CPTnet
March 19, 2004

COLOMBIA UPDATE: February 2004

The month of February was filled with exciting and generally hopeful events
for the rural communities in the Middle Magdalena region of Colombia. La
Florida and Los Ñeques continue to enjoy increased levels of attention
from outside organizations as they take tentative new steps to ensure their
own security. A local Baptist church from Barrancabermeja made their second
pastoral visit to the area and a representative of a government human rights
organization who visited in December returned for a follow up visit in
February. CPT also hosted a delegation of internationals from the United
States to help spread the word about the experiences of the people of this
part of Colombia. As they move forward in their unprecedented quest,
members of these rural communities are dealing with an increased presence of
and pressures from paramilitaries and guerrillas. CPT's Colombia team
continues to watch, pray, and lend whatever support necessary as these
communities find their own way to a safer, brighter future.

February 5
The team presented a general analysis of the current situation in the
Cienaga del Opón to various human rights organizations in the
Barrancabermeja. This document outlines CPT's work in this area and the
history of the project as well as providing analysis of how the team sees
the various armed groups interacting with each other and with the civilian
population. This document is available in English and Spanish to interested
parties upon request.

February 7
CPTers accompanied the pastor of a local Baptist church and several members
of the congregation on a pastoral visit to the communities on the Opón
River. They brought school kits for the children and bibles for the adults.
The visitors got a taste of what daily life in the communities is like when
the visit was interrupted first by reports of gunfire nearby and later on by
a visit by three guerrillas. The gunfire turned out to be the result of
paramilitaries in the area shooting off several rounds of bullets into the
riverbank to announce their presence. The guerrillas were suspicious of the
evangelical visitors. (They killed the last evangelical pastor who made
visits to the area, accusing him of having ties to the paramilitaries.)

February 8
CPTers were accompanied on one of their regular outings to the Opón by a
representative of the government's human rights ombudsman's office in
Barranca. In an informal visit to follow up on the barge incident of
December (see December 31, 2003 release, "The cruelest month"), the
representative stayed with the team for a three day and two night river trip
as part of a new effort to lend extra support to the communities.

February 23-29
 CPTers accompanied a humanitarian caravan to northeastern Antioquia where a
military blockade limits the amount of food and supplies civilians can bring
to their homes. The caravan included nearly a hundred individuals
representing over twenty non governmental organizations. Nurses, a dentist,
psychologists, social workers, trauma therapists and musicians as well as
human rights and church workers participated.

February 28- March 6
 A delegation from the United States visited the team in Barranca and the
rural communities on the Opón river. They prepared a public witness action
at the site of one of the violent attacks during the month of December, and,
along with community members, created and hung banners with passages from
the Bible and messages such as "The Children want Peace." The delegation
shared prayers and a traditional meal with community members. In the
evening, they kept vigil on the water floating in a candle-lit CPT canoe
past simple thatch-roofed houses. Delegation members played flute and sang
a cappella from their canoes.