FOR- Programs - Colombia Update

Paramilitary demobilization heightens fears
By Chip Mitchell, Colombia Week

BOGOTA--President Alvaro Uribe Vélez's government on November 3 announced a six-week timetable for demobilizing 11 illegal armed groups in what has been billed as a major step toward disarming the country's estimated 20,000 paramilitary fighters. But the plan has heightened fears of violence in some paramilitary strongholds.

Some 3,000 members of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), the country's main paramilitary federation, are supposed to congregate at unspecified sites to disarm, according to the plan. The former fighters will be eligible to work for up to two years for monthly pay and transportation stipends totaling about $140, more than twice the nation's minimum wage but only half of what many of them have earned as paramilitaries. The jobs will include eradicating coca, the raw material for cocaine.

The government initiated talks with the AUC shortly after Uribe took office in 2002. The federation last year agreed to demobilize by the end of 2005. In July the parties began formal negotiations in Santa Fe de Ralito, a village in a 142-square-mile northwestern area where the government promised to protect paramilitaries from arrest for crimes including kidnapping, murder and massacre and from extradition to the United States on drug trafficking charges.

A November 3 presidential order lifted warrants for AUC commander Salvatore Mancuso Gómez and two of his lieutenants, Iván Roberto Duque Gaviria (also known as "Ernesto Báez") and Ever Veloza García (" Hernán Hernández"), allowing them to travel freely outside the haven to lead the demobilizations. Mancuso and Veloza left the haven November 5, the newsweekly Semana reported.

The largest unit planned for demobilization over the six weeks is the Catatumbo Bloc, a 1,600-member group commanded by Mancuso and named after a coca-growing region in Norte de Santander, a province bordering Venezuela. The Bogotá daily El Tiempo and the Security and Democracy Foundation, a research group based here in the capital, both reported last week that the plan has prompted hundreds of area residents to flee their homes.

One fear is that the demobilization will bring increased activity by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the nation's largest guerrilla group. On June 15, the FARC massacred 34 peasant coca pickers on a paramilitary ranch in the Catatumbo municipality of La Gabarra.

Another fear is paramilitary infighting. Besides the Catatumbo Bloc, at least two other paramilitary groups operate in the region. "It's unlikely they answer to a unified command," the foundation reported.

Chief government negotiator Luis Carlos Restrepo Ramírez, who visited the Catatumbo municipality of Tibú on November 6, denied the demobilization plan had prompted displacements. "Our understanding is that it's a typical migratory process," he said, quoted November 8 by the news agency Colprensa. "There's no cause for panic."

Tibú Mayor Bernardo Betancur, nevertheless, has asked the Army to bring in more troops to ward off guerrilla attacks during the demobilization, El Tiempo reported November 2.

Sen. Juan Manuel Corzo Román, a Conservative Party member from Cúcuta, the Norte de Santander capital, said the government hasn't prepared enough help for the paramilitaries to rejoin civil society. Recalling demobilizations of guerrilla groups in the 1980s and 1990s and two AUC units last year, Corzo told Colombia Week "bitter experiences" resulted from a lack of "specific programs--education, health care, housing and jobs--to provide an alternative to drug trafficking, war and violence."

Restrepo said the government was considering five sites for congregating the Catatumbo fighters. The 250 residents of one, the village of Campo Giles, are bracing themselves, the Cúcuta daily La Opinión reported November 8. After a visit by Restrepo last month, the residents formulated 23 requests, including appeals that any government investment benefit community members equally and that the demobilized fighters be barred from setting up businesses in the area. Village leaders sent Uribe a letter, dated October 31, saying they don't oppose the demobilization but worry they will face attacks from armed groups and disinterest from officials.

The government has promised legislation that encourages AUC leaders to disarm while punishing them for their crimes and providing reparations to their victims. Meeting November 4 with a Congressional delegation that traveled to Santa Fe de Ralito, Mancuso seemed to hint he'd be willing to go to jail. "We'll submit to what Congress believes," he said, quoted the next day by El Tiempo.

To sign up for Colombia Week, e-mail editors@colombiaweek.org with "SUBSCRIBE" in the subject line. You can also view archives at http://www.colombiaweek.org.

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Noah's Ark sails through Colombia's conflict-clogged river
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR )

QUIBDO, Colombia (UNHCR) - For the last eight years, life has been less than smooth sailing along the Atrato river. Boats plying this waterway in Choco province, north-western Colombia, have been caught in the crossfire of warring factions.

"Boats sailing the river are frequently inspected by members of the armed groups. They often take part or even all of the cargo," said Pastor Caicedo, who works for the Major Council of the Communities of the Middle Atrato (COCOMACIA).

Since 1996, armed groups have imposed an economic blockade on the Atrato river to prevent basic supplies from reaching their enemies. Passing boats are often accused of siding with one party or the other.

But as the river traffic slows to a trickle, it is the civilians who have suffered the most. In an area where the river is the only means of transport, the blockade has restricted the movement of people. They cannot sell what they produce or buy what they need, including food, medicine and basic products like fuel, sugar and salt. Essential services like health care and education have also been affected. Clogged by conflict, life on the Atrato is in danger of drying up.

One boat that has been able to navigate around the blockade is Noah's Ark, a 50-metre-long boat owned by COCOMACIA and sponsored by UNHCR and the Catholic Diocese of Quibdo.

"It is the only boat they don't shoot at," said one merchant about the Ark, which has served as a vital lifeline for the affected population since 2000. The boat has helped to keep alive many communities along the 500 km of river from Quibdo to Turbo in the heart of Colombia's "banana zone" - people who otherwise would very likely have to move elsewhere due to the lack of food and the most basic supplies.

The Ark recently resumed its humanitarian mission along the Atrato after a year of UNHCR-funded repairs in Quibdo. Sailing up the river in mid-October, the boat carried foodstuff and passengers from Quibdo to Bellavista, the sadly famous village in Bojaya municipality where a church explosion killed 119 people in May 2002.

According to the local church, more than 800 people were killed and more than 25,000 people were forced to flee their homes in the Choco region between 1996 and 2002.

Emphasising the neutrality of Noah's Ark, COCOMACIA's Caicedo said, "We only provide transportation to people who are recognised as members of the communities without any link to armed groups." He noted that supplies are only provided by the diocese-sponsored community stores.

All of the parties to the conflict acknowledge the boat's impartiality, allowing it to carry on its work unhindered.

"We are proud of our contribution to the Ark," said Roberto Meier, UNHCR's Representative in Colombia, who participated in the mid-October mission with representatives from UNHCR's donor countries and the European Union. "Helping to reopen the Atrato means helping to improve the situation for many who live at risk, and also bringing hope that is vital to these communities."

The Ark's comeback has encouraged other boats to go back to the Atrato in recent days. The humanitarian boat is currently sailing between Quibdo and Murindo, and undertaking shorter trips upon request from the communities.

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Human Rights Delegation to Colombia July 30 to August 13, 2005
As the Colombian civil war claims thousands of civilian victims each year and US policy in Colombia continues to focus on military aid, voices for peace in Colombia struggle to survive. Various human rights, religious, and grassroots organizations continue to strengthen the movement for peaceful and just solutions to the war and its underlying causes. Social actors ranging from women's networks, Peace Communities and indigenous communities, to youth street theater groups and churches, all play a part in the creation of solutions in Colombia.

This summer you can be part of the solution by joining the Fellowship of Reconciliation and Global Exchange as we host a human rights delegation to Colombia. Participants will visit various communities and organizations working for peace in order to learn from their movements and bring a message of hope back to the United States.

The cost per person for the delegation is $1300 which covers a double-room hotel ($200 extra for single room), guest house, or dormitory accommodations; two meals per day; transportation to and from all programmed activities; guides and translators; a qualified trip leader; all program activities; and reading materials. International airfare, lunches, airport departure taxes, tips, and personal expenses are not included.

We must receive your application and a non-refundable deposit of $200 two months before departure. A late fee of $50 will be applied to late applications. Payments by Mastercard or Visa are welcome.

This trip will be as diverse as possible in terms of race, age and life experiences. We strongly urge people of color to apply. Partial scholarships are available for low-income applicants. Also ask about our Fundraising Ideas packet.

Contact Global Exchange at 1-800-497-1994 with any questions about this trip.

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"Building from the Inside Out: Peace Initiatives in War-Torn Colombia"
Published by the Fellowship of Reconciliation and American Friends Service Committee

Building from the Inside Out is a vivid account of the diverse efforts by Colombian indigenous, women, youth, and peasants to forge a nonviolent path in the midst Colombia's political violence. Full of stories, testimony, photos and analysis, the report brings to English-speaking readers news from Colombia that even activists rarely receive, and is the product of an extensive investigation by FOR and AFSC. The report includes profiles of the Medellín Youth Network (Red Juvenil), Women's Peaceful Path, Indigenous Guards of Cauca, Peace Communities in the Urabá region, and the town of Mogotes, as well as an overview, sources for further information, and what people can do to support these initiatives.

36 pages.
You can order a copy for $5 (postpaid).
Distribute copies in your community for a bulk rate ($20 plus $5 for postage for ten copies; $30 plus $5 postage for twenty copies).

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2005 Colombia Volunteer Training
Want to work for peace in times of war? The Fellowship of Reconciliation seeks volunteers for its teams in Bogotá and the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, starting service in August 2005 and later. San José is one of many rural Colombian communities that have taken an extraordinary stand against war by refusing to support any armed group. The FOR has two small teams of volunteers who serve for at least one year. The San José team shares the lives of peasant farmers striving for a life in peace and dignity. The Bogotá team supports this and other Colombian peace efforts. FOR seeks committed and skilled volunteers ready to support these living examples of nonviolent resistance.

The next volunteer training will take place in Nyack, NY (18 miles north of NYC on the Hudson River) from March 6-11, 2005. Applications are due January 3rd, 2005. For more information and to apply contact us at:

Fellowship of Reconciliation, Tel (415) 495-6334, forcolombia@igc.org

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Letter from the Field: Support and Solidarity for the Campesinos of San José
By Brad Grabs

Last month, we sent you information about the caravan that took place on October 22 in the Peace Community. What follows is a personal account of the event written by Brad Grabs, one of the three FOR volunteers who accompanied the caravan.

Students greet caravan: "San José is also Apartadó"
Photo by FOR

Recently, threats by the illegal paramilitaries against the Peace Community have increased. A few weeks ago, the public jeep that makes several trips daily from the town of Apartadó into the Peace Community of San José was stopped by armed paramilitary men. All of the passengers were forced to get off the jeep, except the driver and a 27 year old woman named Yorbelis, who owned a small store in San José which sold food and a few other goods. The paramilitaries made the driver take a back road, beat him, and left him on the side of the road. They then drove the jeep on with Yorbelis still inside. A few hours later, her body was found in a nearby banana field. As a single mother, her three young kids became orphans that day--more casualties of this cruel war. The paramilitaries claimed that Yorbelis was supplying goods to the guerrilla. They have also threatened with death anyone bringing up goods from Apartadó in quantities greater than 80,000 pesos (about $32). That has created a blockade of goods coming into the Peace Community, especially for those who want to stock their small shops and sell to local folks.

According to Peace Community members, this is not the first time that the paramilitaries have enforced a blockade against the Peace Community, in an effort to destroy it. But this time, as supplies of basic foodstuffs and other goods dwindled in San José, the Peace Community took action. They organized a caravan of people to go as a large group from San José to Apartadó on foot and on mule. Over 100 campesinos from San José and its villages (including La Union) participated, including men, women, and children of all ages. They participated despite their fear of reprisals by the paramilitary. Our team of FOR was one of three international organizations which provided accompaniment of the group. I'll have to say that I was a bit nervous as well, as Apartadó is known as a haven of paramilitaries who have been ruthless in their tactics. The trip into town was long--3 hours of walking in the heat. But the spirit of the group was upbeat, as it seemed that the strength and solidarity of the large group had broken the campesinos' fear of going into town to buy food. As we entered Apartadó, people in town were very perplexed by this large group of campesinos, on mules and on foot, taking over the principal street. Traffic was coming to a halt. As we entered further into town, I could see up ahead what looked like a parade of kids right in our path. I thought it was some kind of special event, and was very concerned about what would happen if the group of campesinos was in the path of the kids. There really wasn't an alternative route. As we got closer, however, we could hear yelling and chanting by the school children, as hundreds of them lined the street and held up home-made banners saying things like " San José is Apartadó too," and "We are all one family," and "We support our brothers and sisters in San José." What an inspiration! At least four schools had organized a warm welcome of solidarity and support for the campesinos of San José. The initial fear of entering Apartadó was transformed into pride and strength by the presence of the kids and their messages of support.

We eventually made it all of the way to the bus terminal of Apartadó. The campesinos wanted that to be their final destination, as that is precisely the place where the paramilitaries usually congregate and threaten people. Although members of the paramilitary were seen near the terminal, they were virtually powerless in the face of such a large and committed group of campesinos. After arriving, we international accompaniers split up with small groups of campesinos as they went to buy food and other supplies. Within a couple of hours, the people had reassembled at the terminal. After people packed their purchases on their backs or on their mules, we were ready to make the long journey back home. I arrived exhausted yet exhilarated and inspired. The people of the Peace Community of San José had overcome the threats and intimidation by the paramilitaries through a simple act of resistance and solidarity. An organized group of dedicated people does have power. In this case, their power is greatly aided by the accompaniment presence of FOR and others who provide international attention to the situation. International accompaniment makes it much more difficult for armed groups to disrespect or abuse the campesinos. I feel very privileged to be a part that effort.

In the weeks following the caravan, people have been more willing to go into town on their own to buy food. Although some of the small shop owners in San José have still received threats, it seems that the crisis of the blockade has lessened. Once again, the Peace Community of San José has resisted the tactics of the armed groups that seek to turn their community into a battleground. Through their organized efforts of peaceful resistance and solidarity, and with the assistance of international support, they continue to build peace in the midst of war.

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Colombia CDs Review :

Redemption Songs and Resistance Grooves

By Michael Birenbaum

Music is both a profoundly powerful means of expression and a social activity that cements the bonds among individuals in a community. Amidst Colombia’s violence and social upheaval, expression and community are more important than ever. It should be no surprise that music has emerged from some of the most war-torn areas of Colombia, as communities in danger mourn their dead, celebrate their survival, lash out at those who betray them, and construct new ways to live in peace.

The small Andean town of Mogotes organized a Municipal Assembly that has defied both inefficient local bureaucrats and invading guerrillas to put forward initiatives of economic self-sufficiency, popular sovereignty, and the construction of a peaceful society in the midst of war. The town’s sense of itself is reflected in title of its CD Atrapando la esperanza – “Catching Hope.” The music it features is a tribute to the diversity of the Mogotes political process. The music of John Harold Dávila is passionate acoustic guitar music and subtle poetry in the nueva trova style of singers like Silvio Rodríguez. “Luces de la ciudad,” (“City Lights”) the gentle ballad (only one, unfortunately!) by Alejandro Gutiérrez, features musicianly arrangement and subtly-crafted lyrics. It shares a younger feel, more influenced by international pop, with the sincere and soulful songs written and performed by young Laura Serrano. The lyrics speak to the local reality of Mogotes and its struggles.

As inspirational as the lyrics are in all these songs, my favorites are those composed in the rhymed couplets typical of the local Andean bambucos and torbellinos, folkloric peasant songs played on stringed instruments in a driving rhythm. The pluck and ingenuity of a humble town that risked lives to negotiate for its kidnapped mayor’s release – only to impeach him for corruption soon after – is reflected in the dry wit and underdog spirit of lyrics like: “I ain’t well-read or studied in any school or subject, but I’ve got a postgraduate degree in experience, a doctorate in misery, a bachelor’s in poverty, and a master’s in malnutrition…you should see the officials jump when I tell them.” On another track, a young girl recites folksy poetry to the rustic background of an old-style bambuco: “Pulling up some yucca plant, a peasant farmer interjected, ‘If we don’t start working for peace, this thing is gonna get unpleasant.’”

The Afrocolombian community of Cacarica has faced both tragic displacement and triumphant return. The songs on its two CDs, A nuestros mártires (“To Our Martyrs”) and Oyeme Chocó: Melodías de esperanza (“Hear Me, Chocó: Melodies of Hope”), reflect this past and meditate in a variety of genres on their precarious present. A nuestros mártires includes Los Renacientes, talented and fiery young artists whose underground political hip hop uses staccato rap and crisply-arranged harmony singing to make angry but informed criticisms of the government that abandoned them. Grupo de Rap Infantil (Children’s Rap Group) are even younger, but their skills are impressive and their physical age is belied by what they have seen – their track “Los sin futuro” (“The [Children] without a Future”) is all the more powerful coming from them. Cacarica’s Grupo Vallenato plays accordion-driven vallenato music from Colombia’s nearby Caribbean coast. Their songs express the community’s love for its land to the tropical rhythmic cadence of the instruments. Oyeme Chocó features both Grupo Vallenato and Los Renacientes, but also a rare treat – the traditional Afro-Colombian music called chirimía. Hard to find even in Colombia, chirimía sets a lugubrious but deliciously swinging clarinet against scintillating percussion, producing a music with resonances of klezmer and New Orleans dixieland, but a feel all its own. Although it is an instrumental genre, the emotional weight of the chirimías recorded on Oyeme Chocó speak volumes about the profound roots of hard-suffering Afrocolombian communities like Cacarica.

Resiste, Vol. 1 is a musical resistance that encapsulates the buoyant energy of Colombia’s urban youth, here mobilized to claim the future they have been denied. Compiled by Medellín’s Red Juvenil (“Youth Network”) from the work of 30 talented and outspoken young bands, Resiste coalesces around the youth’s struggle against the national draft under the slogan: “No army defends peace.” This double CD features the cutting edge of Colombian urban music, from meditative reggae, to exuberantly raging punk and ska, to the sturm und drang of heavy metal and goth. Its irresistible grooves and ingeniously sarcastic lyrics make this CD a pumped-up soundtrack to resistance.

All of these CDs are worthwhile to purchase – and not only to contribute to some great causes! Despite a few spotty tracks (an enthusiastic but somewhat out-of-tune children’s chorus on the Mogotes CD, a few unfortunately cheesy-sounding beats for some of the hip hop), all of these works convey, even for non-Spanish-speakers, the tragedy and inspiration of communities in resistance.

Michael Birenbaum Quintero is a Ph.D. candidate in Ethnomusicology at New York University.

You can order the CD, “Atrapando,” for $15 postpaid from Joy Nelson, 3240 33 rd Ave. So, Minneapolis, MN 55406. Make checks payable to “Colombia Support Group, MN”.

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If you have any further questions about the FOR Colombia program, please contact us. Thank you very much for your ongoing support.

In Peace

Jutta Meier- Wiedenbach
Colombia Program Coordinator
________________________
Fellowship of Reconciliation
Task Force on Latin America and the Caribbean
2017 Mission St. #305 San Francisco, CA 94110
phone: (415) 495-6334, fax: (415) 495-5628
www.forusa.org