CPTnet
12 October 2007
COLOMBIA DELEGATION BLOG: Targeting those who turn in their weapons
[Note the following blog entry was written by a member of the fall 2007 CPT
delegation to Colombia. People wishing to read more may access the blog at
http://cptcolombia2007.blogspot.com/2007/10/30-september-2007.html]
Bogotá September 30, 2007
Yesterday, September 29, we were supposed to meet with a young man who was
demobilized from one of the armed guerrilla groups here in Colombia called
the FARC. He had turned in his weapons, left his life of violence, and
committed himself to re-enter civil society. He moved to a small farm
outside of Bogotá with his wife and child where they felt relatively safe.
But some members of the paramilitaries, who had infiltrated part of the
government and obtained information about demobilized persons, identified
him as an ex-FARC member and said that if he wanted to stay on the farm, he
would have to work for them. So he and his wife fled the farm one night to
come back to Bogotá, leaving their 13-year-old son behind with an old
neighbor couple, as they did not have enough money to bring them with him.
This was two weeks ago. Now it is hard to say where the young man is. He
has been missing for four days. One week ago, our contact spoke with him
and his wife and they said they were very concerned for their safety. And
now their fears have come true. He is gone and it is hard to say, or even
guess, as to his whereabouts. Yesterday our contact went to where the wife
was staying to bring her some food, and she did not show up either. The
paramilitary mentality is often that once a guerrilla, always a guerrilla,
even after demobilization. So, demobilized persons are targeted and
terrorized, even though they are trying to turn to lives of nonviolence.
All our contact and we can do is wait to hear some news, some bit of
information. Wait and hope.
In the process of looking for peace here in Colombia, the government has
given the option for those bearing arms to lay them down and reincorporate
them into civil society. But, laws concerning demobilization unfairly favor
rightist paramilitary groups, often ignoring those in leftist guerrilla
groups who lay down their weapons. Paramilitaries who demobilize are
promised housing, health benefits, food, education, and technical training
to prepare them for a civilian job. Sometimes, the land that is given is
land that those paramilitaries had stolen or received through forced
displacement of campesinos. And the biggest thing is that they receive
immunity and can only get a jail sentence of up to eight years no matter how
grievous their past crimes have been!
Yet at times their demobilization is just a front and they go on terrorizing
and killing. Plus, some leaders of the paramilitaries are drug lords who
have bought their position in the paramilitary forces to gain the benefits
of demobilization, especially immunity. The drug lords have been involved
in grave crimes that may have involved many death sentences had they been
prosecuted and often they would have been extradited to the U.S. But with
the immunity, they go unpunished.
Needless to say, it was quite a heavy morning.
_______________
To stop receiving messages from CPTNET on MennoLink, do NOT hit reply. Send
a message with only the word, "suspend," in the body to
server@MennoLink.org.
Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) seeks to enlist the whole church in
organized, nonviolent alternatives to war and places teams of trained
peacemakers in regions of lethal conflict. Originally a violence-reduction
initiative of the historic peace churches (Mennonite, Church of the Brethren
and Quaker), CPT now enjoys support and membership from a wide range of
Christian denominations.
To ask questions or express concerns, criticisms and affirmations send
messages to peacemakers@cpt.org.
To receive news or discussion of CPT issues by e-mail, fill out the form
found on our WEB page at http://www.cpt.org/subscribe.php
Donate to CPT on-line with your credit card! Go to
http://cpt.org/donate.php and click the DONATE button to make a
contribution through Network for Good, a secure way to help support CPT.
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Nov 01 2007 - 09:00:53 EDT