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Peace activists challenge DSEI UK 2023 arms show in London where a Canada Pavilion plans to sell weapons

By
Brent Patterson
-

Photo: A truck is blocked at DSEI UK 2023, September 8.

The DSEI UK 2023 arms show is taking place in London this September 12-15.

As noted here, the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries (CADSI), the same industry lobby group that organizes the annual CANSEC arms show in Ottawa, has organized a Canada Pavilion at DSEI in London.

In 2022, Canada exported about $2.122 billion in “military goods”, not counting the estimated $1 billion exported to the United States

Video by Juice Media.

#StopDSEI

Even before DSEI officially opens, Freedom News has reported: “Several hundred people came together to oppose the London arms fair, with events including a Quaker meeting for worship and an Anglican prayer service in front of one of the gates. After several hours, and with the number of trucks waiting to go onto the site building up, the police moved in and imposed conditions on the protest. Nine people were arrested.”

We are also following on social media the resistance to this arms show.

 

     

The calendar of activities is included below:

We also note that a camp has been established outside the ExCeL London convention centre where DSEI is taking place.

As we prepare for #ShutDownCANSEC at the EY Centre in Ottawa on May 29-30, 2024, we take inspiration and lessons from these #StopDSEI actions.

Photo: This year’s protest against CANSEC in Ottawa.

More photos from the protest against CANSEC this year from World Beyond War here.

Solidarity rally in Toronto on October 14 against TC Energy pipelines on Turtle Island

By
Brent Patterson
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Rising Tide Toronto has posted on Instagram:

“Join a coalition of Indigenous Land Defenders and allied activists uniting against fossil fuel company, TC Energy. In solidarity with Indigenous peoples across Turtle Island, this day will be a rallying call to say NO to pipelines, NO to policing, and NO to the corporate greed that is burning the planet. Stay tuned for more details on this urgent call to action! Film screening and panel – October 13. Rally – October 14.”

According to this TC Energy map, the Calgary-based company currently has three gas pipelines in development/under construction: the Coastal GasLink pipeline (Canada) and the Tula pipeline and Southeast Gateway pipeline (Mexico).

The Union of Indigenous Communities from the North of the Isthmus (UCIZONI) has expressed its opposition to the Southeast Gateway (Gasoducto Puerta al Sureste) offshore pipeline, primarily because of the threat it poses to the coral reef corridor in the Gulf of Mexico and because it would connect with the controversial Interoceanic Corridor of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec (CIIT) that has been implicated in the repression of Indigenous Mixe and Zapotec land defenders opposed to this megaproject.

Additionally, Mixtec, Otomi and Nahua land defenders oppose the Tula pipeline being built on their territories in Mexico, while Wet’suwet’en land defenders oppose the Coastal GasLink pipeline being built on their yintah in northern British Columbia.

The Tula pipeline project

On January 15-16, 2022, the Peace Brigades International-Mexico Project accompanied the organizations, defenders and communities who were gathered in the town of Cuanalá in the state of Puebla, Mexico to participate in the National Meeting of Struggles against Gas Pipelines and Death Projects.

The Regional Council of Indigenous Peoples in Defence of the Territory of Puebla and Hidalgo was present at this National Meeting.

They oppose the Tula Pipeline Project, a 287 kilometre gas pipeline that would extend from Tuxpan, Veracruz to the states of Puebla and Hidalgo.

Timeline of resistance

In March 2017, Mongabay reported that the Indigenous Otomi community of San Pablito in the state of Puebla “points out that this megaproject of the TransCanada company threatens the sacred places of the Otomi people, but also the groundwater, the collection of water from the subsoil and therefore the recovery of water sources.”

That article explains the Tula pipeline threatens the “unique ecosystem” of the Mesophilic Forest and the Cerro del Brujo in San Pablito, a hill that is a source of water that “besides being totally drinkable, is considered sacred and with healing powers.”

By January 2020, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador stated: “Although we have to pay, the pipeline will not pass through the sacred hills.” But because the pipeline continues to put communities at risk, the Regional Council of Indigenous Peoples said it “will maintain the demand for cancellation of the project.”

In July 2021, Canadian Trade Minister Mary Ng visited the TC Energy office in Mexico City and tweeted about “the community-centered business approach of TC Energy, the largest Canadian investor in the country.”

By August 2021, Reuters reported on a new pact between Mexico’s state power utility (the Federal Electricity Commission/ CFE) and TC Energy to “step up efforts to help TC Energy complete the Tuxpan-Tula pipeline after work stalled over concerns the project would cut across lands local communities consider sacred.”

By January 2022, La Jornada de Oriente reported: “Hortensia Reyes Valdivia, a member of the Regional Council of Indigenous Peoples, explained the route was modified after the judiciary recognized the existence of springs and sacred places in the territory, and that the project would affect the collective right to land and territory of the indigenous communities of the states of Veracruz, Puebla and Hidalgo.”

Significantly, that article adds: “After the modification of the Tuxpan-Tula Gas Pipeline route for affecting sacred places, the new area of influence of the megaproject will include 26 localities of Huauchinango and Xicotepec [municipalities in the state of Puebla], [but] the new route only recognizes five indigenous communities in which through consultations, they can decide the fate of their territory.”

Then in February 2022, Lado B reported: “To date, SENER [the Mexican Secretariat of Energy] has published only a list of the communities of Huauchinango and Xicotepec through which the pipeline will pass; It should be noted that five of them, such as [the Nahuatl community of] Tepaptlaxco in [the municipality of] Xicotepec, and Cuauxinca in [the municipality of] Huachinango are indigenous, so for a megaproject such as the gas pipeline to pass, they must be consulted beforehand. This, in accordance with the provisions of Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization (ILO), and with the provisions of the Political Constitution itself on the rights of indigenous peoples.”

Last month, World Pipelines reported: “The Tuxpan-Tula pipeline (0.9 billion ft3/d) is expected to begin full service in 2025.”

EDC support for TC Energy

In July 2023, Canada’s environment minister Steven Guilbeault said the government will announce a plan by the end of 2024 to phase out the public financing, including by Export Development Canada (EDC), of “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies.

An analysis by The Globe and Mail found that EDC has provided TransCanada Pipelines (now TC Energy) with a minimum of $1 billion in funding between 2001 and the end of 2020. On April 28, 2020, EDC signed an agreement with TC Energy to lend between $250 million and $500 million for the Coastal GasLink pipeline.

Guilbeault’s promise does not guarantee that Canada will not continue to provide subsidies and political support to TC Energy pipelines on Turtle Island.

Solidarity across Turtle Island

On December 6, 2021, the team that worked with diverse communities to produce the report “Territories of Water: the defense of community areas and the shared history of their peoples (before the Tuxpan-Tula gas pipeline)” presented this report to the Regional Council of Indigenous Peoples in Defence of the Territory of Puebla and Hidalgo.

At that time, GRAIN reported: “The people of the Regional Council accepted and celebrated the document, and pledged to continue their struggle, and eventually to establish links with the Wet’suwet’en communities resisting TC-Energy in Canada.”

The rally in Toronto on October 14 will be an opportunity to connect the Indigenous resistance to the TC Energy Tula pipeline project in Mexico with the Wet’suwet’en resistance to the Coastal GasLink pipeline on their territory.

Stay tuned for more details about the events planned in Toronto as well as soon-to-be-announced activities in Ottawa.

Map of TC Energy operations on Turtle Island.

Six months into the systemic investigation of the C-IRG, violations continue without clear deadline for CRCC report

By
Brent Patterson
-

Photo: The C-IRG arrested land defenders on Pacheedaht territory, August 15, 2023. Photo by Amber Bracken.

The Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC) launched its “systemic investigation” into the RCMP Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) on March 8, 2023.

As the six-month mark on that investigation approaches on this Friday September 8, PBI-Canada contacted the CRCC for an update.

Their responses suggest that the RCMP has not provided the CRCC with the documents necessary to complete the investigation, the CRCC will not commit to a completion/report release date, has not called on the C-IRG to suspend its operations, and for now will only review urgent UN statements on Canada’s international obligations.

Has the RCMP provided the necessary information?

We asked: “Has the RCMP now provided you with all the information you have requested?” The CRCC responded: “The RCMP continues to provide the requested materials and the CRCC’s systemic investigation is ongoing.”

In early-June, three months into the investigation, the CRCC stated: “At the launch of our systemic investigation on March 8, 2023, the CRCC submitted a request for extensive information to the RCMP.  We have received some of that information so far, and are awaiting confirmation on when the RCMP will be able to compile and provide the remainder.”

On August 14, the CBC reported: “The CRCC said via statement the investigation was comprehensive and covered a a five-year span, with thousands of documents already disclosed and more coming. But the commission has a deal with the Mounties, spelling out timeframes for the production of documents, which, in this case, is six weeks.”

This suggests that the RCMP has committed to provide by the end of September a schedule of when documents will be made available, which could still stretch over a much longer period of time. We will seek access to that document to confirm.

When will the systemic investigation be completed?

We asked: “Is it still feasible that systemic investigation will be completed by March-June 2024 (the 12-18 month timeline)?” The CRCC has responded: “At this point in the investigation, it would be premature to specify a timeline for its completion.”

Three months ago, they had told us: “The CRCC strives to complete its systemic investigations within 12-18 months; however, the timely provision of requested information and access to RCMP personnel will largely determine when the CRCC’s report will be available.”

Is the CRCC concerned by ongoing C-IRG operations?

We asked: “Does the CRCC have any concerns that the C-IRG made arrests at Fairy Creek earlier this month, one of the sites of your systemic investigation?” This refers to the C-IRG raid on Pacheedaht territory on August 15.

Most of the nearly 500 complaints received by the CRCC refer to C-IRG actions at Fairy Creek, including serious allegations about exclusion zones, arbitrary detention, excessive force, intrusive searches, aggression, and destruction of property.

To our question about this most recent C-IRG raid, the CRCC has responded: “The CRCC continues to monitor C-IRG activities.”

The Abolish C-IRG coalition has previously stated: “Given the nature of the complaints and substantial evidence supporting them, we argue for the suspension of all C-IRG deployment in BC pending investigation and resolution of all complaints currently before the CRCC. The CRCC reviews can take years to complete, and it is irresponsible to have this unit continue operations during that time, enabling the continuation of unlawful use of force, arrests, detentions, and assaults that have sparked such an investigation.”

Have UN concerns informed the CRCC investigation?

We asked: “Will the systemic investigation look at the recently expressed concerns by the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous peoples about the federal police (RCMP/C-IRG) conducting raids on Wet’suwet’en territory despite three letters from the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination calling on Canada to stop forced evictions?”

The CRCC has responded: “The CRCC’s investigative team will review all relevant material to inform the findings and recommendations in its final report.”

In his Visit to Canada report dated July 24, the UN Special Rapporteur called on Canada to suspend construction of the Coastal GasLink and Trans Mountain pipelines and to “halt the criminalization of Indigenous human rights defenders peacefully defending their lands and resources from extractive industries and other business actors.”

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has also called on Canada to remove the RCMP from Secwepemc territory in letters dated December 13, 2019, November 24, 2020, and April 29, 2022.

In its most recent letter, the Committee stated: “According to the information before the Committee, the Governments of Canada and of the Province of British Columbia have escalated their use of force, surveillance, and criminalization of land defenders and peaceful protesters to intimidate, remove and forcibly evict Secwepemc and Wet’suwet’en Nations from their traditional lands, in particular by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Community-Industry Response Group (CIRG), and private security firms.”

The Committee monitors state compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination, an international obligation that Canada committed to when it ratified the convention on October 14, 1970.

Next steps

The CRCC is not able to confirm its report will be released by March-June 2024. The concern is that a year from now we may still not have a report and the controversial actions of the C-IRG will be allowed to continue during this period.

We will ask the CRCC again on December 8, nine months into the investigation, for an update, but remain concerned by the slowness of this process and the non-specificity of their responses to direct questions.

We also look forward to the visit next month (October 2-13) by Pedro Arrojo-Agudo, the UN Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, and any comments and recommendations he may subsequently present to the UN Human Rights Council with respect to the C-IRG and the right to water.

Video: C-IRG Staff Sergeant Jason Charney drains water tanks on Wet’suwet’en territory, October 2021.

Colombia joins the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance, environmental defender Yuvelis Morales says no to fracking in the territories

By
Brent Patterson
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CREDHOS tweet: Yuvelis Morales and others at “1st Summit Against Fracking and Unconventional Deposits, committed to the defense of territory, water and life.”

The Colombian government has joined the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance (BOGA), an international alliance of governments and stakeholders working together to facilitate the managed phase-out of oil and gas production.

Yuvelis Morales, a member of the Alliance for a Colombia Free of Fracking, comments: “For us, communities on the front line of exploitation, continuing fossil fuel production is the equivalent of signing our own death warrant. In the long run, the same will apply to Colombia and the planet as a whole. So yes, Colombia’s joining the BOGA is very good news.”

She adds: “However, what must go hand in hand with the country’s international commitments is the implementation  at the territorial level to end of all new oil production. Saying yes to BOGA means saying no to fracking in our territories.”

The proposed law to ban fracking in Colombia

Oil Change International notes: “The announcement comes as the Congress considers a proposed law that will ban fracking and extraction of non-conventional oil and gas deposits, a civil society organizations` effort supported by the Government but facing opposition from some of the industry-aligned forces.”

In May 2023, the Colombian law firm Brigard Urrutia noted: “After approval in the first debate, the Senate of Colombia approved in second debate the Bill 114 of 2022 that seeks the prohibition of fracking in Colombia. The Bill must be reviewed and approved by the House of Representatives of the Congress of Colombia. Once it is approved, it will be submitted to presidential approval to become a law.”

On August 31, 2023, the Alliance for a Colombia Free of Fracking tweeted: “Let’s remember that the Bill needs 2 debates in the House of Representatives and if these debates are not held before June 20, the bill will be archived.”

Canada and BOGA

When the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance was announced in October 2021, just prior to the United Nations COP26 climate summit in Scotland, Canada’s then-Environment Minister Jonathan Wilkinson declined to commit to the alliance.

Canada is still not among its member countries.

It might be asked though: Is Canada providing diplomatic support to the Canadian companies that want to frack in Colombia?

Toronto-based Sintana Energy has confirmed it holds an undivided 30% non-operated participation interest in Block VMM-37 in the municipality of Puerto Wilches, in the department of Santander, where the Platero fracking pilot project would take place. In April 2023, Sintana expressed its disappointment that ExxonMobil was withdrawing from the Platero fracking pilot project.

Calgary-based Parex Resources signed an exploration and production contract on September 18, 2014, with the National Hydrocarbons Agency (ANH) to frack Block VMM-9 in the Magdalena Medio region. In December 2021, Parex noted that contract had been suspended “due the lack of regulations to explore and exploit unconventional hydrocarbons.”

And Calgary-based Canacol Energy Ltd. has commented that Platero and Kalé, the two fracking pilot projects near Puerto Wilches, are “positive steps towards realizing the commercial potential of the unconventional shale oil field in Colombia and specifically for the resources prospects that we have through our position in the Middle Magdalena Valley basin.” If fracking were allowed to proceed in Colombia, Canacol would likely seek to explore and extract from the VMM-2/Plata and VMM-3/Piranga projects near San Martin, Cesar, in collaboration with the American transnational ConocoPhillips.

On a Peace Brigades International-Canada organized webinar on May 8, 2022, Yuvelis commented on Canada in Colombia: “When you go and exploit other countries, when your companies and banks are investing in mining and energy megaprojects in other countries where human rights are being violated every day, you are not an environmentalist country, you are not a green country.”

She then highlighted: “ I’m sorry to be so blunt. This is a reality that people don’t often want to say because when you open your mouth that could mean you are shot in the forehead. This is the situation faced by Carolina, Juan Camilo and myself.”

Video: PBI-Canada webinar with Yuvelis Morales, Carolina Agón, Juan Camilo Delgado, Bronwen Tucker and Luis van Isschot.

Numerous concerns have been raised about the role played by Canadian embassies in support of Canadian extractivism, notably Calgary-based Blackfire Exploration Ltd. in Mexico (and the death of Mariano Abarca), Vancouver-based Pan American Silver in Guatemala, as well as the General Mining Law in Honduras that was “developed and passed with strong diplomatic support from the Canadian embassy.”

The Inter Press Service (IPS) has also reported: “The drafting of Colombia’s laws governing oil and mining has come under scrutiny from trade unionists and human rights activists, who allege that CIDA, the Canadian International Development Agency, helped write the legislation to advance the interests of Canadian companies operating in the country.”

And in August 2019 the Canadian Embassy’s Trade Commissioner highlighted “the development of unconventional resources, like fracking and deep-water exploration” in an article about “business opportunities” in Colombia.

To date, the Canadian Embassy in Colombia has declined to take a public position in support of a prohibition of fracking in Colombia, nor did Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault when he visited Colombia in October 2022.

We continue to follow this situation.

On2Ottawa activist Eric Schiller arrested at climate justice action on Portage Bridge

By
Brent Patterson
-

Ottawa activist Eric Schiller is taking action to stop climate change.

The Ottawa Citizen reports: “Gatineau police have confirmed the arrest of four On2Ottawa climate activists who were blocking the Portage Bridge Thursday [August 31] morning. The on2ottawa group climate activists have staged a number of traffic related protest calling for increased government action on climate issues.”

Listen: Eric speaks about the need for action in this video clip on Instagram.

The scientific consensus is that we must limit the global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.

The average global temperature in 2022 was already about 1.15°C above the 1850-1900 average.

This past May, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) reported: “There is a 66% likelihood that the annual average near-surface global temperature between 2023 and 2027 will be more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels for at least one year.”

Eric is also encouraging people to attend the Fridays for Future organized Global Climate Strike protest on Friday September 15 starting at 1 pm on Parliament Hill.

In its global call-out for this upcoming action, Fridays for Future has highlighted the “criminalization of those who fight to defend nature.”

They have also previously demanded: “Stop the violence and criminalization against indigenous peoples, small farmers, small fisherfolk, and other environmental and land defenders. Support the work they do. Respect and listen to our defenders.”

Global Witness has explained: “Since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, at least 1,213 defenders have been killed. Most of these attacks are related to land conflicts involving climate-damaging industries – from logging to large-scale agribusinesses to mining. Nearly all these attacks are taking place in the Global South, and yet it is companies in the Global North who are ultimately driving or benefiting from this violence.”

Photo: Eric at another bridge occupation in Ottawa.

Peace Brigades International physically accompanies environmental defenders in Colombia, Honduras, Mexico and Guatemala who are at risk of criminalization, judicialization, threats, harassment and death as a result of their activism against the various forms of extractivism that worsen the climate crisis.

We see the connection between their activism in the Global South and Eric’s action with On2Ottawa earlier this week as well as his long history of support for civil rights and anti-militarism movements.

Photo: Eric at a Quaker vigil at the Human Rights monument in Ottawa at the time of the UN COP27 climate summit in Egypt, November 12, 2022.

Photo: Eric at the Climate Emergency Camp in Ottawa, January 5, 2020.

Photo: Eric and Nick Alpin at the memorial service for Peace Brigades International founder Murray Thomson, October 23, 2019.

For more about On2Ottawa, click here.

Parliamentary Budget Officer to release cost estimate on F-35 warplanes in October, total cost could reach $90.4 billion

By
Brent Patterson
-

The Office of the Parliamentary Budget Officer told PBI-Canada this week that they are aiming to publish in October their cost estimate of the Canadian government’s purchase of the Lockheed Martin F-35 warplane.

On January 23, 2023, the Ottawa Citizen reported: “The parliamentary budget officer will examine the Liberal government’s decision to buy the U.S.-built F-35 stealth fighter and has now requested information about the deal from National Defence.”

That article adds: “[Then-Defence Minister Anita] Anand announced Jan. 9 the purchase of the 88 jets valued at $19 billion. That figure includes the aircraft, new infrastructure and some initial maintenance and weapons.”

The Parliamentary Budget Office began its work on their examination of the costs of the F-35 fighter jet on January 9, 2023.

They had originally anticipated their report would be released by Spring.

Adding up the costs

In February 2021, the No Fighter Jets Coalition released this report that estimated the lifecycle costs of the fighter jet purchase at $76.8 billion.

In January 2023, Department of National Defence officials acknowledged the total cost would be about $70 billion.

Both estimates may be on the low side.

$6 billion for weapons: The No Fighter Jets Coalition report published two years ago assumed the cost of munitions had been factored into the estimated acquisition cost. On February 13, 2023, an Ottawa Citizen headline read: More than $6 billion earmarked for F-35 weapons – cost separate from aircraft purchase.

$7.3 billion for bases: The coalition report also noted that “so far, $21.3 million has been awarded in infrastructure contracts” but that “much more could be spent”. On March 25, 2023, the CBC reported $7.3 billion would be spent “to upgrade its fighter jet bases and Far North landing strips to accommodate the air force’s new F-35s.”

$1.05 billion for development costs: And at the time the report was released, the Canadian government had paid $689 million into the development of the F-35. With the payment of US $99 million in May 2022, that total rose to US $712 million (CAD $955.93 million). If another payment of US $71.7 million was made in May 2023, that would take the total to US $783.7 million (CAD $1.05 billion).

These updates might suggest an additional $13.6 billion could be added to the initial estimate of $76.8 billion – for a price tag closer to $90.4 billion ($20 billion more than the Department of National Defence admitted in January 2023).

First delivery of F-35s

It’s not clear when Canada will receive its first F-35 fighter jet, though former Procurement Minister Filomena Tassi had stated it come as early as 2025.

The Ottawa Citizen subsequently reported Lockheed Martin had promised “the 9th fully mission capable future fighter platform will be delivered no earlier than 1 December 2025 and no later than 1 December 2027.”

Secwépemc land defender Kanahus Manuel warns RCMP C-IRG raid of Tiny House Warriors may be imminent

By
Brent Patterson
-

Secwepemc land defender Kanahus Manuel has posted on Instagram: “The pigs creeping around camp, surveillance and harassment continues, temporary fence that tmx [Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project] put up was removed yesterday, the government may be trying to raid or move in! Stay posted.”

The C-IRG

If a raid does happen, it would likely involve the controversial Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Community-Industry Response Group (C-IRG) now under systemic investigation by the Civilian Review and Complaints Commission (CRCC).

The CBC has previously reported: “In 2018, early in their mandate, C-IRG officers faced off with the Tiny House Warriors, a Secwépemc-led activist collective blocking construction along the Trans Mountain expansion route near Blue River, but never conducted a comprehensive operation to break up the occupation.”

It has also noted: “The C-IRG has led ongoing operations for the $21.4 billion Trans Mountain expansion, which would twin an existing pipeline carrying oil from Edmonton to Burnaby, B.C., near Vancouver.”

In January 2023, the CBC reported the C-IRG had spent $3,535,542 policing resistance to the Trans Mountain pipeline between 2017-18 and 2022-23 (as of July 31).

United Nations calls for C-IRG to leave Secwepemc territory

The United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has called on Canada to remove the RCMP from Secwepemc territory in letters dated December 13, 2019, November 24, 2020, and April 29, 2022.

In its most recent letter, the Committee stated: “According to the information before the Committee, the Governments of Canada and of the Province of British Columbia have escalated their use of force, surveillance, and criminalization of land defenders and peaceful protesters to intimidate, remove and forcibly evict Secwepemc and Wet’suwet’en Nations from their traditional lands, in particular by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Community-Industry Response Group (CIRG), and private security firms.”

And in his recently released report on his visit to Canada, UN Special Rapporteur José Francisco Calí Tzay wrote: “In Canada, Indigenous Peoples are taking up the fight for climate justice by opposing the construction of TC Energy’s Coastal GasLink pipeline and the Federal Government-run Trans Mountain pipeline, projects approved without the consent of all affected Indigenous Peoples.”

Abolish the C-IRG

Peace Brigades International-Canada participates in the Abolish C-IRG coalition that is calling for the abolition of this controversial police unit.

Note: Visit to Canada report by the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, José Francisco Calí Tzay: https://documents-dds-ny.un.org/doc/UNDOC/GEN/G23/139/12/pdf/G2313912.pdf?OpenElement

Extracto: Informe del Examen Periódico Universal sobre la Frontera Energy en Colombia

By
Brent Patterson
-

(páginas 26 a 29)

Bloque Cubiro

I. Información resumida del caso:
Nombre del proyecto: Explotación y exploración de hidrocarburos Bloque Cubiro

Ubicación: Veredas La Venturosa, Platanales, La Nevera y El Tigre, municipio San Luis de Palenque (Casanare – Colombia)

Empresas involucradas: Frontera Energy

Entidad financiera: –

Sector: exploración y explotación de Hidrocarburos

Ambiente natural impactado: Ecosistema de llanuras aluviales de la Orinoquía colombiana

Principales abusos de DDHH: Derecho a la libertad de asociación sindical; derecho humano al ambiente sano; derechos económicos, sociales y culturales; derecho al trabajo; derecho a la libertad y la seguridad personales; derecho a no ser detenido arbitrariamente y a un juicio justo e imparcial.

II. Breve descripción de la relevancia del proyecto:
La empresa petrolera canadiense Frontera Energy se ha ubicado en el territorio llamado Bloque Cubiros en el municipio de San Luis de Palenque, en las veredas Platanales, Venturosa, Nevera y El Tigre por más de quince años, realizando la actividad de exploración y explotación de hidrocarburos; durante este periodo ha realizado graves atropellos en contra del territorio, del ambiente y de las comunidades allí vivientes.

III. Principales abusos a los DDHH:
Derecho a la protesta: El día 27 de noviembre de 2018, en horas de la madrugada, fueron detenidas 8 personas defensoras en el municipio de San Luis de Palenque, Casanare28. Estas personas habían participado como negociadoras de un pliego de peticiones, en el contexto de las protestas pacíficas realizadas por esa comunidad durante los años 2017 y 2018 debido a los incumplimientos de la empresa Frontera Energy (antes Pacific Rubiales o Pacific Exploration & Production). A pesar de haber firmado un acta en la que la empresa se había comprometido a no acusar judicialmente a la comunidad que protestaba ni ejercer retaliaciones contra ella.

Sin embargo, el 16 de noviembre de 2018, once días antes de la detención, la empresa suscribió el Convenio No. 18-014 con el Ministerio de Defensa Nacional, en la cual el Ejército Nacional se compromete a brindar una especial protección a las áreas de interés de la empresa, a cambio de unos aportes que la empresa realizó por un monto de $2.152.974.695 durante un periodo de trece meses. Tan solo tres días después, suscribió un nuevo convenio, el Convenio No. 18-017 con el Ministerio de Defensa Nacional29, para los mismos propósitos, esta vez por un monto de $2.340 millones a ejecutarse en un plazo de un mes y doce días, tiempo suficiente para construir un caso de una supuesta estructura criminal e incriminar a los manifestantes, causa judicial en donde el señor Julián René Gómez, jefe de Responsabilidad Social de Frontera Energy en la zona, actuará como testigo contra los líderes sociales en el proceso judicial. Estos líderes sociales hoy se encuentran libres, pero siguen vinculados a los procesos jurídicos.

Derechos a un medio ambiente sano: Frontera Energy no realiza mantenimiento vial, según se establece en el Plan de Manejo Ambiental (PMA) y el Estudio de Impacto Ambiental (EIA), por lo cual la comunidad, sus viviendas y sus rebaños se ve expuestos a la absorción de partículas de polvo, situación generada por el cambio climático, traducido en el hecho de que la época seca (los veranos) son recios y duraderos; además, el agua con que riega la empresa, es contaminante, porque es un agua industrial, separada del petróleo con residuos pesados, que han causado daños y perjuicios a personas y rebaños, ya que el agua de consumo humano y animal proviene de pozos profundos y superficiales y ni Frontera, ni los entes obligados han realizado ningún tipo de estudio; la misma agua que usan para regar la vía tampoco es suficiente para mitigar el impacto; por otro lado, los mantenimientos periódicos que deben realizar a la vía son inapropiados y de muy baja calidad.

Según un acta firmada entre la empresa Frontera Energy y la comunidad el día 31 de enero de 2018, ésta se comprometió a realizar un aporte de $2.500 millones de pesos para pavimentar la vía, cifra inferior a la que 10 meses después la daría al Ministerio de Defensa para judicializar a los líderes sociales; hasta 2023, sigue sin desarrollarse esta obra.

Frontera Energy ha abandonado varios pozos indebidamente, tales como Mapache, quedando llenos de residuos de aceites y químicos tóxicos, tanto de perforación como de producción, que, a lo largo del tiempo se han venido vertiendo en las sabanas o llanuras donde se alimentan las ganaderías, causando enfermedades degenerativas y muerte de semovientes, sin que nadie se responsabiliza ni se genere un estudio de los fenómenos que se está presentando.

28 Fundación CSPP (2018) Criminalización de la defensa de derechos humanos en Colombia. La judicialización a defensores de la tierra, el territorio, el medio ambiente y la paz. http://comitedesolidaridad.com/infografias/Infografia7v2/
29 Y, posteriormente, el Convenio 18-025: http://rutasdelconflicto.com/convenios-fuerza-justicia/node/57 

Derechos económicos, sociales y culturales:

Frontera Energy no está realizando una inversión social digna, de acuerdo con el presupuesto del recurso extraído; así mismo, las oportunidades laborales son escasas o nulas, al igual que los sueldos que pagan por la mano de obra, los salarios no han sido incrementados y son muy inferiores a los de otras operadoras del sector. Las empresas que actúan como proveedoras de Frontera Energy contratan personal que, en su gran mayoría no es local, generando un impacto negativo en la población.

Adicionalmente, existen unos pasivos ambientales por el deterioro de los ecosistemas de la zona de los cuales no se ha hecho responsable; ni de la inversión forzosa del 1% y compensaciones por aprovechamiento de los recursos bióticos y abióticos, que por ley deben hacerse en el área afectada del bloque, no los ha ejecutado la empresa desde hace 15 años.

Daños y perjuicio a Intercont Service SAS.

Intercont Service SAS es una empresa sanluiseña, que, a principios del año 2018, después de muchos intentos fallidos y de incontables denuncias, por falta de transparencia e irregularidades y malas prácticas en la adjudicación de proyectos y contratación por parte de Frontera Energy (en ese entonces Pacific), por fin logra ganar por méritos un contrato para realizar el mantenimiento de la vía san Luis de Palenque a Copa Uno, una vía totalmente colapsada en el invierno y sin buen manteniendo.

Con trabajo duro y dedicado Intercont Service logró estabilizar la vía, entre septiembre y principios de diciembre del 2018; una vez terminado el trabajo, tristemente, Frontera Energy y la Estructura de Apoyo (EDA) 135 de la Fiscalía General de la Nación, creada para asuntos petroleros, encarcelaron a los dueños y representantes de Intercont, junto con otros líderes sociales de la región, en total 8 personas, 7 de ellos miembros de una misma familia, bajo “un falso positivo judicial” y un gran montaje de telenovela por delitos muy graves, bajo acusaciones de vinculación con grupos al margen de la ley. Estas personas estuvieron detenidas por casi dos años y luego de múltiples audiencias, pudieron demostrar que no eran un peligro para la sociedad, y obtuvieron su libertad.

Después de este suceso, Intercont y sus asociados quedaron vetados y destruidos comercialmente, porque a Intercont se le ha recriminado, perseguido y señalado de la siguiente forma:

1. Frontera Energy continúa en el territorio, extrayendo y explotando recursos de hidrocarburos, ampliando sus campos, pero, no le permite a Intercont siquiera la más mínima posibilidad de competir como empresa, ni como personas; sin embargo, la población soporta toda la contaminación de emisiones de gases, de partículas de polvo, ruido y del agua que se riega en las vías, dado la cercanía de la vivienda y ganados de pastoreo de esta familia, sustentando que no son merecedores de nada, por cursar un proceso judicial en su contra; proceso que Frontera misma generó.

2. Frontera Energy ha denunciado a los integrantes de Intercont: Miguel Ángel Rincón Santisteban y Carmen Iraida Salcedo Gutiérrez posterior al proceso de judicialización. Según ellos, por injuria y calumnia, aunque no se han presentado en ninguna audiencia, actualmente este proceso está vigente, ya que toda la información ha podido obtenerse solamente por medio de tutelas (amparos). Todo esto se constituye en casos de persecución e intimidación.

3. Debido al proceso, otras empresas como Perenco, con la que antes también Intercont contrataba, no solo retiró los contratos vigentes sin ninguna explicación, sino que tampoco permite que estas personas tengan la más mínima posibilidad de contratar, argumentando verbalmente que se debe al proceso judicial que actualmente cursa Frontera Energy.

IV. Metodología
Este documento se elaboró mediante consultas de las actas firmadas, las respuestas de la Defensoría del Pueblo dirigida a uno de los manifestantes, y las de Frontera Energy, así como por entrevistas a la comunidad, y los datos del informe Criminalización de la defensa de los derechos humanos en Colombia, FCSPP-COSPACC publicado en diciembre 2019 LA JUDICIALIZACION WEB (1).pdf (comitedesolidaridad.com),

Organizaciones que suscriben el informe: Amazon Watch (Regional), Asociación Ambiente y Sociedad (Colombia), Alianza de Organizaciones por los Derechos Humanos de Ecuador, Asociación Minga (Colombia), AIDA (Regionales), La Confederación de Nacionalidades Indígenas del Ecuador, CONAIE, Corporación Acción Ecológica (Ecuador), Centro de Información de Empresas y Derechos Humanos (Internacional), Cospacc (Colombia); Equidad (Perú), Instituto Popular de Capacitación (Colombia), Mining Watch Canada, Mesa por los Derechos Humanos frente al Poder Empresarial de Colombia, PUINAMUDT – Observatorio Petrolero de la Amazonía Norte (Perú), OXFAM en Perú, Terrae (Colombia), y Unión de Afectados por las Operaciones de Texaco -UDAPT (Ecuador).

PBI-Mexico accompanies relatives of victims of enforced disappearance at ceremony in Chihuahua

By
Brent Patterson
-

On August 30, PBI-Mexico tweeted:

“PBI accompanies relatives of victims in Chihuahua while placing plaques with the names of 202 people whose families @CEDEHM [the Centre for Women’s Human Rights] accompanies.”

As noted on the CEDEHM website:

“Initially, our work focused on accompanying women and their daughters and sons seeking justice after being victims of gender-based violence. Starting in 2010 as a part of the government’s strategy for militarizing public safety, rates of violence in Chihuahua increased in an exacerbated way and led us to accompany others who have suffered serious human rights violations, such as disappearances, human rights organizations at risk for carrying out their work, and communities forcibly displaced by violence. Chihuahua currently occupies one of the first places of incidence of violence against women, disappearance of people, and assaults against human rights defenders.”

El Heraldo de Chihuahua reported:

“The day will begin this August 30 at 10:00 am with a mass, which will be presided over by the priest Camilo Daniel Pérez in the temple of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. At the end, the caravan will start towards the Garden of Justice, where the anti-monument Plasmando Esperanza [a glass mosaic mural] is located, in front of the State Attorney General’s Office. In the mural will be placed the names of 202 people whose families the Cedehm provides accompaniment.”

Video stills.

That article highlights: “According to the National Registry of Missing Persons and not located nationwide are 111,093 people, of those victims 3,535 are from the state of Chihuahua.”

The United Nations has noted:

“On 21 December 2010, by its resolution 65/209 the UN General Assembly expressed its deep concern about the increase in enforced or involuntary disappearances in various regions of the world, including arrest, detention and abduction, when these are part of or amount to enforced disappearances, and by the growing number of reports concerning harassment, ill-treatment and intimidation of witnesses of disappearances or relatives of persons who have disappeared.

By the same resolution the Assembly welcomed the adoption of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance, and decided to declare 30 August the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, to be observed beginning in 2011.”

#DiaInternacionalDeLosDesaparecidos

PBI-Colombia accompanies Nydia Erika Bautista Foundation at protest in front of the Search Unit for Missing Persons (UBPD) in Bogota

By
Brent Patterson
-

On August 29, PBI-Colombia tweeted:

“If there is no path, we create it”… We were accompanying @nydia_erika and relatives of victims of #Enforced Disappearance from different departments of Colombia to demand, in front of the @UBPDcolombia, truth and justice #WomenSeekers sowing dignity #untilfound

As can be seen in the poster below the protest in front of the UBPD began at 11:30 am.

At almost 4 pm that day, the Nydia Erika Bautista Foundation tweeted:

“We leave without an answer from the @UBPDcolombia about the search for our missing people, we continue to fight on the path to find them #LookForThemNow

And on the evening of the next day, August 30, the Foundation tweeted:

210,000 forcibly disappeared demand the challenge of a full, effective and inclusive participation policy for women seekers, which does not exist on the part of the @ubpdcolombia

Last week, El Espectador reported:

“Searchers of the disappeared fight for their work to be recognized by the law. Decades of activism by women seekers now translate into a bill that is halfway to passing. The initiative, which seeks to recognize, protect and disseminate the work of women looking for their relatives, is considered a law that, if given the green light, would be the first of its kind in the world.”

Law on women seekers

In June 2022, El Espectador also reported:

“The Nydia Erika Bautista Foundation and seven organizations of victims of forced disappearance from different regions of the country delivered a document to Father Francisco de Roux with 15 recommendations that they hope that entity will record in its final report.”

Along with the recommendation of declassifying military archives, it was also proposed to create a Law for the Protection of Women Seekers.

El Espectador explains:

“Comprehensive Law for the Protection of the Rights of Women and Family Seekers: The victims also demand that State policy include a law that recognizes their rights, their contribution to the truth and the costs that their work has implied in their lives and in their physical, mental and family integrity. “A Comprehensive Law that dignifies their ethical and political role in society and the democratic rule of law and as women caregivers heads of family to whom the State has de facto delegated the search for the disappeared,” the document says. Protect the rights of missing women and searchers who have been victims of sexual violence so that they can access truth and justice. The document argues that there is a “total absence of criminal and disciplinary investigation of gender violations – including sexual violence – suffered by disappeared women and perpetrated against women searchers, under the armed conflict.””

The bill was submitted in Congress on October 19, 2022.

Accompaniment

PBI-Colombia has been accompanying the Nydia Erika Bautista Foundation occasionally from 2007 and in full since 2016.

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