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Colombia: The District Council of Vereda de Penas Blancas (a rural framing zone 45 minutes from Cali) including the names of its members and executive, projects approved in 1998/99, projects completed, and any difficulties the Council may have had with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarios de Colombia, FARC) in regard to these projects (1998-2002)

Information about the District Council of Vereda de Penas Blancas, projects it approved in 1998/99 and projects it completed, or difficulties the Council may have had with the FARC in regard to these projects could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate. However, the following provides information about how the rural farming area of Penas Blancas near Cali was affected by a military operation planned by the National Army (Ejercito Nacional) to liberate 12 deputies kidnapped by the FARC (Nodo50 Apr. 2002; IFJ 16 Apr. 2002; El Pais 6 May 2002; ibid. 3 June 2002).

A report by Nodo50 stated that on 11 April 2002, FARC guerrillas kidnapped 12 deputies from the Assembly of the Department of the Valle del Cauca located in the centre of Cali (Apr. 2002). El Pais stated that the military operation called Free Cali (Cali Libre) was designed by the National Army in order to locate and liberate the 12 kidnapped deputies (6 May 2002). However, according to Nodo50, the consequences of this military operation endangered the farmers (campesinos) living in the Penas Blancas area due to bombings and the limitation of food and medical supplies getting into the area (Apr. 2002).

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) reported that a journalist and a chauffeur were killed by bullets allegedly fired from a military helicopter in the Penas Blancas sector while reporting on the pursuit by the army of the kidnappers of the 12 deputies (16 Apr. 2002). The journalist, Hector Sandoval, of the Radio Cadena Nacional de Colombia (RCN), died en route to a hospital, while the chauffeur of the RCN vehicle, Walter Lopez, was killed instantly (IFJ 16 Apr. 2002).

An article of 6 May 2002 reported that the army, during its ongoing operation of Cali Libre, had found and confiscated 400 explosive gas cylinders in the Penas Blancas area (El Pais). In addition, the army captured Willington Montoya Duarte (also known as "Gilberto"), who was identified as a member of the David Estivel column of the Arturo Ruiz "mobile bloc" (bloque movil) of the FARC (El Pais 6 May 2002).

A report of 3 June 2002 stated that a brigade of community leaders, NGO representatives, municipal civil servants, and the army participated in a civic day at Penas Blancas by supplying food and other provisions to about 150 farmers (El Pais). Nevertheless, representatives of Penas Blancas and other communities in the area voiced their concerns about the limited food supplies and the disruption of transportation caused by the ongoing confrontations between the military and the guerrillas (El Pais 3 June 2002).

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

References

El Pais [Cali]. 3 June 2002. "Cali: Penas Blancas disfruto brigada." <http://elpais-cali.terra.com.co/paisonline/notas/Junio032002/brigadas.html> [Accessed 9 Dec. 2002]

____. 6 May 2002. "Cali: 'Esperamos respuestas de las Farc'." <http://elpais-cali.terra.com.co/paisonline/notas/Mayo062002/C206N1.html> [Accessed 10 Dec. 2002]

International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). 16 April 2002. "Periodista asesinado en Colombia." <http://www.ifj.org/publications/press/pr/333.html> [Accessed 10 Dec. 2002]

Nodo50. April 2002. "Los gremios empresariales y la tercera brigada llaman a la guerra

en el Valle del Cauca." <http://www.nodo50.org/forosocial/colombia51.htm> [Accessed 10 Dec. 2002]

Additional Sources Consulted

IRB databases

World News Connection (WNC)

Internet sites:

Colombia, Consejo de Santiago de Cali

Colombia, Departamento Nacional de Planeacion (DNP)

Colombia, El Portal del Estado Colombiano

Colombia, Gobernacion del Valle del Cauca

Colombia, Presidencia de la Republica

[Neiva]

[Cali]

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Topics: Militias,