Tag: Colombia

  • The dark side of Santos’ visit to Europe

    Buenaventura (Colombia)
    Von Viviana Viera Geraldo and Lucho Ziegler
    Wearing his Halloween peace dove costume, Santos arrived to Europe seeking funds to support post-conflict Colombia. The president’s visit earned him great support from various EU members states, but also generated strong criticism from certain members of the European Parliament as well as organisations of civil society ...

  • Calling on the Commission to put the EU-Colombia FTA in abeyance

    The Colombia's president, Juan Manuel Santos, recently decided to overthrow the capital city Bogota's elected mayor, Gustavo Petro, as a consequence on a non-judicial procedure and in violation of binding precautionary measures explicitly issued1 by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). In views of this misguided and undemocratic fact, we Members of the European Parliament call on the European Commission to start immediately the procedure to put the EU-Colombia Free Trade Agreement temporarily on hold. That is to say, the part of the Trade Agreement between the European Union and Colombia and Peru that refers to Colombia.

  • EUROsociAL Meeting in Brussels

    Von Viviana Viera
    Jürgen Klute claimed in EUROsociAL meeting in Brussels, to renegociate the Free Trade Agreements between the EU and Latin-America in order to stop the negative effects already resents in some regions of Latin-America and to achieve Fair Trade Agreements.

  • Cumbre EUROsociAL en Bruselas

    Von Viviana Viera
    En su ponencia en la Cumbre EUROsociAL, el eurodiputado Jürgen Klute apoya la propuesta de renegociación de los TLC entre la UE y América Latina con el fin de detener los efectos negativos, para lograr Acuerdos de Comercio Justos y lograr la cohesion social tan anhelada en ambas regiones.

  • Eurodiputado pide suspender el TLC UE-Colombia por la irregular destitución del alcalde de Bogotá

    Von Santiago Quinones y Viviana Viera
    El Tratado de Libre Comercio entre la Unión Europea y Colombia debe ser suspendido temporalmente, según el eurodiputado alemán Jürgen Klute, a la luz del posible quebrantamiento del principio del estado de derecho en Colombia provocado por la reciente decisión de las autoridades colombianas de destituir sin juicio previo a Gustavo Petro, alcalde de Bogotá y segunda personalidad electa más relevante de Colombia después del presidente Juan Manuel Santos ...

  • Carta abierta al Presidente Juan Manuel Santos de Eurodiputados respecto a la decisión de inhabilitar a Gustavo Petro

    Von MEPs Klute, Romeva i Rueda, Zimmer, Matias...
    Las actuaciones de la Alcaldía de Bogotá en la puesta en marcha de un nuevo esquema de aseo en la ciudad y la inclusión de la población recicladora en un sistema antes monopolizado por la empresa privada, han tratado de convertir a esta ciudad en una Bogotá más Humana. Si bien es cierto que ha habido fallos en la implementación de este nuevo sistema, la destitución e inhabilitación del Alcalde nos hacen pensar que una persecución política podría estar detrás de las razones invocadas sobre su gestión para su destitución.

  • MEPs put into question the decision to oust Gustavo Petro from his position as Mayor of Bogotá

    Von MEPs Klute, Romeva i Rueda, Zimmer, Matias...
    It is known that within the framework of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, it is impossible that a civil servant removes a governor elected by the vote of the people. Concretely, the American Convention on Human Rights stipulates that political rights can only be restricted per means of a sanction, if a condemnation exists and is taken by a competent judge, according to a legal procedure. This is not the case with Gustavo Petro.

  • Land grabbing and human rights in Colombia

    Von telebraille
    The debate over land grabbing in Colombia by European multinational companies has crossed borders and has aroused the interest of the European Parliament. In a recently published letter they criticize the victims and land restitution law, favouring commercial interests over those who demand full restitution of their lands. 25 MEPs expressed their concern about the accumulation of land and the government attempt to change the law, favouring big business.

  • No Peace without Women

    Von MEPs Klute, Senyszyn, Sousa, Lochbihler, Gustafsson...
    We know that the efforts underway in Havana are enormous and that after so many years of confrontation, the task is complex. Nevertheless, we call on the players at the dialogue table to assess the possibility of calling a bilateral cease fire. Colombia should not have to mourn any longer for the victims of armed conflict. A ceasefire would be an important step in building confidence in the peace process, and in showing results and positive changes for civilians living in conflict zones.

  • MEPs concerned about land grabbing by European companies in Colombia

    Von MEPs Klute, A. Gomes, Häusling, Lambert, Le Hyaric...
    We are concerned about the social fabric of the area since the purchase of land by large corporations removes communities from their traditional territories, also inhabited by indigenous groups. In addition, projects in these areas can have serious environmental consequences, affecting a fragile ecosystem characterized by high biodiversity and water resources. European companies such as Poligrow have been involved in this land grabbing process.

  • Back To The Future

    Von ebxnews
    In next week's plenary session in Strasbourg, MEPs will vote on the FTA between the EU, Colombia and Peru. GUE/NGL MEP Jürgen Klute said this morning at a press conference that financial services liberalization prevails in this agreement. "It is absurd that while the EU is legislating to regulate and control the financial markets, we subscribe at the same time such an obsolete agreement, with the same neoliberal policies that have done so much damage to our people."