Plaid Cymru Deputy President Jill Evans MEP is to meet Colombian Archbishop Rubén Salazar Gómez this week at the Temple of Peace in Cardiff. He is President of Caritas Colombia, an organisation working for peace in Colombia. Jill Evans has recently signed a letter to the President of Colombia urging him to take action over the murders of trades unionists, politicians and people working for human rights in Colombia.
Jill, a lifelong campaigner for peace and justice, said that she was anxious to receive an update on the present situation in Colombia, and welcomed the visit, which is part CAFOD Wales' programme of building a link between the people of Wales and Colombia.:
"More than three million people - almost equivalent to the population of Wales - have been forced to flee their homes and many now live in poverty in shanty towns on the outskirts of cities.
"Trades unionists have been murdered in large numbers, foreign journalists have been kidnapped, and civil and human rights organisations are constantly under threat, and it is vital that more and more pressure is exerted on the Colombian government to bring an end to these attacks.
"CAFOD Wales' efforts to forge links between Wales and Colombia are to be applauded. We will hear at first hand what life is like for people living amidst the conflict, and how this 40 year conflict has been the cause of one of the world's major humanitarian crises."
Jill Evans added:
"Any moves towards peace and justice must be welcomed. The links between poverty and conflict are all to evident in Colombia."
NOTES
The meeting will take place at the Temple of Peace Cardiff at 3:30 on Friday 11 April at 3:30 pm. Present will be staff from CAFOD Latin America Section and CAFOD Wales.
Jill Evans MEP represents the whole of Wales in the European Parliament. She is Plaid Cymru's Spokesperson on International Affairs.
Caritas coordinates a network of offices throughout Colombia that seek to promote peace and reconciliation, defend human rights, assist the victims of the conflict and support the most vulnerable. Caritas also analyses government policy and provides recommendations for improving strategies through its advocacy work.
Rubén Salazar is Archbishop of Baranquilla, Colombia's fourth largest city. He is currently leading the Colombian Church's campaign for a negotiated peace in the country and has been outspoken in denouncing poverty as one of the root causes of the conflict. He leads the Colombian Church's work in some of its most sensitive areas: humanitarian relief, the defence of human rights and peace education.
