Athens, 28 July 2008
On Saturday 26th July the authorities of Spain arrested solidarity activist Remedios Garcia Albert (R.G.A.) under the accusations of being supporter and representative of the FARC Colombia, an Organization which the European Union considers a terrorist structure, position which we reject completely.
The World Peace Council condemns vehemently this act as an example of witch-hunt under the so called Anti-terrorist laws, an effort to intimidate the solidarity movement with the people of Colombia, which is suffering since decades an attack on its social and political rights and freedoms both from the Colombian oligarchy and the US Imperialism.
The arrestment of R.G.A. constitutes an act if cynicism when it is well known that she and the Organisations she worked with were consistently supporting a political mutually negotiated solution of the Colombian conflict.
We are witnessing since many years a new phase of criminalization of political and social actions around the world, particularly in the USA and the EU. At the same time huge energy is being spent by the ones who are slaughtering the peoples with wars and occupation, to manipulate the truth and disorientate the International public opinion from the real situation in Colombia and elsewhere.
The WPC strongly believes that the conflict in Colombia is first of all a social and political one, between the people and its movements on the one side and the local oligarchy and the imperialists on the other side. The recent years prove that the USA wants to convert Colombia into an “Israel” of Latin America, in order to interfere in the broader region. Under this light the USA re-launched after 58 years their 4th Fleet in South America.
The WPC demands from the Spanish authorities the lifting of all charges against Remedios Garcia Albert, who went temporarily free under certain conditions and calls upon its member organizations to be vigilant against similar future attacks.
We express our solidarity with the people of Colombia and the peoples of Latin America for their right to determine their own future without any imperialist interference in their domestic affairs. We call upon all WPC members and friends to express their solidarity to Remedios Garcia.
The President
Socorro Gomez
The General Secretary
Thanassis Pafilis