Peace Timeline: 2002

U.S. Military and Police Aid - Focus on Arauca and Putumayo:Timeline of Current Events Putumayo:
August 2003

August 27, 2003
A press release by Amnesty International denounced the recent detentions of 42 trade unionists and human rights defenders and social activists in Arauca. According to Amnesty; "trade unionists and other human rights defenders in the department of Arauca are facing a coordinated military-paramilitary strategy to label them and their organizations as subversive, thereby exposing them to arbitrary judicial proceedings and risk of violent attack by paramilitary groups." [For a copy of the release go to: http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR230582003]

Military experts deactivated a car bomb in the urban area of Fortúl. According to military communiqué the FARC had placed approxmatley 40 kilos of explosives to be detonated in the center the town. [AP]

August 25, 2003

The FARC blew up the Caño Limón-Coveñas pipeline near the municipality of Arauquita. So far this year the pipeline has been bombed more than twenty times. General Eduardo Morales, Commander of the Army's II Division believes the attack is a reprisal of the FARC due to the recent captures of more than 30 people that were allegedly sympathetic to the rebel group. [ELTIEMPO.COM and AFP]

August 24, 2003

Military personnel deactivated a car bomb placed by the FARC in the municipality of Arauquita. [AP]

August 21, 2003

The Army, DAS, CTI and the Attorney Generals Office raided the houses and offices of social activists in Arauca, and detained 42 trade union and community leaders in Saravena. The raids started at 4 am and were carried out on the information of two hooded informers who accompanied the officials.

The 42 detainees included Alonso Campino (Vice President CUT Arauca), Blanca Segura (President of teachers union SINTRENAL), Jose Murillo (President of the Joel Sierra human rights committee), Emino Goyeneche (journalist) and 5 workers at the local hospital. [Source: Jose Alvear Restrepo Lawyers Collective, August 24, 2003 http://www.laborrights.org/urgent/arauca_arrests082403.htm]