As world citizens, we are writing to you in your capacity as President of the Republic of Colombia and, more particularly as Supreme Commandant of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Colombia, to call upon you to order an immediate end to all military operations which endanger the lives of all those who have been abducted by the FARC.
It is with great concern that we have learnt that military operations and bombings, in areas in which it is suspected that the FARC are holding persons captive, are continuing and intensifying.
As those who have been recently released have reported, any attempted military rescue or ’humanitarian’ siege conducted against sections of the FARC will put the lives of all those abducted at imminent risk. The health of those detained are progressively deteriorating, as Luis Eladio Pérez witnessed of Ingrid Betancourt.
Mr. President, we received with great expectative the news of the adoption of the Decree n°880 on March 27th, 2008 that anounces the possibility to reach a humanitarian agreement by offering liberty to FARC members in exchange for the release of the hostages. We see it as a very positive advance in reaction before the growing clamor from the international community, however we are very worried by the absence of order to cease the military operations. We don’t want this decision to be one frustration more for the hopes concerning the secure release of the ex-presidencial candidate Ingrid Betancourt and the other hostages.
Mr President, we are racing against time and against death. You now have a crucial opportunity to propose immediately a political solution, as called for today by the international community. We sincerely hope that this will represent the first steps on the road to peace in Colombia.
Mr. President, if you do not listen to the outcry of victims and their families, if you fail to heed this call, if Ingrid Betancourt and her companions in captivity die at the hands of the FARC, it will lead to the condemnation of the international community and you will be responsible to history and to your own conscience. You will not be the democratic leader you aspire to be but the executioner of these defenselessness people.
This is your opportunity, Mr. President, to contribute decisively to ending this humanitarian crisis and, above all, to breaking the infernal cycle of violence in Colombia and leading the country towards peace.
This open letter can be sent to Alvaro Uribe President of the Republic of Colombia using the following Email :
– secretaria.privada@presidencia.gov.co
Moreover concerning France and Colombian Embassies, you can send this open letter to :
– Ambassade de France : eparis@minrelext.gov.co
– FERNANDO CEPEDA, Ambassadeur de Colombie à Paris :
- fcepeda@amb-colombie.fr
– PILAR DE LESSEPS, Assistante de l’Ambassadeur Colombie Paris : -* pdelesseps@amb-colombie.fr
Last but not least, concerning other countries :
– Vatican/Vaticano : estasede@minrelext.gov.co
– Suisse/Suiza/Switzerland : eberna@minrelext.gov.co
– Suède/Suecia/Sweden : eestocolmo@minrelext.gov.co
– Russie/Russia : emoscu@minrelext.gov.co
– Pologne/Polonia/Poland : evarsovia@minrelext.gov.co
– Pays Bas/Paises bajos/Nederlands : elahaya@minrelext.gov.co
– Norvège/Noruega/Norway : eoslo@minrelext.gov.co
– Italie/Italia/Italy : eroma@minrelext.gov.co
– Grande Bretagne/Gran Bretaña/Great : elondres@minrelext.gov.co
– Espagne/España/Spain : emadrid@minrelext.gov.co
– Belgique/Belgica/ Belgium : ebruselas@minrelext.gov.co
– Autriche/Austria : eviena@minrelext.gov.co
– Allemagne/Allemania/Germany : eberlin@minrelext.gov.co
– Etats Unis/Estados Unidos/United States : ewashington@minrelext.gov.co / emwas@colombiaemb.org
***