Colombian Pol Prisoner Hunger Striker Charges Paramilitary Terrorize La Tramacua

[Judi Lynn]

Colombian Pol Prisoner Hunger Striker Charges Paramilitary Terrorize La Tramacua
Sat 18 Sep 2010

Colombian Political Prisoner Enters 30th Day of
Hunger Strike in the Infamous Tramacua Penitentiary
by www.afgj.org

Today, Felix Rodrigo Sanabria completes one month of a hunger strike amid the squalid conditions of La Tramacua. La Tramacua is the first prison built under a US designed program to restructure Colombia's prison system and increase its capacity by 40 percent.

The Alliance for Global Justice has just received an urgent alert from our partners in Colombia, Traspaso Los Muros, saying Sanabria is in dangerously bad health, having lost over 28 pounds in a hunger strike that began under already harsh conditions. He has also received multiple death threats.

Sanabria has two demands:

1) That La Tramacúa's political prisoners be separated from the general population, where they are being preyed upon by paramilitary prisoner gangs that are armed by and allied with prison guards;

2) That he be transferred immediately to La Dorada Penitentiary in Ibague because of the numerous death threats he has received.

WHAT TO DO:

1) Copy and paste the following sample letter, or write your own, to US and Colombian authorities:

"I am writing to express my concern for the life of Felix Rodrigo Sanabria, a political prisoner engaged in a hunger strike against the inhumane conditions at La Tramacúa Prison in Valledupar, Colombia. Sanabria has been subjected to numerous death threats and abuse. I support his demands:

· that La Tramacúa's political prisoners be separated out from the general population where they are subject to attacks by paramilitary gangs;

· that Sanabria be moved to La Dorada Penitentiary in Ibague since his safety is compromised due to the many threats against his life at La Tramacúa."

La Tramacúa was designed and funded by USAID and the US Bureau of Prisons. Beatings and torture are common, meals have been documented to be rotten and contain fecal contaminants, and prisoners are allowed access to running water only 10 minutes a day on average.

I ask that you use your influence to see that these demands are met and that conditions are improved at La Tramacúa."

We are asking you to send this email to your Representative and Senators and to relevant Colombian officials.

More:
http://www.pacificfreepress.com/news/1/6976-colombian-pol-prisoner-hunger-striker-charges-paramilitary-terrorize-la-tramacua.html