By Gabriel Aguirre, World BEYOND War, September 4, 2023
@worldbeyondwar #NoMásExpodefensa en Bogotá, organizaciones contra la guerra y el militarismo, organizaron una jornada para rechazar la realización de la segunda feria de armas mas grande de América Latina, que se realizará del 5 al 7 de Diciembre en Bogota-Colombia. Esta acción se realizó en el puente Diego Felipe Becerra, en homenaje al asesinato de esta joven de 16 años, por parte de la policia, utilizando las mismas armas que se comercian en esta feria. #NoMásExpodefensa ♬ Vibes – ZHRMusic
On Sunday, September 3, in the city of Bogotá, various conscientious objector, antimilitarist, and peace organizations joined in a day of action to reject the Expodefensa 2023, which is the arms fair that takes place in Bogotá every 2 years, and which is the second largest in Latin America.
The activity was carried out on the bridge of Boyacá Avenue and 116th street which bears the name of Diego Felipe Becerra , in homage to this young man who was assassinated on August 19, 2011, while painting a graffiti. He was surprised by the police, and the frightened young man ran away and was shot in the back. The Colombian state has assumed its responsibility and has apologized for this fact.
The meaning of this action is precisely to ask that weapons not continue to be sold that only bring more violence, deepen the confrontation, maintain and extend the war; for this reason World BEYOND War asks that this arms fair not be held. In addition, a letter has been sent to the Colombian government, which you can sign here, asking it to suspend the holding of this event this year.
5 Responses
Weapons and war making profiteers, I do not call them defense contractors any more after reading David Swanson guide to war infiltrating our words. When weapons are the product, war mongering, fostering world conflict, is the marketing plan. We must stop war industry profiteers from preventing humans from living in peace.
If we stopped making and selling weapons we would rise to the challenge of living together in peace and settling differences in a non-violent way.
Stop making money from bloodshed.
Eisenhower warned of the military/industrial complex. And now that is a driving force in the USA.
These war mongering companies financially support and own governments. Governments will never stop these weapon fairs