10 non-violent youth activists beaten in Colombia

Protest the assault on peaceful May Day marchers in Medellin

During a May Day workers march in Medellín, Colombia, members of the special anti-riot command of the national police, the SMAD, attacked, severely beat, and sprayed pepper spray at several members of a youth organization, the Red Juvenil, which is committed to active nonviolence in the struggle against the militarization of their country.

The unprovoked attacks resulted in several injuries, including one Red Juvenil member, Martin Rodriguez, suffering concussion, a fractured cheekbone and multiple injuries to his body. Two of the youth were arrested by Metropolitan Police, who continued to beat them. They were released within an hour after intervention by human rights defenders and lawyers had them released an hour later.

Most of those beaten and sprayed were attempting to protect others, by throwing their bodies on their friends who had already been beaten to the ground. One of those attacked while attempting to protect others was Adriana Castaño, the human rights director of Red Juvenil and a keynote speaker at the Fellowship of Reconciliation National Conference in Los Angeles in August.

The incident started when a unionist participating in the march ran into the middle of the Red Juvenil group to escape police who were chasing him on the grounds that he had painted graffiti. Red Juvenil members tried to protect him and they were beaten and kicked to the ground. Still others attempted to protect them, and were in turn clubbed. Pepper spray was liberally used, directly into the faces of the young marchers, who were carrying signs reading "No Army Defends Peace" and "Neither war that destroys us nor peace that oppresses us."

The two arrested, Martín Emilio Rodríguez and Diego Agredo, continued to be beaten in police custody, chiefly by a Metropolitan Police officer named Avellaneda who said to Agredo "We will take you just because."

All in all, some 10 members of Red Juvenil were severely beaten, all over their bodies.

The Fellowship of Reconciliation's Task Force on Latin American and the Caribbean, which has a program supporting peace communities in Columbia, asks you to send letters protesting these assaults to:

The Metropolitan Police:
Comandante Germán Carrillo
Fax: 011 574 2518959.
Tel: 011 574 2511700
Email: Comandopolmeval@epm.net.co

The Municipal Ombudsman of Medellín:
Personero Jairo Herrán
Fax: 011 574 3 81 18 47
Tel: 011 574 3 84 99 99
Email: personer@epm.net.co

Secretary of Government:
Alonso Salazar
Fax 011 574 3810738

Talking Points:

1. Ask that the SMAD be re-evaluated, as well as the training that agents from the different security forces receive.
2. Ask that the inspector general's office assume the disciplinary investigation of the patrol officer Avellaneda, who inflicted physical and psychological suffering on two Red Juvenil activists as well as the other SMAD agents implicated in the acts.

Contact:

Jutta Meier-Wiedenbach
FOR Task Force on Latin America & the Caribbean
(415) 495-6334

Forcolombia@igc.org