EMERGENCY PROTEST FRIDAY FEB 22 vs. COLOMBIA BOMBING

EMERGENCY PROTEST FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2002
STOP 'OPERATION DEATH'
STOP THE BOMBING IN COLOMBIA! U.S. OUT NOW!

WHEN - Friday February 22nd, 5:00 p.m.
WHERE - The Colombian Consulate, 595 Market Street (Near Montgomery BART) in San Francisco

For more information, please call:
San Francisco IAC office, 415-821-6545, ramon_cnc@yahoo.com
International Action Center (NY), 212-633-6646 http://www.iacenter.org
Colombia Action Committee (NY), 212-591-0709

(2/21/02) - Today the Colombian military started a massive bombing campaign, dubbed 'Operation Death,' targeting 85 locations within the demilitarized zone. The government has begun bombing, and is amassing troops at the surrounding military outposts. The Colombian air force, with direct U.S. military support, has flown over 200 sorties, endangering the more than 100,000 civilians that live in the zone.

Yesterday, the Colombian government broke off peace talks with the largest Colombian guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - Peoples Army (FARC-EP), to begin an all-out war on the demilitarized zone. This zone, established to facilitate continuing peace talks, has been the most peaceful part of Colombia because neither the Colombian army nor the paramilitary forces have been able to operate there. More union organizers and activists have been killed in Colombia-outside of this zone-than in any other country in the world.

The zone is no longer the most peaceful area in the country.

The demilitarized zone has been threatened numerous times in the last few months as the U.S. "war on terrorism" has been directed at the peoples' struggle in Colombia. The U.S. State Department announced that its strategy was now changing from that of a "drug war" to a counter-insurgency effort. U.S. aid to the Colombian government in the last three years has amounted to over 2 billion dollars, and the U.S. is currently considering a proposal to deliver even more aid to protect the private Occidental oil pipeline from attacks. Clearly, the U.S. has a direct interest in controlling Colombia's civil war, and will use this aggression as an opportunity to destroy any resistance to U.S. economic control of Colombia and Latin America.

Please join us in an emergency demonstration on Friday, February 22, 2002 at 5:00 p.m. at the Colombian Consulate, 595 Market Street (Near Montgomery BART) in San Francisco. A coordinated, simultaneous demonstration will be held on the East Coast in New York City.

• Protest the U.S.-backed war on the Colombian people!
• Stop 'Operation Death'!
• Say NO to U.S. Intervention!
• Hands Off the Peoples' Struggle!

Emergency demonstration called jointly by: Comite for a New Colombia, International Action Center, Colombia Action Committee, Bay Area CISPES, Chicago-Colombia Solidarity Committee.

For more information, please call:
San Francisco IAC office, 415-821-6545, ramon_cnc@yahoo.com
International Action Center (NY), 212-633-6646
Colombia Action Committee (NY), 212-591-0709
http://www.iacenter.org
iacenter@action-mail.org