Portland Indymedia Feature on Colombia and Venezuela
The Colombian government, with a strong push from the U.S., has called off peace efforts with leftist rebels and seriously escalated the war.
Though the Colombian people voted overwhelmingly for peace in October 1997, and in opposition to Plan Colombia in October 2001, the U.S. continues to push the plan. Now the Bush administration is weighing a proposal to declare the destruction of leftist guerrillas in the South American country an explicit goal of U.S. policy. Some senior officials are also pushing for the administration to assert, for the first time, that the Colombian rebels are a specific target of the worldwide U.S. war on terrorism.
Resistance
• March 4th and 5th, Mexico City, at the National Autonomous University (UNAM), the 2nd International Gathering of Solidarity, for Peace in Colombia and Latin America and in opposition to Plan Colombia will take place.
• April 19th-22nd Colombia Mobilization in DC
Here in Portland, this Friday's Peace Rally at 5 p.m. in Pioneer Square will focus on Colombia and speak out on the escalation of violence, Plan Colombia, and the U.S. policy in the region. In Eugene, there will be protest against the war in Colombia at the Federal Building at 4:00.
Venezuela
Reports from Venezuela, indicate that the U.S. is waging a campaign to oust democratically elected President Hugo Chavez and install a puppet regime. Again, as in Afghanistan, one reason is oil. Another is that President Chavez is a vocal opponent of Plan Colombia. He also strongly criticized the US bombing in Afghanistan, calling it "fighting terror with terror".
Ecuador
Ecuadorian military attacks OCP pipeline resistance including thousands of striking construction workers, killing 3 children