By RAUDEMAR OFUNSHI HERNÁNDEZ (President, Colombia Acuerdo de Paz NGO) and GIMENA SÁNCHEZ- GARZOLI (Director of the Andes, WOLA)
This article was originally published in La Nueva Prensa on November 28, 2024, and has been translated and edited by WOLA staff.
On November 22-26, Colombia Acuerdo de Paz NGO and WOLA participated in the historic U.S. Congressional visit led by African American Congressman Henry “Hank” Johnson to Cali, Buenaventura, and Bogotá. In his 19 years in Congress, Johnson has championed peace, human rights, and social justice in Colombia. Although he has taken multiple political actions supporting the civic strikes in Buenaventura and Chocó, this was his first trip to the country’s most important port. This visit took place amid considerable uncertainty about the future of U.S.-Colombia relations, particularly with the re-election of President Donald Trump and the nomination of Senator Marco Rubio as the next Secretary of State.
Here, we summarize six preliminary conclusions of the visit:
1. Afro-descendants have made progress, but structural racism persists.
Although Indigenous and Afro-Colombians have seen significant progress in the last decade, racial discrimination and structural racism persist. These challenges hinder the achievements of ethnic groups and the efforts of Vice President Francia Márquez Mina. Nowhere was this more evident than in the Llano Verde neighborhood of Cali, which since 1999 has hosted internally displaced Afro-descendants from different waves of violence. This neighborhood also hosts people recently displaced due to insecurity and violence from Chocó, Cauca, and Nariño. Young people, adolescents, and children suffer the most from dispossession, state abandonment, and societal rejection in Cali. Here, they are seen as disposable, and face negative racial stereotypes, as well as limited access to dignified jobs, social mobility, and constructive activities like sports and cultural programs. In this context, many are recruited by illegal groups, an issue that is further complicated by a growing addiction to illicit substances.
Meeting with multiple organizations from the AFRODES (Association of Displaced Afro-Colombians) platform and young women leaders working to help their communities was very encouraging. These individuals are instilling in the new generations a sense of identity and pride in their Black culture and traditions. As removal from the land leads to the loss of parents and wise figures who pass down the strength of their ancestors, this sense of identity becomes even more important given societal rejection and a sense of inferiority. This is why, despite scarce resources and the daily struggle for survival, the community has prioritized culture and identity. These powerful mothers and women leaders have understood that to defend themselves against a hostile and inhospitable world, they must first heal internally and strengthen their sense of Afro identity.
Photo Credit: Alex Bare
2. The damage and pain caused by the 2021 social uprising have not yet healed.
The relatives of victims of the various social uprisings who have organized under groups like Memoria Viva Colombia, the Popular Tribunal in Siloé, and the defenders of NOMADESC (Association for Social Research and Action), have reported an impunity rate of up to 98% for the abuses, killings, disappearances, and torture committed by security forces during the social protests of 2017, 2019, and 2021. Despite President Petro’s campaign promises, structural reforms to the police to address these abuses have not been implemented. Relatives of victims of police brutality continue to be re-victimized and many young frontline protestors have been unjustly prosecuted. Protests carried out by young people demanding greater economic, social and cultural opportunities (what kind of opportunities? Need to be more specific) resulted in 13 deaths in Cal and countless injuries, including many who lost their eyes. These opportunities have yet to materialize. Despite this harsh reality, Nomadesc and its legal team continue to fight for justice in many cases, and family members who have lost loved ones have formed a supportive community.
3. The extermination of the social and organizational fabric of the Nasa Indigenous Community in Cauca is critical.
The violence of illegal armed groups in Cauca has resulted in a large number of assassinations of Indigenous leaders, traditional knowledge keepers (Kiwe Thegnas and The Walas), and Indigenous guards. The entire social fabric of the Nasas is on the brink of extinction and ethnocide, through the assassinations of their leaders, the indigenous guard, and traditional and spiritual doctors, apart from the relentless recruitment of young people by the illegal armed groups. These groups do not respect international humanitarian law, Indigenous authorities and traditions, and they are devastating children with the consequences of war as well as attacking the heart of the Indigenous culture and identity to weaken the resistance. In this context, the Indigenous resistance requires significant political support at the national and international levels to counterbalance the illegal groups and their illicit economies. The National Movement of Mothers and Women for Peace is also working tirelessly, using creative methods to rescue their children. This effort requires not just condemnatory reports from members of the international community, but concrete actions to strengthen an intercultural guard that can act quickly against recruitment and create opportunities for young people. Here, too, culture and indigenous identity are the key to freeing young people from the war.
4. Veterans and ex-combatants reconciled among themselves and want to take this example to Colombian society.
In a meeting with some veterans of the Colombian armed forces, former FARC combatants, and victims, it became clear that no one wants to return to war, suffering, and violence. They want to do whatever is necessary- whether revealing the truth about events that occurred during the conflict or promoting alternative livelihoods – so that the next generations will not be drawn into conflict. It was particularly notable that most of those who spoke were Afro-descendants from humble backgrounds, living in economically disadvantaged regions with limited opportunities. These areas, often lacking viable alternatives, were where the Colombian army or illegal groups eventually established a presence. The state’s abandonment, apart from a lack of opportunities, inequality, and lack of access to land for farming and marketing crops were significant factors that drove involvement in the war. Eight years after the signing of the 2016 peace agreement, both groups remain convinced that the future of Colombia lies in peace, truth, and reconciliation and they are willingly fighting to convince others and the rest of society of this vision. It is important that they have also recognized the leadership of Congressman Hank Johnson and Ofunshi Raudemar Hernandez, whom they have honored with awards.
5. International trade does not benefit most residents of Buenaventura.
We visited the Puente Nayero Humanitarian Space, an example of how unity and nonviolent collective action can generate sanctuaries of protection for civilians. In this case, the leaders were able to expel illegal groups from a designated zone, keep them out, and dismantle an illegal operation site where assassinations and dismemberments were being carried out. This effort serves as a model to follow, even though its leaders continue to face death threats, attacks, and other forms of persecution. The Civic Strike Committee, the Palenque Congal, the District Mayor of Buenaventura, the District Council of Buenaventura, and the Ministry of Equality are aligned on the implementation of a plan to move Buenaventura forward and close the gaps that exist in access to clean water, healthcare, educational opportunities, and security. Those who should be on board, however, are not – specifically the private sector, the multinational corporations that benefit from Colombia’s resources, and the Colombian elites that benefit from Buenaventura’s commerce and capital. It is inconceivable that in such a vital port for the country, Afro-descendants continue to live in subhuman conditions, subjected to illegal armed groups fighting among themselves because they are excluded from the international economy. In this context, the U.S. and the other countries that benefit from the port are also complicit in this extreme situation.
6. A strong, cooperative relationship between the U.S. and Colombia is essential for both countries.
Peace and stability in Colombia are essential for Colombians and he entire region. A peaceful Colombia can dismantle illegal and criminal structures that profit from drug trafficking, environmentally destructive illegal mining, human trafficking, extortion, and the numerous human rights violations and humanitarian crises that these groups cause. For Colombia to integrate the 3 million Venezuelans and other migrants who may arrive, the country must be at peace. To improve economic investments, address the murder of social and environmental leaders, and defend biodiversity and the environment, peace is necessary. In order to achieve this, international cooperation, especially from the U.S., the country’s most significant donor and main ally, is a necessity.
Due to political polarization in both countries, the relationship between the U.S. and Colombia may experience some turbulence between national governments. Still, the relationship between the peoples, civil society organizations, and Afro-descendants of both countries and the region will persist. A change in the U.S. administration will not destroy such a close and interconnected relationship.
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Publish date : 2024-12-04 08:34:00
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