Displacement in Colombia

by Theo Sitther

On a visit to Colombia last year I participated in an event called Un Momento por la Paz (A Moment for Peace). This is a weekly event that takes place at the Teusaquillo Mennonite Church in Bogotá, during which members of the church and community are invited to a time of reflection, healing and fellowship. I sat in a circle and listened to stories of war and trauma.

One woman sat next to her fifteen-year-old daughter and explained that they are not native to Bogotá but recently arrived here due to threats and abuses. Her daughter, with tear-filled eyes, continued to tell the story of how she was raped by a paramilitary gang and is now pregnant as a result. They were threatened with more abuses if they did not leave.

A country notorious for its human rights violations, Colombia is home to more than 3.8 million internally displaced people, second only to Sudan. Colombia is engaged in a civil war that has lasted for over four decades.

A September 2006 report by the Latin AmericaWorking Group Education Fund (LAWGEF) states that, “an estimated 3.6 million people were displaced by political violence between 1985 and September 2005, 2.9 million in the last decade alone. The crisis continues: the number of people fleeing their homes from political violence increased 8 percent from 2004 to 2005, estimated at more than 310,000 people displaced in 2005.”

Vast populations of people have lost their lands and are longing to go back. However, much of the land is now in the possession of armed groups. Forced displacement continues today as a tactic to take land from communities to be used for illicit purposes.

The LAWGEF report goes on to state, “paramilitary groups would round up and kill local leaders, causing rural families to flee in terror, and then use the land they abandoned to consolidate their local power, finance their operations, protect drug production and trafficking, and launder drug profits.” Colombia is the world’s biggest producer of cocaine, which largely funds the illegal armed groups (the paramilitaries and the guerillas).

Peace in Colombia must involve justice for the displaced. In 2005 the Colombian government began a paramilitary demobilization process, which resulted in 30,000 paramilitary troops demobilizing. However, the issue of displacement and return of land was not addressed. Millions remain away from their homes and many more continue to suffer displacement, while many of the demobilized troops have rearmed.

In the new year, continue to pray for Colombian sisters and brothers and take action on their behalf. Participate in the 2008 Days of Prayer and Action for Peace in Colombia on April 27 & 28 and call for justice.