Back to reality
The severity of what is happening in this country seems to hit me, like most things in life, in waves. Even living here its easy to fall into a clinical depersonalised recognition of the horror as something you understand as terrible but that doesn't permeate your own bubble. Indeed, perhaps its necessary to continue sane living. This seems to be the method of survival for the majority, at least in cities where a combination of hard work or the desperate search for it and television occupy the mind and dull the violence with mental distance.
The last two weeks I've been submerged in somewhat of a routine, running in the mornings - a rather drastic change from my previous total lack of physical activity brought on by the aches and pains following my mountain trip, and continuous work on various projects, some translation, a video voiceover and more frustrating website fiddling. These last few days however the more disturbing reality has come back round to me.
I met a friend the other day that I hadn't seen in while. She's a intense combination of top of the class medical student and open air story teller. Story telling, as i think I've mentioned, is a popular tradition in Cali and while no doubt aided by the cities forgiving climate, it's perhaps more of a testament to the severity people's personal experiences. Cali is a city where diverse histories collide in an urban melting pot and the necessity to recount, to spread the word, to exercise the right communicate and assemble and to laugh or cry sharing stories with your neighbours relieves the pressure before boiling point.
My friend had piercing look in her eye that day, less sadness than the sombre determination of perseverance though riddled with of fear. Her uncle had been shot dead near to their home the week before by the perversely named Self Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), the paramilitaries. This was not a political assassination, the man was neither trade unionist, comunity leader nor politician, it was a simple courtesy killing, a favour for the elimination of business competition by a rival with connections in the AUC. The group is pervasive, and it's presence in the region and indeed all over the country is growing. In some cases units act as vigilante police forces "cleansing" neighbourhoods of petty criminals or suspected undesirables, in the north they are reportedly operating loan shark operations with non-payment on pain of death, more famously they are employed to protect corporate interests and debilitate trade unionism and social movements through the systematic assassination, kidnapping and threatening of trade unionists and social leaders. Their range of activities varies wildly, the impunity of their crimes remains constant.
Its not the first time my friend has lost a family member to the conflict. Ten years ago, her father, an equally gifted scientist, nationally renowned in his field of pharmacology was kidnapped by Carlos Escobar's infamous Medellin Cartel. He was kept in a secret laboratory somewhere in Antiochia where his pharmaceutical knowledge was put to work to improve the production of Cocaine. After just eight days he was released but the cartel was pleased with his work. He was given the chance to return home and think over their job offer. The family fled and moved to Jamundi, a town some twelve hours to the south of Medellin and just outside Cali. It took the cartel two years to find him, a matter of seconds to kill him.
Nearly everyone I meet has fallen victim by association to the violence in some way or another. As such things get personal and I feel rage build inside me for its apparent pointlessness and why people I feel for should have to be subjected to it. From the perspective of such personal emotions its easy to see how violence escalates driven by anger, dispair, vengeance. Things have been touching me quite personally recently. A few weeks ago the AUC made another written death threat against Pedro Galeano who I stayed with for a week in Bogota when I arrived here and who is one of the most gentle and accommodating individuals I've met in this country. On the 8th of september 1994 the colombian an army shot his daughter on the steps of the university in front of fellow students. Pedro and another colleague also a trade union human rights activist of the university of Tolima, Eduardo Camacho, were singled out by the AUC in Ibague and were forced into hiding in Bogota after receiving multiple written and telephonic death threats. They have been living there, away from their families for the last fifteen months.
On thursday the 27th May 2004 a written death threat arrived at the temporary residence of Eduardo Camacho in Bogota. As with the previous threats it purported to be from the AUC and singled out Eduardo and Pedro as primary targets whilst making clear that the group knew exactly where the two men live and work in the city. By way of fortification of the threat, on the 31st of May 2004 a letter arrived at the SINTRAUNICOL offices at the University of Tolima in Ibage. Also claiming to be from the AUC the letter reiterated the groups intentions to, in their words, "eliminate" Eduardo and Pedro, questioned and criticised the work of two union activists and again made clear their hiding places have been discovered. Neither are covered by the state protection programme for trade unionists and human rights defenders, though saying that, even this programme is under attack.
On tuesday night at 10:30pm Hugo Fernando Castillo Sanchez and his wife Diana Ximena Zuñiga were waiting in their car outside a dirvethru with their four year old son and five year old nice in the back. A grey Mazda 323X with blacked out windows pulled up and a man got out. He emptied an automatic weapon into the couple leaving the kids physically unharmed. Hugo Sanchez is a bodyguard assigned to the Home Office Special Protection Program for trade unionists and human rights defenders. He had been working for the program for the past three years and was one of the few trusted escorts assigned to The Trade Union of the Pacific Iron and Steel Company, SINTRAMETAL YUMBO.
This policy of extermination of bodyguards known and trusted by union leaders in the region occurs at the same time that high risk trade unionists have refused to accept unknown bodyguards assigned to them by the Security Administration Department (DAS). Many union leaders have preferred to go without security schemes provided by the government rather than accept bodyguards in whom they do not have total confidence. In the past 20 years 4000 Colombian trade unionists have been assassinated by state and quasi-state paramilitary organisations. Many more have been kidnapped tortured, beaten, threatened or forced into exile in their fight for the basic workers rights and affordable public service provision. Now this ongoing policy of violent repression is being extended to selected bodyguards of trade unionists and human rights defenders in an attempt to force them to accept state assigned escorts.
For the past five days I've accidentally managed to get the bus at exactly the time that the national anthem is played on the radio each day. My bus stops at the traffic lights and vendors selling sweets get on reciting a hymn of propaganda about their selected wares, jugglers and child acrobats busk in front of the shinny SUVs, their single occupants waiting impatiently, we pass the heavily guarded Third Brigade of the Army, a large military base on the Calle 5ta, moving on the walls of buildings bear a mix of adverts and graffiti: political slogans against the war, the United States and the Colombian Government. The anthem plays on. National pride is astonishingly powerful even amongst those most downtrodden by the state, it seems to permeate social class, race, political alignment, age. This common sentiment in a diverse people is, however, sadly incapable to unite.
Indeed, all sides loving their country want the same thing for it: peace. But what all sides do not want nor work for as is shown by State socio-economic policies and the mantle of impunity covering the crimes of paramilitaries is justice without which peace will never be achieved.
The last two weeks I've been submerged in somewhat of a routine, running in the mornings - a rather drastic change from my previous total lack of physical activity brought on by the aches and pains following my mountain trip, and continuous work on various projects, some translation, a video voiceover and more frustrating website fiddling. These last few days however the more disturbing reality has come back round to me.
I met a friend the other day that I hadn't seen in while. She's a intense combination of top of the class medical student and open air story teller. Story telling, as i think I've mentioned, is a popular tradition in Cali and while no doubt aided by the cities forgiving climate, it's perhaps more of a testament to the severity people's personal experiences. Cali is a city where diverse histories collide in an urban melting pot and the necessity to recount, to spread the word, to exercise the right communicate and assemble and to laugh or cry sharing stories with your neighbours relieves the pressure before boiling point.
My friend had piercing look in her eye that day, less sadness than the sombre determination of perseverance though riddled with of fear. Her uncle had been shot dead near to their home the week before by the perversely named Self Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), the paramilitaries. This was not a political assassination, the man was neither trade unionist, comunity leader nor politician, it was a simple courtesy killing, a favour for the elimination of business competition by a rival with connections in the AUC. The group is pervasive, and it's presence in the region and indeed all over the country is growing. In some cases units act as vigilante police forces "cleansing" neighbourhoods of petty criminals or suspected undesirables, in the north they are reportedly operating loan shark operations with non-payment on pain of death, more famously they are employed to protect corporate interests and debilitate trade unionism and social movements through the systematic assassination, kidnapping and threatening of trade unionists and social leaders. Their range of activities varies wildly, the impunity of their crimes remains constant.
Its not the first time my friend has lost a family member to the conflict. Ten years ago, her father, an equally gifted scientist, nationally renowned in his field of pharmacology was kidnapped by Carlos Escobar's infamous Medellin Cartel. He was kept in a secret laboratory somewhere in Antiochia where his pharmaceutical knowledge was put to work to improve the production of Cocaine. After just eight days he was released but the cartel was pleased with his work. He was given the chance to return home and think over their job offer. The family fled and moved to Jamundi, a town some twelve hours to the south of Medellin and just outside Cali. It took the cartel two years to find him, a matter of seconds to kill him.
Nearly everyone I meet has fallen victim by association to the violence in some way or another. As such things get personal and I feel rage build inside me for its apparent pointlessness and why people I feel for should have to be subjected to it. From the perspective of such personal emotions its easy to see how violence escalates driven by anger, dispair, vengeance. Things have been touching me quite personally recently. A few weeks ago the AUC made another written death threat against Pedro Galeano who I stayed with for a week in Bogota when I arrived here and who is one of the most gentle and accommodating individuals I've met in this country. On the 8th of september 1994 the colombian an army shot his daughter on the steps of the university in front of fellow students. Pedro and another colleague also a trade union human rights activist of the university of Tolima, Eduardo Camacho, were singled out by the AUC in Ibague and were forced into hiding in Bogota after receiving multiple written and telephonic death threats. They have been living there, away from their families for the last fifteen months.
On thursday the 27th May 2004 a written death threat arrived at the temporary residence of Eduardo Camacho in Bogota. As with the previous threats it purported to be from the AUC and singled out Eduardo and Pedro as primary targets whilst making clear that the group knew exactly where the two men live and work in the city. By way of fortification of the threat, on the 31st of May 2004 a letter arrived at the SINTRAUNICOL offices at the University of Tolima in Ibage. Also claiming to be from the AUC the letter reiterated the groups intentions to, in their words, "eliminate" Eduardo and Pedro, questioned and criticised the work of two union activists and again made clear their hiding places have been discovered. Neither are covered by the state protection programme for trade unionists and human rights defenders, though saying that, even this programme is under attack.
On tuesday night at 10:30pm Hugo Fernando Castillo Sanchez and his wife Diana Ximena Zuñiga were waiting in their car outside a dirvethru with their four year old son and five year old nice in the back. A grey Mazda 323X with blacked out windows pulled up and a man got out. He emptied an automatic weapon into the couple leaving the kids physically unharmed. Hugo Sanchez is a bodyguard assigned to the Home Office Special Protection Program for trade unionists and human rights defenders. He had been working for the program for the past three years and was one of the few trusted escorts assigned to The Trade Union of the Pacific Iron and Steel Company, SINTRAMETAL YUMBO.
This policy of extermination of bodyguards known and trusted by union leaders in the region occurs at the same time that high risk trade unionists have refused to accept unknown bodyguards assigned to them by the Security Administration Department (DAS). Many union leaders have preferred to go without security schemes provided by the government rather than accept bodyguards in whom they do not have total confidence. In the past 20 years 4000 Colombian trade unionists have been assassinated by state and quasi-state paramilitary organisations. Many more have been kidnapped tortured, beaten, threatened or forced into exile in their fight for the basic workers rights and affordable public service provision. Now this ongoing policy of violent repression is being extended to selected bodyguards of trade unionists and human rights defenders in an attempt to force them to accept state assigned escorts.
For the past five days I've accidentally managed to get the bus at exactly the time that the national anthem is played on the radio each day. My bus stops at the traffic lights and vendors selling sweets get on reciting a hymn of propaganda about their selected wares, jugglers and child acrobats busk in front of the shinny SUVs, their single occupants waiting impatiently, we pass the heavily guarded Third Brigade of the Army, a large military base on the Calle 5ta, moving on the walls of buildings bear a mix of adverts and graffiti: political slogans against the war, the United States and the Colombian Government. The anthem plays on. National pride is astonishingly powerful even amongst those most downtrodden by the state, it seems to permeate social class, race, political alignment, age. This common sentiment in a diverse people is, however, sadly incapable to unite.
Indeed, all sides loving their country want the same thing for it: peace. But what all sides do not want nor work for as is shown by State socio-economic policies and the mantle of impunity covering the crimes of paramilitaries is justice without which peace will never be achieved.
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