Now there are more than 700 people displaced, of the Paya and Pucuro Communities, the majority children, they are seeking refuge in Boca Cupe, who and are waiting for the Panamanian authorities to provide security for the area - not even one of the community members are prepared to abandon their ancestral lands.
As Kuna, we have lived more than 100 years on these lands, and now there is an intention to destroy the peace of our Indigenous communities, selectively assassinating Colombian and Panamanian Indigenous leaders. It is because of this that we are opposed and against the imposition of the FTAA, the Plan Puebla Panama, Andean Plan, and Plan Colombia that are policies to exterminate the communities of the Americas, to expropriate indigenous territories, our collective knowledge, oil, water, land and our cultural and biological heritage.
Ernesto Ayala, Maximum Authority; San Pascual Ayala, Secondary Authority; Luis Enrique Martínez, Spiritual Leader of the Paya and Gilberto Vásquez, Maximum Authority of Púcuro, now join the list of thousands of martyrs who have offered their lives for the liberation of the Indigenous Communities of the World.
Panama, January 22, 2003
Ibe /kuna de Panama
Movimiento Indigena de Panama
ACERCA/ASEJ received this statement from The Kuna Youth Indigenous Movement asking for international solidarity to condemn the violence of Plan Colombia that has moved over into Panama and caused this murder of 4 Kuna Indigenous spiritual and political leaders. There was a national meeting today 1/23/03 of all indigenous leaders of Panama to coordinate a response to this tragedy.
Brendan O'Neill
brendan@asej.org
As Kuna, we have lived more than 100 years on these lands, and now there is an intention to destroy the peace of our Indigenous communities, selectively assassinating Colombian and Panamanian Indigenous leaders. It is because of this that we are opposed and against the imposition of the FTAA, the Plan Puebla Panama, Andean Plan, and Plan Colombia that are policies to exterminate the communities of the Americas, to expropriate indigenous territories, our collective knowledge, oil, water, land and our cultural and biological heritage.
Ernesto Ayala, Maximum Authority; San Pascual Ayala, Secondary Authority; Luis Enrique Martínez, Spiritual Leader of the Paya and Gilberto Vásquez, Maximum Authority of Púcuro, now join the list of thousands of martyrs who have offered their lives for the liberation of the Indigenous Communities of the World.
Panama, January 22, 2003
Ibe /kuna de Panama
Movimiento Indigena de Panama
ACERCA/ASEJ received this statement from The Kuna Youth Indigenous Movement asking for international solidarity to condemn the violence of Plan Colombia that has moved over into Panama and caused this murder of 4 Kuna Indigenous spiritual and political leaders. There was a national meeting today 1/23/03 of all indigenous leaders of Panama to coordinate a response to this tragedy.
Brendan O'Neill
brendan@asej.org