National and International Mobilization to Tribute the Victims of Colombian State Terrorism and its Paramilitary Apparatus-March 6th, 2008

New York
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New York:
“We are demanding an end to historical state terrorism in Colombia” English Español
Marcha del 6 de marzo en Nueva York, ¡éxito rotundo! Español
Radio Libre-CCMA: I, II, III, IV, V
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Press Release

Miami, Fl
Miami clama justicia por las victimas de crimenes del Estado colombiano Español
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In Colombia nearly 4 million persons have been internally displaced, mostly by illegal paramilitaries death squads. These groups, often collaborating with Colombia’s military, have “disappeared” more than 15,000 persons and buried them in mass graves or thrown their bodies into rivers. They have murdered more than 1,700 indigenous peoples, 2,500 union members and nearly 5,000 members of the Union Patriotica movement, besides forcing tens of thousands of Afro-Colombians and peasants from their lands. Routinely victims are tortured before being killed.

No more crimes by the State. No more State Terrorism.
No more Mass Graves. No more Forced Displacement.
No more Paramilitaries. No more Para-politicians.
No more US military aid to Colombia.

Between 1982 and 2005 paramilitaries carried out more than 3,500 massacres and stole more than 12 million acres of land. Since 2002, after their supposed “demobilization”, Colombians are still dying. Paramilitaries have murdered more than 600 persons per year, and gained control of 35% of Congressional posts. Members of the Colombian army, which receives millions of dollars from the US Government, have since 2002 committed more than 950 execution-style murderers, often camouflaging their victims as guerrillas. Many paramilitary groups have not disbanded, calling themselves “Black Eagles.”

Noam Chomsky's statement supporting the vigil on March 6

For far too long, Colombians have suffered torture, displacement, disappearance, and general misery under the dark shadow of paramilitary and military terror, constantly taking new and more menacing forms. To our everlasting shame, citizens of the United States have unwittingly made a decisive contribution to these horrors for close to half a century. The vigil on March 6 is a courageous stand by the victims and their supporters, in Colombia and around the world, a passionate plea for this savagery to be brought to a final end. Please join them in any way you can, and help to bring to this wonderful country the justice and peace that its people richly deserve.

Noam Chomsky, February 14,2008

Howard Zinn's statement supporting the vigil

Dear friends :

I am pleased to invite those who receive this message to support the march and vigils plan for March 6, 2008 in support of the victims of paramilitary violence and of abuses by the Colombian Army and Police. Paramilitary violence, often supported by agents of the Colombian state, has taken thousands of lives and left millions of rural Colombians displaced in recent years. While a series of public demonstrations in Colombia and elsewhere on February 4th called attention to the human rights violations of the FARC guerrillas--- including massacres, selective killings and kidnapping--- the suffering of the victims of paramilitary violence and of abuses by the Colombian state security forces have not received the same broad public attention.

Now , however the Movements of Crimes of the State ( MOVICE) and other social and human rights organizations in Colombia are planning to bring the plight of the victims of the paramilitaries and the Colombian state to public attention in Colombia and abroad through a series of events in remembrance of them. These events are being promoted by the Colombia Support Network (CSN), to whose Advisory Council I belong. Please contact CSN for more details. Sincerely

Howard Zinn, February 10, 2008