMEZA, RECETOR, MONTERREY, TAURAMENA, VILLANUEVA, PAZ DE ARIPÓRO, HATO COROZAL, MANÍ, AGUAZUL and YOPAL have been subjected to this brutality.
On October 31, 1989, two young brothers from Chámeza, LUIS ÁLVARO and JAIRO ANTONIO ACOSTA, were forcibly disappeared, tortured and executed by soldiers from the national army, which had held the entire population responsible for some of the acts carried out by the insurgency in the area. These crimes have been followed by twenty years of terror accompanied by periods of indescribable extermination.
The 20th anniversary of the murders of the Acosta brothers summons us to overcome the silence concealing the cruelty suffered in Casanare. The defence of life and human dignity calls us to lift the veil of silence and demand memory and dignity for the thousands of victims from Casanare.
We invite all social, labour and political movements, human rights and faith-based organisations, and universities and other academic institutions to participate in this act of memory and solidarity.
SCHEDULE:
October 30, 2009: Departure from places of origin to Chámeza
Bogota DC, Calle 34 No. 21 -31
Time: 9:00 p.m.
October 31, 2009:
9:30 am – 10:30 am. March for Memory will leave from Chámeza Park, go to the cemetery, and return to Chámeza Park.
10:30 am – 11:30 am Open-air Mass, Chámeza Municipal Park
12:30 pm – 2:00 pm Community Lunch
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm Cultural Act
November 1, 2009:
7:30 am Travel to the municipality of Recetor.
9:00 am – 10:00 am Public Prayer in Recetor
11:00 am – 12:00 m Community Lunch
12:00 m – 1:30 pm Travel to Yopal
2:00 pm- 3:30 pm Memory Gallery, reflections from several public figures.
4:00 pm Return to places of origin
We request organisations to confirm participation and the number of delegates to the Pilgrimage.
Please contact:
COSPACC Corporation
Telephone: (1) 3204372
Mobile: 312 588 1996 Fabián Laverde
Mobile: 312 588 1998 Ninfa Cruz
E-mail: casanareperegrina@gmail.com
Minimum contribution: $90,000 Colombian pesos
Coordination Committee:
Social Corporation for Community Advice and Training Services - COSPACC
Norman Pérez Bello Claretian Corporation
Political Prisoners Solidarity Committee - FCSPP
Human Rights and Political Violence Data Bank, Casanare – Boyacá
Human Rights and Political Violence Data Bank, CINEP
RECOMMENDATIONS AND SUGGESTIONS:
Bring blanket, tent and kitchenware. Hotel lodging is available for the additional cost of $10,000 Colombian pesos.
Temperature: 28º C (daytime), 14º C (night-time)
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