Translation of Statement by Women Poets in Columbia

(THANKS RAQQASH!)

Ok I am not a native speaker, but I am supposed to be a translator, so this should be fairly accurate.


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The following is a declaration written by a group of women poets, outraged by the actions that are taking place in Columbia against the communities of natives, and for the recent events in the Cauca Valley and the declarations of mr.president Alvaro Uribe Velez regarding the facts of Oct, 16th.

If you agree with this declaration please forward it back to me, and to any address you might find proper, adding your name and your nationality to it.
This document will then be sent to an international human rights organization.


Not much silence.

Bogotà, Oct 17th, 2008-10-28

Public declaration from Columbia’s and the world’s good citizens and intellectuals.


This is regarding the astonishing statement made by mr.President Alvaro Uribe Velez during Oct, 16th, in which he said “I pray the governor of Cauca to let the natives have my message: they should find in their imagination a suitable way to beg the forgiveness of the police forces”.

To give you a clear idea of the matter, let’s view this in first person: first I am dispossessed of the lands that I inherited, and that are mine, since the times of my oldest ancestors; then I am threatened of murder, and with me also my family and the men, children, elderly and women of my tribe, because we stand up, completely unarmed, in a pacific march in defense of our rights.
The police forces, sent to control the march, killed five of our tribe members, and wounded 50 more, attacking us with tear gas in all the fields of the Cauca Valley. And we, after such offense, we have to “imagine” how to beg the forgiveness of the police force, that killed our people while they were defending our inalienable rights?

Mr.president, if the principles of your Democratic Safety politic have their basis on the formerly described facts, they are not safe nor democratic at all. You were elected to watch over the honor and well being of all the people of Columbia, natives included, but the facts of Oct, 16th only prove the contrary.
For this reason, we sign this document as a formal protest against the actions taken on the native populations of the Cauca Valley and, in general, in the nation of Columbia, and against the subsequent statements of your government, that represent a violation against the dignity of the Natives.


**follows the list of names**