Peace Timeline: 2002

U.S. Military and Police Aid - Focus on Arauca and Putumayo:Timeline of Current Events Arauca:
April-May 2004

April 20, 2004

Amnesty International released "Colombia - A Laboratory of War: Repression and Violence in Arauca," a report detailing the state of the internal armed conflict and its impact on civilians in Arauca. In addition to condemning the illegal armed groups, the report notes that "recent government measures have exacerbated the human rights crisis in Arauca," citing the government's civilian informant network and use of emergency legislation as evidence. Amnesty also criticizes the role of the U.S. government in Arauca, noting that it "continues to fund military units, including Arauca's XVIII Brigade, despite compelling evidence that they are violating human rights, either directly or in collusion with paramilitary groups." The full report is available online at: http://web.amnesty.org/library/index/ENGAMR230042004.

May 2004

May 23

Eleven people in Arauca were killed by paramilitaries after they were kidnapped last Friday. According to the 18th Brigade the events occurred in the areas of Flor Amarillo and Cravo Charo in the municipality of Tame. The official report states that the events unfolded early Friday morning when a group of at least 100 men, wearing uniforms belonging to the Armed Forces, arrived in Flor Amarrillo and forced 6 peasants to come with them. Then the alleged paramilitaries made their way to Cravo Charo were they forced 5 other peasants to come with them. On Saturday morning the bullet-ridden bodies of the eleven peasants were found in Pinalito and Los Angeles.

[El Tiempo, Masacre atribuida a los paramilitares dejó once personas muertas en Arauca, Mayo 23, 2004 http://eltiempo.terra.com.co/coar/ACC_MILITARES/accionesarmadas/ARTICULO-WEB-_NOTA_INTERIOR-1622750.html]

May 5

A car bomb exploded in Tame killing a woman and two children. According to authorities, the attack was carried out by the FARC when a storeowner refused to pay an extortion.

According to Arauca's Governor, over the last three months, more than 600 people have had to flee the rural areas of Cravo Norte, Puerto Rondon and Tame as a result of the armed conflict.

[El Tiempo, http://eltiempo.terra.com.co/coar/ACC_MILITARES/accionesarmadas/ARTICULO-WEB-_NOTA_INTERIOR-1602693.html]

May 4

A car bomb exploded in downtown Tame leaving two dead and more than 40 injured. According to military sources, it is believed the FARC carried out the attack in reprisal for the fact that local businessmen have refused to pay extortions.
[El Tiempo, http://eltiempo.terra.com.co/coar/ACC_MILITARES/accionesarmadas/ARTICULO-WEB-_NOTA_INTERIOR-1604224.html]

The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights Office in Colombia condemned the attack in Tame and asked that the government investigate, capture, judge and sanction the perpetrators. [http://www.acnur.org/pais/index.php?accion=pag&id=2380&iso2=CO]

A bomb exploded in an electric pylon in Banaida, Arauca. As a result the municipalities of Puerto Rondón and Tame have no electricity. It is still unclear who is responsible for the attack.
[Noticias RCN http://noticias.canalrcn.com/noticia.php3?nt=10893]