CPTnet March 9, 2004 COLOMBIA: CPT Delegation meets with river communities

"We are caught in the middle... We do not want to have anything to do with
this war ...Our children do not understand why these (killings) are
happening...We do not want any armed group (guerillas, paramilitaries, and
others) threatening us ...We are all scared. We have the same feelings as
people in other countries . . .We desire your solidarity in accompanying us,
which increases our safety, as we struggle to live in a land of violence..."

These reflections are from men and woman of the Ñeques and Florida
communities located on the Opón River, a few hours north of the oil
refining city of Barrancabermeja, Colombia. The permanent Christian
Peacemaker Team stationed in Barrancabermeja and a visiting CPT delegation
from North America hosted a March 3 gathering where these people spoke the
messages that they wanted people in North America to hear. The gathering was
also an opportunity for the two communities to catch up on local news and to
share common interests.

The participants all arrived in large, community owned, motor-propelled
canoes. The women of the communities began preparing a traditional soup,
called "zancocho", in a huge pot over an open fire. CPTers, along with
community members and their children, made banners at the site of an attack.
In December a barge, loaded with gasoline stolen by the paramilitary gas
cartel, sank, polluting the water. Then guerrilla forces killed four men who
tried to retrieve the barge. One banner addressed the fear these events had
generated: "The spirit of the people cannot be contaminated or killed."

Many children added to the festive spirit as the day unfolded. The
flavorful zancocho was served mid- afternoon. Afterwards the communities
gathered together with CPTers to hang the banners along the riverbank above
the barge, and to share songs, reflections, and prayers. All needed to be
home by 6:00 PM because the armed groups do not allow any travel on the
river after dark.

Continuing in CPT's spirit of "Getting In The Way",
the delegation left the area of the sunken barge and floated down the Opón
River that evening in a symbolic effort to take back the river from the
armed groups.The delegation lit candles on their canoe and sang songs to
announce their presence to the houses they passed by. Many people along the
way shouted words of encouragement and waved their flashlights.

One woman told the delegation the next day, "Usually we are afraid when we
hear noises on the river at night. But it was a comfort to hear your
singing and see your candles glowing in the darkness."

Members of CPT's Febuary 24-March 8 Colombia delegation were Lisa Brightup
(Wichita, KS), Mike Brown (Washington, DC), Jenny Dillon (Washington, DC),
Dorey Riegel (Boulder, CO), and Kitty Ufford Chase (Tucson, AZ.)