(25 Oct 1997) Spanish/Nat
Less than 24 hours before nationwide municipal elections in Colombia, residents of an isolated town say they will not vote, for fear of retaliation from leftist rebels.
All candidates for mayor, town council and seven election officials in the town Cabrera have resigned under guerrilla threats.
Rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia say anyone who shows up to vote on Sunday will be considered a military target.
This is the Colombian town of Cabrera – 150 kilometres (90 miles) south of the capital, Bogota.
Almost no one is expected to venture into this isolated town and vote in Sunday’s nationwide municipal elections.
With leftist rebels posing their most serious threat to Colombian democracy in more than 30 years of insurgency, all seven election officials have resigned.
And all candidates for mayor and town council resigned under rebel death threat.
The four-and-a-half-thousand residents could still vote for governor and state assembly.
But that would mean defying the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – the FARC.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
‘They will allegedly keep an eye to make sure no one is mobilised for the elections. In general I think absolutely no one from the rural areas will move. And those driving public transport vehicles will risk their cars to move people. So I really think there will be no elections in Cabrera.’
SUPER CAPTION: Josue Cruz, Mayor of Cabrera
About 60 soldiers patrol the town, but they’re due to pull out next week.
The hills where Cabrera’s farming population lives are controlled by fighters from FARC.
Colombia’s largest and oldest rebel group has ordered the locals to stay off the roads through Monday.
By law, the town must hold municipal elections in spite of the guerrilla threat.
But the rebels say election officials and bus drivers will be considered military targets if they show up on Sunday.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
‘I was shown a pamphlet where they (guerrillas) said they will not allow the elections to take place, that they would sabotage them and that whoever showed up to carry out his duties will be risking their lives.’
SUPER CAPTION: Euvidio Valencia Maturana, election official
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
‘There’s a communique by the FARC in which they say that everyone who collaborates in the elections will be a military target.’
SUPER CAPTION: Ever Mora Cifuentes, election official
Over the last few months at least 53 candidates have been killed and more than two-thousand withdrew after receiving death threats or being kidnapped by rebels.
Most of Cabrera’s residents will not venture outside on Sunday.
Still there are some who are willing to defy the guerrillas.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
‘I will vote on Sunday. (off camera: Why are you voting on Sunday?)… Because I believe in democracy (off camera: You’re not afraid?)… No, I’m not, because I’ve lived here for 18 years and this is the first time this happens.’
SUPER CAPTION: Pedro Nieto, voter
On August 20, FARC rebels stormed Cabrera attacking the police station, the town hall and two banks.
Ever since – until this week – there’s been only a sporadic military presence in town.
Cabrera is just one of dozens of towns throughout Colombia facing the guerrilla threat.
The government has put 200-thousand troops on alert for what it calls "Operation Democracy" and voting is expected to proceed normally in nearly all major cities.
However, many claim that about 40 percent of the country is now outside government control.
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