Indymedia UK are currently getting reports of 2000 riot police and an unspecified army presence outside of a squat held by 500 people, mostly poor indigenous families, in Cauca, Colombia. Over the past few days, 1 person has been killed and 37 people have been injured by police beatings and bullets. The situation is tense and they are calling for solidarity emails, letter-writing and publicity because they are worried that without this the police and army will attack.

Guambianos, Kokonuko and Nasa indigenous people, as well as thousands of peasants that are demanding land, have occupied haciendas (a hacienda is a huge piece of rural property) in several parts of Cauca since the 12th of October.

They are protesting because the INCODER (Colombian Institute for Rural Development) is not given funds or legal power to achieve rural reform, in Cauca or in the rest of the country.

Despite being heavily tear-gassed and losing one boy (Belisario Camayo Huetoto, 16) dead to police bullets, the families on the occupied land are calling for letters, phone calls, emails, and faxes to the Colombian Embassy to make it politically more difficult for the government to allow the police and army to attack the settlement.

Communications can be addressed to:

The Embassy of Colombia
3 Hans Crescent
London
Sw1x Olr
UK

Telephone: 009 44 171 5899177
Fax: 009 44 171 5811529