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Hot Time in Bogota: The Case of Liliany Obando
Kevin Neish / Saturday 22 August 2009
 

The half dozen colourful cartoon character rubber stamps covering my forearms were strange enough in themselves, but the fact that prison guards were applying them pushed things into the surreal.

I was in Bogota Colombia’s "Buen Pastor" women’s prison trying to get in to see trade union activist Liliany Obando in the prison’s high security "patio 6" for political prisoners. Every stage involved a rubber stamp. Argue with the entrance guard, stamp, pat down search, stamp, drug dog sniffs my crotch, stamp, search my fried chicken gift, stamp, disassemble my shoes, stamp, finger prints and digital photo, stamp, x-ray me, stamp, entry into "patio 6", stamp, stamp, stamp.

Finally Liliany is standing at the door of her tiny cell looking bright and cheerful with her arms out for a hug, as if she were welcoming us into her real home across town. Liliany has called this 5 1/2 foot by 8 foot cell, which she shares with two other inmates, her home for the last year while she waits for trial on charges of "rebellion" and "funding terrorism".

Such detentions are a standard oppressive tactic in Colombia, used against trade union leaders and political activists. They are usually released after a year or two with no trial, but not in Liliany’s case.

A year ago she was in the process of completing a report on the 1500 Colombian trade unionists who have been murdered in past few years by government and paramilitary forces. Suddenly and strangely coincidentally her name supposedly turned up on the "magic" laptop computer which miraculously survived unscathed from a Colombian government rocket attack of a FARC guerilla camp in Equador.

A single mom, petite little Liliany was dragged away in front of her two children by a heavily armed military swat team on August 8th 2008.

Her Canadian connection is that in late 2006 she toured Canada collecting funds and solidarity to support her work for the farm workers union FENSUAGRO. She visited Victoria and stayed with me for a day, sharing meals, laughter and stories. The Colombian government calls such union work "rebellion" and the donations she raised here through local unions is deemed as "fund raising for terrorism" and now she waits for her trial to start on August 27th.

Sadly she is not alone as "patio 6" is overflowing with 90 other companeras, many beautiful and young and, like her, looking at 20 to 30 years in this hell hole.

So I spend an amazing afternoon of food, camaraderie, joy and even dancing until the guards blow their whistles and herd us out the door, while the "dangerous" prisoners of "patio 6" give kisses and shout farewells through the bars. And now I’m back in Canada listening to Mr. Harper extolling the virtues of a free trade agreement with that murderous government in Colombia. Talk about surreal.

Want to know more or send Liliany a note? Check out www.freeliliany.net

Thanks.