| |
|
Statement made by the Colombian Ambassador to the OAS, Camilo Ospina in the Permanent Council
Washington, 24 jun, 2008
Mr. President,
The Delegation of Colombia, aware that this is the appropriate forum to analyze the compliance of the countries of this region with their international obligations, has decided to denounce the aggressive and abusive conduct of the Government of Nicaragua against the Government and people of Colombia; and denounce the open violation by that government of some of the most elementary legal obligations.
I must first renew the deep affection and respect of the people of Colombia towards the people of Nicaragua and political institutions there which struggle not to be overthrown by the pact; and for its free press at the service of truth and justice. To them, we offer the embrace of Latin American solidarity and a brief message: you are not alone, we in the democracies of this Continent stand beside you, and we shall not abandon you.
But here, we must denounce the illegal activities of the Nicaraguan Government which protects, promotes and is openly the apologist for terrorist groups or (to put that in the language of the Secretary General of the OAS) of groups which commit terrorist acts – in practical terms, the same thing, since in the end most of the members of FARC have been convicted of terrorist acts and are sought throughout the world for them.
Who can count the number of violations committed by the government headed by Daniel Ortega? A government which openly protects these criminals and speaks of them as its “brothers” - criminals who today hold more than 700 kidnap victims, who sow antipersonnel mines all over Colombia to defend their coca-leaf crops, killing and maiming Colombians without quarter; who are the world´s largest drug cartel; who recruit children and who, in an act of unpardonable and criminal savagery, murdered 11 Departmental Assemblymen just a year ago in a massacre of which the Permanent Council was well aware, and which it condemned; and, through the Council, this massacre was made known to, and condemned by, the hemisphere and the rest of the world.
Important governments across the Continent have made it clear in recent days that they are convinced of the absurdity of a so-called revolutionary war in the 21st century, when democracy is the rule in this Continent and the governments of all political tendencies coexist in it.
There is only one government in the hemisphere, the government headed by Daniel Ortega, that believes in the road of violence and death to seize political power; and it is that same government which openly violates Articles 5 and 7 of the InterAmerican Democratic Charter, which say that the strengthening of political parties is a priority for democracy, and that this is essential for the effective exercise of fundamental freedoms and human rights. Perhaps for that same reason the present government of Nicaragua does not want the accompaniment of the OAS in its elections this November, persecutes its free press, and constantly express its support for the largest drug-trafficking organization in the world – an organization whose unspeakable activities kill and harm the young around the world; and which, in systematic terrorism, murders, kidnaps and assaults the people of Colombia.
That same government boasts that it controls the courts, threatens its opponents with manipulation of the law, protects its corrupt partners and forgets the democratic principle of the independence of the courts.
Only one government in this Continent today ignores the defence of the paths of democracy and publicly supports terrorism. The Government of Nicaragua. A situation of this kind must necessarily entail political and legal consequences.
And as if this were not enough, Colombia has in recent months had to bear a constant stream, of acts of provocation and insulting and irresponsible comments on the part of the Nicaraguan government. Some of them, indeed, border on criminal acts, and they have been challenged appropriately through diplomatic channels. But this has had no effect whatever, and therefore it has become necessary to make the international community aware of the situation.
To speak only of the most recent events, we should first note that when an Ecuadorian prosecutor ordered the detention of terrorists who were in the camp of aka “Raul Reyes” the late FARC leader, President Ortega and his government resorted to lies, and decided to transport these terrorists to Nicaragua.
On May 11, the Nicaraguan Foreign Ministry asked the Colombian Air Force and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sovereign Territory Department for permission for the aircraft AN 26, Registration FA No. 160 of the Nicaraguan Air Force to overfly Colombian airspace, stating that its mission was, “transfer of personnel on an official visit to the Republic of Ecuador”. The flight was to take place that same day, May 11, which was a Sunday – not a working day – and the request was made on the grounds of extreme urgency. Colombia therefore authorized them to overfly.
Some days later it was confirmed that the aircraft had been used to carry two Colombian citizens from Ecuador to Nicaragua, and that they belonged to the FARC terrorist group, and that they had been in Raul Reyes´ camp.
The Government of Nicaragua took a hostile attitude to make the situation more serious, when its President read out a Press communiqué, to announce that on May 11 the Colombian citizens, Doris Torres-Bohórquez and Martha Pérez-Gutiérrez had arrived in Nicaragua solliciting of asylum for humanitarian reasons, ignoring the fact that political asylum essentially exists for those suffering from political persecution and not for people linked to terrorist organizations who are accused of common crimes. It would be interesting to know whether President Ortega has asked these women how old they were when they were recruited by the FARC terrorists.
In the face of this evident breach of trust and good faith, the deceit used in asking for the right to overfly Colombia and the unfriendly act of granting asylum to two members of an organization internationally classed as one of terrorists and drug-traffickers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued Protest MRE (DSF / CAM No. 24 431 dated May 14, 2008), delivered here as Exhibit 1.
To its surprise, the Colombian government received in reply a Note from the Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs dated May 22, 2008, cynically suggesting that the overflight had been effected “in due time and manner”, in an attempt to legitimize its support for terrorism mentioning respect for human rights and the institution of asylum. This was in open derision of the people of Colombia.
The Government of Colombia reiterated its protest of May 28, and we await a coherent and responsible reply.
In this case, the international community and the courts only need to read the statements of President Ortega to obtain full evidence of his public and bare-faced support for terrorism and his clear admiration for those who murder Colombian citizens. The best example of this has been his reaction of grief on the occasion of the death of Colombia´s oldest terrorist, aka “Manuel Marulanda-Vélez”, the FARC leader and evil instigator of death, kidnap, torture and other barbarities, against thousands of Colombians. President Ortega´s attitude wounds and offends the people of Colombia.
Then again, on May 25, President Ortega was in Montevideo, Uruguay, at the XIV Encounter of the Sao Paulo Forum; and there, he exalted the life and work of this terrorist not only in Colombia, but throughout the Continent.
Colombia protested at this offensive and unfriendly act in Diplomatic Note DM / VR No. 54 924, dated May 28, 2008, and signed by Foreign Minister Fernando Araújo, attached as Exhibit 2, expressing our strongest rejection of the statements made by President Daniel Ortega, which it described as “unacceptable”.
But the aggression continues: at an official event, last Thursday, June 19, the President of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, again made statements which the people of Colombia cannot accept and which it strongly rejects. The President-Commander went so far as to make rash and deliberate accusations against the President of Colombia, Álvaro Uribe, describing him as a terrorist and insinuating that he was planning some criminal act in Nicaragua.
The absurd statements made by President Ortega are contradict to the realities of a Continent in which President Uribe is respected for doing exactly the opposite: for his open and frontal war against terrorism and any form of crime – especially drug-trafficking, the reason for the existence today of the FARC, whom President-Commander Ortega himself recognizes as his comrades.
Once again, the Government of Colombia has resorted to diplomatic channels in order to protest against the abuses of the president of Nicaragua. Diplomatic Note DM / VRE No. 31 621, dated June 20, 2008, from the Colombian Foreign Minister, Fernando Araújo, expressed a strong rejection of the statements and constant aggressions in word and deed of president Ortega, attached here as Exhibit 3.
Mr President, Mr Secretary General, Permanent Representatives,
Colombia demands respect and observance of the international law. Our bloody struggle against terrorism, drug-trafficking and all the other crimes that terrorist groups commits remains part of our daily life. Many of our men and women have been the victims or sufferers of this scourge.
Colombia, despite the constant abuses of President Ortega and the bad faith of his actions – such as the request for the overflight – has always respected diversity of opinion, and Colombia demands the same treatment on the part of the president of Nicaragua.
Neither Colombia nor the OAS can afford to ignore breaches of United Nations Security Council Resolutions on terrorism, especially Resolution 1373/2001, which orders that countries should deny refuge to those who finance, plan or commit acts of terrorism or support such acts; and Resolution 1566/2004 which demands the full cooperation of States in the struggle against terrorism.
Further, the conduct of the government of Nicaragua violates the Inter-American Convention against Terrorism, which (Article 12) says that each State Party will adopt appropriate measures and in accordance with relevant provisions of internal and international law, to ensure that the status of refugee is not recognized for those who may for good reason be thought to have been the authors of crimes of terrorism.
And as if this were not enough, it is plain that the President of Nicaragua has evidently breached the principles of Articles 19 and 20 of the OAS Charter.
We cannot close without again renewing again the profound affection of the people of Colombia for the people of Nicaragua, our unbending will to work together for the good of our two peoples and our historical commitment to a democracy that respects the freedom of the Press and all attendant guarantees; and the lack of proscription of opposition parties - as has happened in Nicaragua, according to denunciation s of the international community at the EU Cooperation meetings – which is against the terms of the Interamerican Democratic Charter.
President Ortega, please do not fight the law, do not fight history. Respect Colombia, and you will find that you have an unswerving friend.
Thank you very much”.
|
