WERU News Report 6/15/11

Producer/Host: Amy Browne
Contributing Producer: Carolyn Coe with assistance from Lindsey Saunders

Segment 1: An interview with Lisa Savage, CODEPINK Maine Local Coordinator, about the upcoming annual mayor’s conference where a resolution will be considered that calls for Congress to “bring our war dollars home” to be spent on local community needs. Lisa will attend and report back to WERU next week. She will also be the contact person for a Mainer who will be on the next humanitarian aid flotilla to Gaza at the end of June. “The Audacity of Hope” flotilla sets sail 13 months after the Israelis stormed a similar flotilla and killed several activists. Lisa Savage will also follow up with us over the next few weeks re: their progress. FMI: http://www.codepink4peace.org/section.php?id=429

Segment 2: When transnational mining companies discovered coal and moved into the department of Cesar, Colombia, paramilitaries also arrived. Local rivers have become contaminated, people and animals are getting sick, and social problems have worsened in the city of La Jagua and neighboring communities. Area leaders discuss the impacts of the coal mining on their communities.
Speakers:
Dioselina Carvajal Saravia, victim of paramilitary violence
Adanies Quintero, representative from agriculture sector
Ricardo Machado, union member, welder for Carbones de la Jagua (a Glencore mine)
Ana Marquez Martinez, police inspector, Boqueron
Oswaldo Aguilar Mejia, former univ. professor and member of local AfroColombian association, La Jagua
Jaime Giraldo Duque, president of the displaced persons association, La Jagua
Of note: According to US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks, the US-based Drummond Company paid paramilitaries for protection of its Colombian mining operations. http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/14935-us-coal-firm-drummond-paid-paramilitaries-wikileaks.html
Glencore, another transnational operating in the area, is about to sell publicly on the London exchange.

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