Arbitrary Recruitment by Army Continues in Medellín…
And young men keep carrying guns… because the army forces us…

In the city of Medellín, the so-called ‘searches’ by the army continue in public areas. The army argues that this is a legal act, following orders given by the president. The events occurred beginning February 16, and today – February 20 – again a group of soldiers from the Girardot Batallion of Villa Hermosa are conducting operations in the area around Berrio Park, San Antonio Park and Playa Avenue, illegally detaining young men who don’t have a military registry card.

In response to these searches, the members of the Medellín Youth Network have organized immediate action groups, where we have monitored these operations and argued the illegality of them to their commanders.

In the operation at Berrio Park today, when [soldiers] were preparing to move young men who didn’t want to do military service into the cage, some members of the organization stood in front of the truck, and in just that moment a policeman of unknown rank arrived, last name Lopez M., demanding their identification. The truck with about 20 youth moved and while they explained that this was against the law, the same policeman López M. responded that they would clear the area. The youth, exercising their full right to be in a public space remained in front of the truck, while the policeman argued that they were making a scandal. They simply informed people of the illegalities the soldiers were committing, but given the circumstances of repression in our country, active criticism any abuses by the state forces is prohibited.

The Youth Network continues to insist on the illegality of these detentions. It is known that the army makes massive calls [convocatorias], so-called recruitment days, and only in exceptions do they do these operations. But that is not what has happened. Instead there are acts of intimidation and abuse by the authorities.

We realize as an anti-militarist organization that the conditions for a young man in this country are the best for being recruited by any armed group. For example, the ignorance of their rights as autonomous beings, the denial of the right to decide without pressure what they want to do in a society without opportunities.

We insist on the legitimate right we have as youth to conscientiously object to participation in the Colombian army and be forced to carry a gun and a uniform, to kill others and of course to be the target of others.

Today we again record our indignation and call on social organizations to speak out, investigate these acts, and demand respect for the autonomy of youth to make their own decisions.

We are the Medellin Youth Network
February 20, 2006