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A happier email about Colombia this time :)
On Thursday we arrived in a town called Barracabermeja. It's been under the control of the paramilitaries since 2000. We spent most of our days in Barranca visiting the houses of the women's organisation (Organication Feminine Popular). The OFP run food kitchens for the poor as well as training courses for women and make doctors and psychological services available. They also run dance classes for kids so that they can learn everything from traditional dancing to break dancing.
The paramilitaries had other ideas and threatened to kill the women and their children unless they handed over the keys to their centres. The women refused which was an incredibly brave act. I met one woman whose 18 year old son was killed in the conflict. Her 8 year old son was then approached by the paramilitaries and asked to work for them - he refused so they shot him. Another woman had her son shot and while mourning at his funeral the paramilitaries arrived and shot her other son. The women also told us of how one of their dance instructors was taken out and shot.
While I was in the city a further 5 young people were killed by the paramilitaries. One of the workers in her early twenties was kidnapped by the paramilitaries and taken to the outskirts of the city where they poured boiling water on her feet. They told her that if she continues her work they'd kill her. To this day she still works for the OFP.
So I said this would be a happier email? Well this is why because despite the ongoing intimidation, threats, murder and disappearances the women have managed to keep their centres open. In another instance in the North East of the city the paramilitaries demolished their building over night - even taking away the rubble. The women responded by organising a brick march - they collected one brick from every house in the community and rebuilt their centre, except this time it was a larger building.
On Friday I visited a town called San Pablo travelling by speedboat up river for a couple of hours. While the town still has a paramilitary presence (they kept a close eye on us while there) the local people have twice led up risings against them. The last time the paramilitaries launched a series of killings the locals responded by burning down the houses of the paramilitaries. In a climate of fear and intimidation it is great to see many of the people continuing to struggle for their rights and freedoms.
At the moment I'm in Arauca - a heavily militarised zone. Today we met an indigenous leader (Indian chief basically) who told us about how the army evicted his people from the land because they were in the way of an oil pipeline ( not too different from the farmers I met in Mayo a few weeks ago who have just been jailed in opposition to a Shell pipeline). 2 children were drowned during the forced eviction of the indigenous. A further 3 U.S. citizens who were helping the locals were executed by FARC. The indigenous leader then led us to their sacred lands (he was a really cool guy, long hair, talked about mother earth and sat around chewing on Coca leaves, which cocaine is made from).
Tomorrow I go to a town called Tame where 860 people have been murdered since 2002. Between all the tales of suffering at the hands of the army, paramilitaries and multinationals I'm getting to meet some lovely Colombian people. On Sunday I had the pleasure of dancing with a Coke worker's wife and his daughter Lara, On Saturday I went swimming in the Oil workers' compound in Barranca and went for beers with the local Coke workers and last night I was treated to traditional dance by the local kids in Arauca. It's a different kinda way to spend my 2 weeks holidays.
All the best,
Cian
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