2. October 2008 expulsion from Colombia As I came out to the "Comité Solidarity with Political Prisoners" know (CSPP) in Cali - and even a prisoner was ...
On 1 October, I came in this morning on the bus to Cali, where I was to live for twelve days to both the work of the local CSPP (Comité de Solidaridad con los Presos Políticos) and by NOMADESC, kennzulernen a very interesting human rights organization in the region, to accompany. Another goal, which would automatically connect with the monitoring of these two organizations, was to get some information from close to the situation of the sugar plantation workers in Valle de Cauca, which since the 15. September in the strike were to achieve an improvement in their extremely precarious situation. (See, for example http://de.indymedia.org/2008/09/228296.shtml)
On the same day, I soon learned of Walter, the director of the CSPP in Cali should be held a demonstration of this sugar plantation workers and their supporters, which we joined around 14:30 at the end of the train. She led after a few hours walking peacefully, the city center should take place before the courthouse where the rallies. I went all the time passively at the end of the march, photos made by the protestors and talked almost continuously with the various trade unionists from SINTRAMETAL, in their buildings, the CSPP has his office and with whom we had made together on the road. Walter had gone forward, and so we all met for the first 17 against clock in the center at the rally back to where we were sitting on the floor, and talked a little bit rested. Shortly after 17:30 clock we set out to even going to a concert. We crossed the square and turned into a street where we were still waiting for someone, as I already responded, some men in plainclothes and demanded my passport. It all happened very quickly, Walter was one of the men still ask for his identification, but already, they said I had them in the DAS (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad - the Colombian Secret police) of Cali follow. This allowed me to accompany Walter yet, so we are five of us plus the driver squeezed into a taxi. A wild began telephoning, Walter with the Vice Presidency of the human rights defenders in Colombia, I discuss with the coordinator of the Red de Hermandad what to do and what to say. When DAS arrived, Walter was forced to remain outside the gates of the building, so I stayed with the DAS officials alone. I was led into an office where my first questions were asked: Who am I had my Permiso what COS-PACC do, why I was here in Cali, why I took part in the demonstration, who my friend Walter was and what he was doing. I answered the questions carefully, but honestly relative, however, without mentioning the Red de Hermandad that I make a kind of voluntary work in COS-PACC, to see how they work, because I was the work of a NGO on human rights issues of interest that I This came days after Cali was to have been sent but without of COS-PACC, but out of personal interest that I would see Walter as a friend and was also on the demonstration of self-interest, but not as participant but as an observer, I had previously read about in the media about the strike and was interested in the situation.
came in between some Oscar Vasco Soto, apparently the boss of my Camilo Torres in the interviewer's office to ask with questions about me and COS-PACC, obviously he was in the next room here, auszuforschen in contact with the DAS office in Bogotá more about me and my stay in Colombia. Camilo Torres
then began to put the same questions again, but this time word for word on the computer log leaders. In between I phoned on with Kris, the German coordinator of the Casa in Bogota, and with Walter. The lawyers and the CSPP NOMADESC were already on my case to it. At one point I was over the phone informs you that my lawyers stood out and that I should ask to speak to them to be allowed. This has been denied repeatedly. Oscar Vasco refused to tell me his name, while I talked on the phone with Walter. Only after I hung up, he told me his name. Then he wanted to forbid me to phone for some time off I had my phone, it could use some time later again, but this does not go out of the room and out of Camilo Torres' direct earshot. They began to offer me food, I should order what I wanted, I refused at first because I wanted to accept food from them nothing, and still hoped soon to come out and then with Walter and the other compañeros easier to enjoy my supper to can. I have been all ten fingerprints taken.
When it was later dawned on me that here a long one, me and my freedom is not well-intentioned bureaucratic process was underway, I did bring me an arepa with cheese. I came only to eat them in half, as I was focused (around 20:30 clock?) That I had to stay overnight in the DAS and my appetite went. I had to follow them outside, and from that moment it was scary for me. At one table, three or four men, I should in my bag the most important things such as handkerchiefs, to get any medication, I was allowed to keep. My pocket as my phone (my sim card before I could ) Out I had to make, shoelaces, belts and necklaces I had to hand over protest despite crying too. Me to calm down and obey the Colombian law. Incredulous, I was in a walled complex of small cells out on the site in which there were four open individual cells, each with a mattress and a toilet naked, in front of a hallway with a bed frame made of iron with no mattress, a sink and open shower. Since I was the only "prisoners", I was allowed to occupy the entire complex had to, not in one of the dark, narrow single cells, but remained on a small cushion that they brought me on the iron frame in front of the cell, behind a locked screen door and under the sky of Cali, which was not separated by a roof, but only by grating of me. I began to look in the writings of my predecessors on the walls, a few religious allegiances to Jesus in English, and lots of lines in Ivrit for me looking like Chinese characters. How I wish I'd had a pen to leave my anger at German on these walls, but that was me as my other stuff has been removed. So I came (ironically) in my little tour of the cells Wandinspizierung only last for a hanging poster of the Defensoría del Pueblo, which was to remember the detainees of their rights in this situation. Happily beyond the written evidence on my side, I started to get through the gate across the yard, that someone should come. Unfortunately it was only the "keeper", stupidity in the face, a birdbrain in uniform with rifle. With him, I should only through the screen door separated to spend my next time in that cell. I told him that I wanted to talk to someone that was read on this poster in black and white, just that at least three of my rights were broken. I had to read it to him: the right to know, for whatever reason, I was being held and who ordered the measure. The right not to be without communication (no ser incommunicado). The right directly talk to my lawyer to be allowed and that at rest (both extra bold on this poster!). Me to calm down, the guard advised me silly that night was to rest there, to sleep. Just as I saw that too, so I would not be here! - Baffled grin. On the subject of my rights, he had the statement that in Colombia for giving horarios, so to speak Geschäftsszeiten for Human Rights, and now it's too late to start again tomorrow. It did not help to explain to him that there are no business hours for the applicability of law. He disappeared and came back unimpressed at some point in order to keep asking me, beaming, if I Colombia had fallen, it would be so nice, you know, Colombia. Here in this place do not, I could give him from my side only answer, he began to praise Germany, the land of opportunities, right where it all go well. I explained that this was not so, but he continued to talk about his sister in Germany, and never looked back: Germany is very good, because it is not here, right? And showed me conspiratorially the swastika that was tattooed on his forearm. When I despair about this DAS employees with a swastika tattoo could only "subject istas" mumble, he asked me, grinning as well as before on the question of whether I liked Colombia that I probably liked the Revolution. From what he was talking revolution, please, I said to him, and he answered nothing and eventually withdrawing.
I introduced myself to a night under the open sky on the pad, as the guard and Camilo Torres came to the screen door to open it (!). Again, I should follow them. Back in the office building. In a kind of brightly lit lecture hall a large poster with the emblem of the DAS was suspended in Cali - "legality, honesty, and a third noble word I have forgotten. Against this poster I was being photographed several times head-on (they now have my most evil look in her archives) and from both sides in the profile.
I was again brought down to the offices, find me the same short cushion that they had given me in the cell was placed in front of the archive door on the ground. The slimy Oscar Vasco, who telephoned the same time as his jefe, handed me my cell phone parts, I should enable it, if I was called. Shortly after I talked to Alejandro, who introduced himself as my lawyer and told me that he had all the time in contact with the DAS director in Bogotá, that ignore the rules but he could until the next day at 8 clock to me, and my participation was a foreigner without a work visa for her reason expel me. Certainly, then, that they would expel me? I was shocked and in tears once again in the office hallway, took another phone conversation with Kris and Ariadni, my dear Greek compañera in Bogotá contrary. It was delivered to me a bag of Walter, with a toothbrush and toothpaste, yogurt, juice, water, biscuits, tissues, and an encouraging piece of paper. I was touched. And sad.
A woman in the adjoining office space was responsible as a "guardian" for me, the others went, and I sent in my sweaty stuff up on the cushion with no sheet or blanket, where I saw the first night was sleepless and feverishly thinking about my situation. About six came back the first hard-working DAS employees to the office, I was served Tinto and offered an arepa with cheese - which I might yet so - that I could turn down this time to myself prefer to stick to Walters biscuits. Waiting for my lawyer Alejandro began again in the lecture hall, guarded by Camilo Torres, a woman who would later accompany me to the airplane in Bogota, whose name I know not. Alejandro came, settled in the company of the DAS officials Tell me what happened so far is how they treated me. He informed me that they were still trying to challenge the expulsion. Told me that now in El Tiempo that the strike of sugar plantation workers has been recognized as justified, and also that one of the plantation owners were detected relations with the paramilitaries. Furthermore, that an eight-year-old girl was "disappeared" in the demonstration. He has repeated as the night before on the phone that I should not be sad that they, the Colombians would continue to fight. Then he left, and minutes later I was in the office, my place in the interrogation, had submitted my expulsion statement to sign.
Señor Vasco was in a hurry. Without telling me where it should go, should I get into a car. I insisted on an explanation before I would enter. As it was said that the airport was the destination for me to fly to Bogota, I could still just so outraged that my clothes were still at Walter. Nozzle. I called Walter that he should bring me my backpack quickly to the airport. Then it started, Torres-driving, Vasco as a passenger and the woman next to me on the back seat. The three talked on the ride over minor matters, of incipient baldness in the male passengers in the car, and I hated it. At the airport in Palmira further waiting in the office of DAS. One of the men there dared to to tell me what beautiful eyes I had, and to smile at me all the time. Waiting for Walter with my backpack (I could not see Walter or my backpack, my companion DAS-checked the backpack immediately after Bogotá). A few phone conversations with Kris, Chello, Walter.
Camilo Torres and the aforementioned wife accompanied me on the flight to Bogota, Oscar Vasco went back to Cali.
has arrived in Bogotá passed me after some back and forth, and the phone on an official of the German Embassy but still to Kris and the others that with all my things were still in the Casa in Bogota and Ariadni for me in all the Ropes were wrapped, DAS-office waiting for me. Everything went quickly, I grabbed a hurry all my things, handed them out to luggage and hand luggage, while others, including the lawyer Jorge Molano, I got to know on the accompanying tour in the Sur de Bolívar already clarified, the other things that I do not have much mitbekam. My ticket, I for 14 October had bought to Lima to request from Peru once more a visa de Cooper Ante for Colombia was rebooked for now, all of a sudden I go, had to could sign two explanations for the Red de Hermandad and every hug (I hope they have my gratitude can feel for everything), and a few minutes later I was sitting alone in the aircraft. At the start I saw the last time the skyscrapers of Septima and could still marvel at once the width of the Ciudad Bolivar from all relativizing height.
Nineteen and a half hours took the Colombian state for me to make after 31 days stay for at least seven years out of the country.
compañeras and I thank all of the Red de Hermandad compañeros that have become so used to me, I got to know, for their help, support and solidarity at this time and wish them with all my heart and courage in the fight for their rights in a state that does not protect those rights, but in contrast disregarded and violated!
Granted, it sounds a bit skuril for a local, that may soon be the students and professors in the Waldeck-Frankenberg country stream. But that's what could happen soon if the ambitious project of the outgoing district administrator would be implemented. This had put the idea into play, "University Waldeck -Frankenberg to form ", which, with the BA engverwoben Northern Hesse and the woodworking school to be Bad Wildungen, a further enrichment in the local education landscape. 
