"I am really not sure how we survive"

Speakers during the videoconference, from left o right: Geraldine Balanta, Enrique Ortíz, María Eugenia Mosquera

“In Buenaventura, you have all the legal and illegal armed forces, which means state forces, illegal paramilitary squads like the “Black Eagles” or “Rastrojos”, as well as the FARC guerrilla. But tho one who really suffers under these circumstances is the civil population,” affirms Maria Eugenia Mosquera, member of the Inter-Ecclesial Commission for Justice and Peace (CIJyP). CIJyP accompanies Buenaventura´s youth organization JUBCA (Young People United for the Benefit of Calima) in their efforts to claim their rights; both are partner organizations of Civis. According to CIJyP, there were 32 massacres over the past five years and an average of 500 assassinations per year.

CIJyP denounces the state authorities for not being a more positive influence in Buenaventura. “When we were forcibly displaced by paramilitary groups, on the 4th August this year, Acción Social [the governmental body that serves the forcibly displaced] in Buenaventura told us that nothing has happened. They basically recommended that we return to our territory in the Bajo Calima region,” says Enrique Ortiz, vice governor of the displaced Nonam indigenous community, he is also connected to CIJyP. “Our kids, in particular, suffer malnutrition and diseases because we currently live under such precarious conditions in Buenaventura City," he continued.

Geraldine Balanta from JUBCA confirms the danger: "In the Bajo Calima region, we have received several death threats from paramilitary squads,” she points out. They even have a “death list” with the names of specific people who will be murdered. Paramilitaries have informed JUBCA´s youth members not to speak out and to stop participating in CIJyP’s Human Rights education activities, as well as its legal and judicial processes. “But nevertheless, our aim will always be resistance; as JUBCA, we don´t want to participate in this war. Nor to leave our territory.”

The three speakers agree that the armed actors’ war strategies have changed over the past couple of years. Instead of multiple massacres, illegal groups have begun the forced disappearances of individuals, students, community leaders and human rights defenders. “They want our territory, which has immense natural resources. At the same time, our land is an important drug-trafficking corridor. And obviously, if we don’t live on our land any longer, they can do what they want without any interference,” explains Geraldine.

Civis began its lobbying activities in the past couple of weeks, together with other international organizations and agencies, to draw attention to human rights violations here. Activities include meetings with the United Nations, embassies and state authorities, in order to bring to light the issues.

According to press reports, violations have increased, especially during the transition between the administrations of Presidents Uribe and Santos, the latter began on 7th August.

The well-known human rights organization José Alvear Restrepo, for example, learned in recent days that an attack, which would require military intelligence, was being prepared on the life of one of its lawyers. At the same time, David Ravelo Crespo, human rights defender at the Regional Corporation for the Defence of Human Rights (CREDHOS) in Barrancabermeja, was detained by Colombian authorities. The arrest was based on the testimonies of demobilised paramilitaries, who alleged he was involved in planning the killing of a political leader.

Furthermore, members of the grassroots youth organization Quinto Mandamiento, which partners Civis over Conscientious Objection in Barrancabermeja, received death threats and an ultimatum to leave the city.

Human rights organizations denounce that historically, more than 90% of human rights abuse cases are not fully investigated nor prosecuted. The lack of prosecutions of the perpetrators means that they are free to continue to commit more abuses, and fundamental rights’ advocates remain at high risk of harm.