Colombia: Help preserve evidence of paramilitary ties



By Colombia Support Network



The Uribe and Bush administrations have come to an agreement under

which paramilitary leaders are being extradited to the United States

to stand trial for drug-trafficking. Many of these paramilitaries have

caused hundreds, and even thousands, of deaths through massacres of

civilians. The Uribe administration seems particularly interested in

expelling the paramilitary leaders to the US, where some of them have

already come to agreements with the US Government under which they are

sentenced to prison terms for their drug-trafficking and no evidence

is presenting concerning their human rights abuses. Information

concerning ties between the paramilitaries and military officers and

politicians, especially those of parties which have supported

President Uribe and close associates of his administration, may not be

collected or preserved as not relevant to drug-trafficking

prosecutions in the US .

Now a veteran paramilitary leader, Ever Veloza, also known as "H.H.",

who was leader of the Bloques Calima and Bananeros, has begun to talk

about the ties between paramilitaries and army officers, businessmen

and politicians. In response, Polo Democratico Senator Gustavo Petro

has urged President Uribe to withold extradition of "H.H.", until he

has told his story. CSN invites you to write to President Uribe, US

Attorney General Michael Mukasey and Colombia's Attorney General Mario

Iguaran urging them to place a hold on extradition until the human

rights violation stories can be told. Urge Mr. Mukasey to collect and

preserve any evidence and testimonies provided by the paramilitaries

in the US so that justice can be done and the truth learned by the

families of victims of paramilitary violence



Action: Please write to:



Attorney General Michael B. Mukasey

AskDOJ@usdoj.gov

Tel ( 202) 514 -2001

Please go to our website and send messages to your members of

Congress: see CSN's Action Center: http://www.colombiasupport.net



Presidencia de la República

Dr. Álvaro Uribe Vélez, Presidente de la República

E-mail: auribe@presidencia.gov.co

Or check his website www.presidencia.gov.co



Fiscalía General de la Nación

Dr. Mario Hernán Iguarán Arana.

E-mail: contacto@fiscalia.gov.co; denuncias@fiscalia.gov.co



By Colombia Support Network http://www.colombiasupport.net/