Colombia: 'Peace is still far away from here'
Colombia: 'Peace is still far away from here'
26 December 2013
Peace is still far away from our community,” says Jesús Emilio Tuberquia, with his calm, deep peasant farmer’s voice, staring intensely as he speaks. Jesús Emilio is one of the leaders of San José de Apartadó Peace Community, in Apartadó municipality, in the northern Colombian department of Antioquia.
A group of over 1,500 peasants came together 17 years ago to set up this community.
“We told the paramilitaries, the guerilla and the army: ‘We don’t want to take part in this. We don’t want to get involved with any of you. We don’t want either to kill or to be killed’.”
Unfortunately, their demands were not heard. All the parties to the Colombian conflict have been deaf to the peace community’s plea. Since its foundation, more than 200 of the community’s members have been killed or forcibly disappeared.
These severe human rights violations have been committed mainly by paramilitaries often operating in collusion with the security forces. The community has been also targeted by the guerrilla forces and the Colombia army. It is an ongoing pattern.
More:
http://www.amnesty.org/en/news/colombia-peace-still-far-away-here-2013-12-23