CPTnet
6 June 2009
COLOMBIA:  Military presence near Fourth Humanitarian Action presents dilemma for campesinos

by Stewart Vriesinga

Under the leadership of the campesino organization CAHUCOPANA (Corporation for Coexistence and Peace in Northeast Antioquia) campesinos held their fourth Humanitarian Action to highlight the human rights situation in Northeast Antioquia during 15-19 May 2009 in Nuevo Puerto Eté.  CPT agreed to provide international accompaniment.  Members of Peace Brigades International and the International Peace Observatory were also present for much of the event, attended by busloads of people from Bogotá, Medellín, Bucaramanga, Barrancabermeja, and hundreds of campesinos from a large section of northeast Antioquia.

Many of the outsiders in attendance were professionals who held workshops on gender relations, reconstructing historical memory, human rights, organic farming, analysis of the Doctrine of National Security, the threat to the campesinos’ territorial rights by multinational corporations and mega projects, etc.  The United Nations High Commission for Human Rights, the National Ombudsman’s office and the Vice President’s office of Human Rights spent a day documenting human rights abuses.  There were activities for the children, vaccinations, and a daylong clinic set up by the International Red Cross.  Organizers provided meals, and music, dance, poetry, and other cultural activities enlivened the conference.

In the previous 2006 Humanitarian Action the military was present during the entire event.  When people participating in the fourth Humanitarian Action spotted troops from the Calibío Division of the 14th Brigade just across the river, organizers of the event sent CPTers Chris Knestrick and Stewart Vriesinga to ask them to keep their distance and respect the participants’ rights to freedom of assembly and expression.  Delcy Ruiz of the Vice President’s Office on Human Rights came with the two CPTers and insisted that Sergeant Alfonzo Cualla and his troops not cross the river unless they had explicit orders to do so.  (Calibío troops are under investigation for several “false positives” in the area, i.e., for extrajudicially assassinating civilians and later presenting them as guerrillas killed in combat.)

As the national and international participants prepared to leave at the close of the five-day event, community members approached the CPTers and told them that they had heard rumours suggesting that Aguilas Negras (Black Eagles) paramilitaries would invade the community as soon as everyone left.  Because the area is devoid of public services, including civilian police, ironically the only state security that could protect them from paramilitary violence were the Calibío’s own troops.  Previous experiences indicated that Calibío’s presence in the area is almost as threatening as paramilitary presence.

The campesinos thus must live with a dilemma:  their low national and international profile allows legal and illegal armed groups to continue killing them with impunity.  On the other hand, raising their profile by holding Humanitarian Actions may also get them killed.  So far, their increased visibility has not stopped armed actors from committing atrocities against them.