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Argentina: Work To Remove Columbus Statue Begins

By George Nelson | The Argentina Independent | May 31, 2013

Work has begun to remove the Cristopher Columbus monument from behind the Casa Rosada and transport it to Mar del Plata. A press conference is due later today to explain the move, which has attracted criticism from a number of social organisations. The statue is due to be replaced with a figure of Juana Azurduy de Padilla, a Latin American guerrilla military leader.

A crane and container started preparation work this morning but many regard the monument as part of Argentina’s cultural heritage and are concerned the statue might be damaged during the move. A quiet protest of “symbolic hugs” took place earlier this year under the monument in a bid to stop the removal from taking place.

However, a large group of protestors gathered metres away from the Casa Rosada today to vent their anger. Federal Police officers are guarding the statue while Buenos Aires mayor, Mauricio Macri, of the party PRO, has stated his desire to keep the monument where it is.

A PRO spokesperson said: “If the government wishes to remove the Christopher Columbus they must go through the necessary legislation. It belongs to the city.”

The statue is made of Carrara marble, weighs around 38 tonnes, and stands at over six metres tall. The monument has been declared part of the Buenos Aires’ cultural and historical heritage and city officials are therefore claiming the government does not have the authority to remove it.

Bolvian president Evo Morales approved the move and has donated US$1m towards the transfer project.

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June 1, 2013 Posted by | Ethnic Cleansing, Racism, Zionism, Timeless or most popular | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Colombia: extrajudicial executions killing still ongoing according to report

By George Nelson | The Argentina Independent | May 24, 2013

The Centre for Popular Research and Education (Cinep) in Bogotá has reported that during 2012 there were 11 separate cases of extrajudicial executions in Colombia, suggesting that executions known as ‘false positives’ are still ongoing. A further eight cases of arbitrary detention have also been reported, amassing a total of 52 victims.

The false positives scandal refers to the Colombian military’s alleged sanctioned practice of killing civilians and then dressing them up in guerrilla fatigues in order to present them as combat kills. Reports show that the executions usually target farmers, social activists, and political opponents.

The scandal is part of continuous armed conflict between Colombia’s government and the FARC and ELN, both guerilla forces. In May last year the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) alleged that over 3,000 civilians had been killed between 2002 and 2008 as a result of the conflict.

Cinep also claim that the general state of human rights in Colombia is poor with members of the paramilitary “the greatest violators” responsible for 565 cases, followed by the police with 268. Giraldo Serna, of Cinep, said, “Threats, tortures, disappearances, deaths, and social cleansing are still implemented in Colombia.”

The government denied ‘false positives’ are still occurring but Cinep believes the problem is far greater than people think. “Those who justify the false positives don’t realise they are damaging the prestige of the police force,” said Cinep spokesman Alejandro Angulo.

May 24, 2013 Posted by | Civil Liberties, Subjugation - Torture, War Crimes | , , , , | Leave a comment

Uruguay: Former General Convicted for Murder During Dictatorship

By George Nelson | The Argentina Independent | May 10, 2013

A former general in the Uruguayan army, Miguel Dalmao, has been found guilty of a murder dating back to 1974, when the country was under military rule.

Dalmao was sentenced yesterday to 28 years in prison by the Uruguayan Supreme Court of Justice in what has been celebrated as a victory by human rights advocates and former political prisoners in the country.

The 61-year-old has been imprisoned since 2010 while the case was being processed. His victim was an imprisoned communist militant Nibia Sabalsagaray, aged 25, who was also a professor of literature. The court heard that her death was the result of torture carried out by Dalmao.

The case has suffered delays due to a heart condition suffered by Dalmoa, who is currently receiving treatment in hospital.

Baldemar Taroco, Vice President of the Association of Ex Political Prisoners of Uruguay, said, “Violations of basic rights took place during the dictatorship. Dalmao committed crimes against humanity.”

Taroco also described the sentence as a “victory against state terrorism” and said that if these types of crimes are not punished then the country runs the risk of seeing them repeated.

An expiry law, which has prevented many crimes during the dictatorship from being brought to justice, “remains a wall” against more than 100 allegations of “murder, disappearance, and rape”, added Taroco.

Miguel Langón, Dalmao’s counsel, said that he hoped for the acquittal of the former dictator after reportedly submitting an appeal. “I hope the Court of Appeal corrects this mistake, there is a high possibility that Sabalsagaray committed suicide. It is clear the killing has not been proven,” he told local press outside the court.

The Ministry of Defence has not commented on the ruling, nor have any military officials, many of whom are ex-soldiers who served during the time of the dictatorship.

May 10, 2013 Posted by | Civil Liberties, Solidarity and Activism, Timeless or most popular, War Crimes | , , , , | Leave a comment