Trip Report

Latin America Sub-Committee

The Standing Commission on Anglican and International Peace with Justice Concerns

Visit to Colombia and Brazil

July 27, 2002 – August 6, 2002

 

 

 

Members of Sub-Committee

 

The Rt. Rev. Gary Gloster (Diocese of North Carolina), The Rev. Theodora Brooks (Diocese of New York), Mrs. Jackie Batjer (Diocese of Northwest Texas), Mr. Fred Ellis (Diocese of Dallas)

 

Other Participants on Trip

 

The Rev. Robert Sessum – Member of Executive Council (Diocese of Lexington), Mr. Richard Parkins – Migration Ministries (ECUSA),  Mrs. Judy Gloster (North Carolina), The Rev. Paul Block (ELCA-New York)

 

Colombia – July 27, 2002 – July 31, 2002

 

Bishop Duque

The members of our group travelled from their various locations to Bogota, Colombia on Saturday, July 27th.  Upon arrival in Colombia, we were met by Bishop and Mrs. Francisco Duque.

 

Sunday – July 28th

 

The group attended services at the Episcopal Cathedral in Bogota.  The celebrant and preacher was Bishop Duque.  Bishop Duque invited Bishop Gloster and Rev. Brooks, as well as her husband Rev. Block, to vest and participate in the service.  The service was Rite II from the B.C.P., although in Spanish.  At the end of the service, Paul Block spoke about the Episcopal/Lutheran Concordat, and its importance to both denominations.  Paul is a Lutheran pastor in the Bronx, N.Y.  Bishop Gloster greeted the congregation on behalf of our group, and the entire commission.  Following the service, we had the opportunity, at coffee hour, to meet and visit the parishioners of the cathedral.

 

In the afternoon, we drove to the countryside for lunch with the Bishop, his family, and several of the clergy and parishioners from the cathedral.  Following lunch, we continued on to tour the Catedral de Sal, (Cathedral of Salt).  This is a cathedral, actually the 2nd one, that has been constructed  by the miners working in the salt mine.  It is a tremendously spiritual space.  The walk down to the nave includes the thirteen stations of the cross with space to kneel and offer prayer or meditation at each station.  At one of the stations, our group paused, and then spontaneously began to sing “Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God”.  The nave of the cathedral can seat over 2,000 people, and the Roman Catholic church holds services there each Sunday.

Monday, July 29th

 

We had meetings throughout the day with a number of non-government organizations, official government agencies, and concluded with a presentation by the Diocese of Colombia

 

Consultoria para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento (Consultation for Human Rights and the Displaced People)

 

This was our first meeting of the day, and we met with Jorge E. Rojas Rodriguez, president of this group.  In his view, Colombia is facing 4 scenarios:

 

1.      A limited and popular war.

2.      The institutionalization of war

3.      A political and negotiated settlement to the current conflict.

4.      The military victory of one of the parties involved in the conflict.

 

"The day that the government of the United States says that they are going to support negotiations , as they did in El Salvador, is the day the war begins to end."

--Dr. Rojas

In his view, and the view of a number of people that we spoke with, Scenario 2 is the most likely scenario.  It is the scenario being promoted by the new administration in Colombia.  To implement this will require changes to the constitution and current laws, as well as the abolition of the Constitutional Court and the imposition of martial law.  In his view the United States military aid, specifically fumigation to halt the growing of cocoa, is a huge failure.  When it started, there were only 40 hecters in production.  Currently, there are over 100 hecters in production.  He did say that they need assistance from the United States.  However, that assistance needs to come in the form of humanitarian assistant, and support for negotiations.  To quote Dr. Rojas, “the day that the government of the United States says that they are going to support negotiations, as they did in El Salvador, is the day the war begins to end.”

 

United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (Colombian Office)

 

This organization is in Colombia at the invitation of the Colombian government.  They have been asked by the new government to extend their stay.  There mandate if to Observe, Advise, and Inform.  They do not investigate, and they report only the information that they are told.  In their view, Colombia needs help.  However, that help needs to come with an understanding of the local needs.

 

Defensoria (Defensor del Pueblo) – Public Defender’s Office

 

This office was created by the Constitution of 1991.  It is a quasi-governmental office.  Its charter is to promote understanding of and disseminate information on Human Rights to the people and government of Colombia.  It can file all types of judicial actions to defend human rights.  It has no coercive power.  Their view is that the systematic violation of human rights has worsened with the intensification of the internal armed conflict.  There is a fear that they will be merged with the General Prosecutor’s Office, and this would lead to elimination of this office.

General Prosecutors Office

 

We met with the Vice-Prosecutor of the Nation – Carlos Arturo Gomez Pavajeau.  The view in this office is that they have never seen this level of violence in any internal conflict.  Both the guerillas and para-military organizations violate human rights with equal terror. 
A son of Colombian Senator Martha Catalina Daniels, cries behind her coffin during her funeral in Bogota, March 5, 2002
There are vast areas of the country where the governmental forces have no control.  Currently the country is debating between war and social revolution, and it does not have the resources for either.  Colombia needs the assistance of the international community to supervise a settlement.  Neither the guerillas or para-military are motivated by political desires.  It is purely about money.

 

Attorney General's Office

 

They have approximately 40 cases of religious persecution under investigation.  They estimate that 90% of the atrocities are committed by the guerillas.  Most of those by FARC, and to a lesser degree, some by the ELN.  They reiterated that the problem is lack of access and control by the government forces.  The judicial police force does the investigation.  In Colombia, there are 3 phases of criminal prosecution:

 

1.      Preliminary – Intelligence and identification

2.      Instruction – Continue to gather evidence leading to dismissal or charges

3.      Trial – Of over 1,400 cases investigated, 996 have gone to trial

 

United States Ambassador – Anne Patterson

 

Colombia receives the 3rd largest amount of U.S. foreign assistance.  3rd only to Israel and Egypt.  The U.S. provides approximately $50 million/year for development of Colombian infrastructure.  It provides approximately $25-30 million/year for assistance to displaced persons.  There are at least 2 million displaced persons, and the number grows daily.  Ambassador Patterson feels that the new Colombian administration will be willing to negotiate under certain circumstances.  The U.S. facilitated the most recent negotiations, and a settlement with the ELN was very close.

 

Both Ambassador Patterson and her aide are Episcopalians.

 

Diocesan Presentation

 

The Episcopal Church in Colombia is “living between the cross and the rifle”.  Although it has been in place for more than 20 years, it has only been allowed to function freely for the last 10 years, since the 1991 Constitution.  Currently, the diocese has 15 priests and 7 deacons.  Only 6 of these receive a salary.  The remainder are non-stipendiary and must find others means of support. 

 

When the current bishop assumed office, he inherited a debt of $150,000.  (Note:  Executive Council, at its October 2002 meeting, approved a grant to the Diocese of Colombia to cover this debt.)

 

The Diocese of Colombia has no companion diocese relationship, and would welcome one.

 

Tuesday, July 30th     

 

We traveled with Bishop Duque to Quibdo in the Choco state of Colombia.  This city is very near one of the attacks that had just occurred.  Our purpose hear was to visit with several priests, members of the Episcopal Church, and several indigenous and displaced peoples settlements.  We were also able to visit with one of the Roman Catholic organizations, in this area, that provides assistance.  It should be noted that a grant from ERD was, at the time we were there, feeding a large group of displaced people.

 

 

Wednesday July 31st

 

We had several meetings on our final day in Colombia. 

 

 

Brazil – August 1st – August 4th

 

Thursday August 1st

 

We arrived in Porto Alegre, Brazil.  Shortly after our arrival we met with the State Governor of Rio Grande del Sul, The Honorable Olivio Dutra.

 

Some of the items covered included:

 

 

Later that evening we met with The Rt. Rev. Luiz Prado.  Bishop Prado gave us an overview of the situation in Brazil.  He focused on issues related to human rights, and other peace and justice concerns.  He also discussed the importance of the upcoming Presidential election to the course the country would take.

 

Friday August 2nd

 

Meeting with Federal Congressman Dr. Marcos Rolim

 

Dr. Rolim has 20 years of working for peace and justice with a focus on human rights.  He stated that Brazil is one of the most unequal societies on the planet.  The wealth is very concentrated, and there are over 32 million people living on less that $1 USD per day.  According to Dr. Rolim, the human rights agenda in Brazil is made up of the following:

 

 

Dr. Rolim expressed to us that there is a very strong anti American feeling throughout the world.  This, in his opinion, is fostered by our government acting as world policeman and refusing to participate in a number of treaties, (Kyoto, land mines, World Court).

 

 

 

Celso Franco de Oliveira
Bishop of Rio de Janeiro

Meeting with Diocesan Bishop – The Rt. Rev. Celso Franco de Oliveira

 

We met with Bishop Oliveira and reviewed a number of diocesan programs.  We were also able to tour the diocesan seminary.

 

Meeting with GAPA – Group for the Support of the Prevention of AIDS

 

This group has been in existence for 13 years, and is concerned with public policy and strategies dealing with HIV/AIDS.  All staff is volunteer.  GAPA was started by the Lutheran Church, and still receives some funding from the Lutheran Church  It also has connections with the National Council of Christian Churches.   It was started to respond to the prejuidices against people infected with HIV/AIDS.  One fact of note is that Brazil produces 8 of the 15 possible drugs used to fight HIV/AIDS

 

Saturday August 3rd

 

We visited an indigenous peoples settlement about 1 hour outside of Porto Alegre.  We were able to hear the stories of a number of people, view the school, and see a performance by a group of children.

 

That afternoon we visited one of the settlements for jobless people that the State Governor had told us about on Thursday.  Again we were able to hear a number of stories from the people in this settlement.  They have been given a number of tools, as indicated earlier, by the
Bp. Gloster
state to get them “re-started” and to become self sufficient.

 

Sunday August 4th

 

Worship at the Anglican Cathedral.  Our own Bishop Gloster was the preacher, and then our trip home.

Reverenda Inamar Corrêa de Souza, Dean
Parsquia Da Catedral de Sco Paulo Apsstolo, Rio

 

 

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