CINEP (Centro de Investigacion y Educacion Popular) and the Diocesis of Apartado are sorry to communicate to national and international opinion, that on February 8, 2002, JOSE LINCE MARTINEZ and ORLANDA MOSQUERA were assassinated by FARC-EP in Taparal, municipality of Riosucio, Department of Choco

Mr. Martinez and Ms. Mosquera were elected leaders of their community for the Youth Committee. Besides suffering the killing of their two leaders, the community of Taparal has been forced to keep silent about this crime particularly by FARC-EP forbidding them to celebrate the wake and other public expressions of mourning of their Afro-Colombian tradition.

On December 28, 2001 FARC -EP also killed EDWIN ORTEGA leader of the same youth organization and PETRONA SANCHEZ a Health Promoter.

These assassinations indicate that FARC-EP cowardly attacks unarmed peasant communities that have decided to construct alternative organizational processes such as the Peace Communities of San Francisco de Asis, Natividad de Maria and Nuestra Senora del Carmen.

Colombia Support Network urges you to send messages to the following authorities urging them to protect and promote alternative non-violent peace processes and to bring the persons respinsible for these crimes to justice. Please write to :

Andres Pastrana Arango (President of Colombia) General Presidente de La Republica Carrera 8 n. 7-26 Palacio de Nariño Santafe de Bogota Colombia Phone +57 (1) 284 33 00 Fax +57 (1) 286 74 34 +57 (1) 286 68 42 rdh@presidencia.gov.co or pastrana@presidencia.gov.co

Eduardo Cifuentes (Human Rights Ombudsman)

Defensor del Pueblo Calle 55 No. 10-46 Santafe de Bogota Phone: +57 (1) 314-7300 Fax: +57 (1) 314-4000 +57 (1) 314-2246

Reinaldo Botero (Director of Presidential Human Rights/Int’l Humanitarian Law Program) Minister Director Programa Presidencial de Derechos Humanos y Derecho Internacional Humanitario Calle 7 No 5-56 Santafe de Bogota Colomiba Phone +57 (1) 336-0311 Fax: +57 (1) 336-2509 rbotero@presidencia.gov.co

Minister of Defense Minister of Defense: Dr. Gustavo Bell Ministro de Defensa Nacional Ministerio de Defensa Nacional Avenida Eldorado CAN – Carrera 52 Santafe de Bogota, Colombia Telegram: Ministro de Defensa, Bogota, Colombia Telex: 396 42411 INPRE CO; 396 44561 CFAC CO Faxes: 011 57 1 288 4906/ 286 4126 / 281 1213 / 222 1874

General Fernado Tapias Stahelin

Comandante de las Fuerzas Militares Avenida el Dorado con Cra. 52 Santafe de Bogota. Fax: (+57 1) 222 29 35 Mailto:siden@mindefensa.gov.co Mailto:pilaque@cgm.mil.co

Major Luis Guillermo Cortazar Ramirez (Human Rights Liaison for 17th Brigade, which includes Apartado)y Choco Encargado de Derechos Humanos Phone: +57 (4) 823-6844 Fax: +57 (4) 823-6605 br17@edatel.net.co

lcorazar@edatel.net.co

FARC-EP elbarcino@laneta.apc.org tematicosfarcep@hotmail.com

U.S. OFFICIALS

Colin Powell

Secretary of State U.S. Department of State Washington, DC 20520 Phone +1 (202) 647-6575 Fax +1 (202) 647-7120 Website secretary@state.gov

Mari Tollver

Secretary for Human Rights U.S. Embassy in Colombia Phone: 011-57-1-315-0811 ext. 2451 Fax: 011-57-1-315-2163 TollverMD@state.gov

Your Senators and Representative(s)

Phone Capitol Switchboard: +1 (202) 224-3121 — Colombia Support Network P.O. Box 1505 Madison, WI 53701-1505 608/257-8753 (voice) 608/255-6621 (fax) csn@igc.org http://www.colombiasupport.net

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