U.S. Terrorism in Colombia: A First-Hand Account with Imelda Daza-Cotes

Monday, February 12th @ 6:30pm, 103 Bingham Hall

Imelda Daza-Cotes was an activist and a member of the Patriotic Union (UP) in Colombia. The UP was created through peace accords in 1984, as a leftist alternative to the two ruling parties. 4,000 UP members, activists, candidates and elected officials were assassinated by military and paramilitary forces supported by the right-wing government. Daza-Cotes was elected to office representing the Patriotic Union and fled from Colombia to protect her life. She is currently a professor of Economics in Sweden.

Imelda Daza-CotesAs a member of the UP, Daza-Cotes organized with Ricardo Palmera. Palmera (also known as Símon Trinidad) who later joined the FARC-EP, the largest rebel group in Colombia. In 2004, the US illegally extradited Palmera to the US after he was kidnapped in Ecuador, where he was arranging a meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan to work out a prisoner exchange between the FARC and the Colombian government. The extradition and trial of Palmera further threaten any chance for peace in Colombia, and continue the pattern of US interference in the region.

Although called as a defense witness, Daza-Cotes was not allowed to testify at Ricardo Palmera trial last fall. On her national speaking tour, she will address Plan Colombia and US intervention, repression by the Colombian government, and the injustice of Palmera’s trial in the US.

Sponsored nationally by the Committee to Defend Ricardo Palmera | www.freericardopalmera.org
Endorsed by the Colombia Action Network | www.colombiasolidarity.org

Organized locally by:

UNC-Chapel Hill SDS | www.chapelhillsds.org
Student Action with Workers
+ others to be announced