{"id":11107,"date":"2022-06-24T13:20:43","date_gmt":"2022-06-24T20:20:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/?p=11107"},"modified":"2022-07-05T12:23:33","modified_gmt":"2022-07-05T19:23:33","slug":"portraits-of-resistance-and-life-in-rural-colombian-caribbean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/portraits-of-resistance-and-life-in-rural-colombian-caribbean\/","title":{"rendered":"Portraits of resistance and life in the rural Caribbean region of Colombia"},"content":{"rendered":"

Text and photos by Manuel Ortiz Esc\u00e1mez, with information from Duv\u00e1n Caro
Footer<\/a> \u2013 Peninsula 360 Press<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mayelis Angarita Robles has been the target of three assassination attempts due to her work as a leader defending human rights and the territory in Montes de Mar\u00eda, in the Colombian Caribbean.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Montes de Mar\u00eda subregion, which we toured for two days with Angarita (on June 18 and 19), is a mountainous corridor between the departments of Sucre and Bol\u00edvar, bordered to the east by the Magdalena River and to the west by the Gulf of Morrosquillo, in the Caribbean Sea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The area is a majestic habitat defended by community leaders who, despite death threats, attacks and enormous material limitations, work tirelessly to improve the difficult living conditions of the Afro-peasant and indigenous peoples of the area, who are a breeding ground for internationally recognized singers, top-level artisans and extraordinary musicians. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, rural Colombian Caribbean is also characterized by being a territory of displaced people, forgotten by the State, plundered by agro-industrial corporations and violated by armed groups linked to drug trafficking, extortion, human trafficking and contract killing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Angarita has been targeted by paramilitaries in this region, she and other leaders played an important role in citizen participation and monitoring of the historic elections of June 19, which gave victory to Gustavo Petro and Francia M\u00e1rquez. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Angarita, who is the founder of Narrar para Vivir, a network of 800 female artisans who are victims of the armed conflict in Montes de Mar\u00eda, says that they had to organize themselves very well in these elections, independently training \u201celectoral witnesses because in the area there is almost always the issue of vote buying, precisely because of the issue of poverty. There are also many isolated areas and sometimes, every four years, people come to sell their votes for the opportunity to have something.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Mayelis Angarita Robles, leader and defender of human rights and the territory in Montes de Mar\u00eda. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Maestro Javier Sarabia Pedroza, director of the Son de Negro Dance of San Cayetano, in coordination with Angarita, is another of the leaders who watched over the vote through the \u201celectoral witnesses.\u201d  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are ensuring that the elections are carried out peacefully and without disruptions,\u201d said Sarabia, who defined this electoral process as \u201cthe elections of hope for us as an Afro group. We are seeing policies that for a long time have not taken us into account, they have not thoroughly addressed what Afro groups need and deserve.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Maestro Javier Sarabia Pedroza, director of the Danza Son de Negro de San Cayetano.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Floods<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The lands surrounding the small town of Nervit\u00ed, located three hours from the municipal capital of El Guamo, are large, humid and muddy plains bathed by the Magdalena River, which allows the formation of sandbanks where the inhabitants grow modest corn crops, which they easily lose due to heavy rains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The landscape is lush, dreamlike. There are scores of elegant white herons perched like sentinel angels on the beaches. Majestic eagles circle overhead, while the song of countless colorful birds mixes with the warm air, and children splash happily in the water while their father watches over them. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the road from El Guamo to Nervit\u00ed, like most in Montes de Mar\u00eda, is a dirt road and is in very bad condition, and many stretches have been left under water due to the winter rains. These conditions, explained the leader of the area, Gabriel Carmona, leave many towns, like Nervit\u00ed, completely isolated and cut off, and this makes it difficult for our residents, farmers, to vote.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Gabriel Carmona, leader of the Nervit\u00ed area in Montes de Mar\u00eda. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A farmer who travels by mule to vote, and who prefers to keep his name hidden, passes through a flooded road and the water reaches halfway up the animal's body. The man says that it takes two hours to go and two hours to return, but that it is worth it because "we want and need a change in Colombia, we want the new president to commit to us and support us, because as you can see, the roads are very bad, people who have motorcycles do not dare to go through here, that is why many people do not go out."\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In Nervit\u00ed there is a clinic that is no longer in use because there are no doctors. The town is currently experiencing a flood that began four months ago due to the overflow of one of the swamps. Residents have observed a radical change in the behaviour of the river for approximately five years, which could be a result of climate change. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to the severe flooding that damages homes and roads, this radical climate change has led to a shortage of fish, which is extremely serious for a town that bases its livelihood on fishing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe live off fishing here, but now fishing is not working because the river is swollen,\u201d said Mart\u00edn Antonio de la Rosa Chamorro, a fisherman leader from Nervit\u00ed, who does not rule out that these problems may be related to climate change \u201cbecause the sun is burning much more now than before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Julio C\u00e9sar Moreno, a fisherman from Nervit\u00ed, a fishing community affected by the shortage of fish in the Magdalena River
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Martin Antonio de la Rosa Chamorro, leader of the fishermen of Nervit\u00ed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Without fish, explains de la Rosa, the poverty that was already a characteristic of the area has worsened. \u201cAbout ten families have had to leave this year\u2026 sometimes we have nothing to eat.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What do you expect from the new government in Colombia? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cLet the new president look at these towns, they have abandoned us, the streets are useless, the town is all damaged by the floods.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In many towns in Montes de Mar\u00eda there is no internet or cell phone signal. Nor do the media reach them. That is why the inhabitants of the town of Robles, Bol\u00edvar, created Radio Bemba, which consists of a speaker placed on top of a pole at the house of Omar Ram\u00f3n Villegas de Le\u00f3n. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAttention Robles, pay close attention. Good morning! This is Omar speaking to you from this lovely community radio station in Robles, Radio Bemba, which belongs to you. Please be advised that where Mr. Antonio has fresh pork\u2026 and where Mr. Manuel Segura buys his basic basket\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to providing information on domestic issues ranging from food sales to organizing to deal with the ravages of flooding, Radio Bemba served to \u201craise awareness in the community about the importance of voting\u201d in the presidential elections, Mr. Villegas said proudly. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI am not a radio professional, I simply saw the need for communication that we have in the town and decided to install my speakers and microphones, and that is how Radio Bemba was born. But we are very limited, we would like to be able to install more speakers or even an antenna to make other types of transmissions, which also reach other towns,\u201d Villegas hopes out loud. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Omar Ramon Villegas de Leon<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Violence and paramilitarism<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The craftswomen who are part of Narrating for Living<\/a> They weave hammocks, backpacks, hats and other typical items that they sell to obtain some income. However, reported Surlay Sequea, legal representative of this organization, armed groups in the area have recently approached them to extort them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Surlay Sequea, legal representative of Narrating for a Living<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition to flooding and material poverty, there is what could be the main problem in Montes de Mar\u00eda: the historical violence in the region, which has been exacerbated by the recent formation and strengthening of groups outside the law, such as the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia (AGC) and the presence of the Sinaloa cartel (from Mexico), which maintain political and social control of the area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn Montes de Mar\u00eda we are experiencing a very difficult situation of violence. We have been experiencing many threats. I have been displaced since last month. I left my house for an event and I could not return because they threatened me and ordered me not to be in my municipality,\u201d said Sequea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paramilitary actions against the population intensified with the armed strike declared last May, which forced the residents of 11 departments and 135 municipalities in Montes de Mar\u00eda to remain in confinement for four days. Those who did not comply with the strike, especially small merchants, were executed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the municipality of Mar\u00eda la Baja, human rights leader Elsi Quintana commented, \u201cPeople are scared because in the afternoon and at night we are seeing strange cars, strange people driving around on motorcycles, we don\u2019t know who they are. It is difficult to live with so much fear.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
Elsi Quintana, leader and defender of human rights in the municipality of Mar\u00eda la Baja<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey started calling us on May 17 to extort us and the amount has been increasing every day. They say that we have projects and manage productive initiatives, and that is why we have to give them a vaccine [a quota]. This prevents us from continuing to work as we did, we are afraid,\u201d Sequea admits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMontes de Mar\u00eda has a history of 157 massacres and more than 4,172 homicides. You can imagine what it means for us to work for democracy today in a context where Monte de Mar\u00eda is seen nationally and internationally as a territory of reconciliation and peace. And yes, we are. There are very tough people here. I think we are too tough to continue here in a territory when the price of working for peace is your life,\u201d said Angarita, who, as a result of her attacks, now moves around the territory escorted by two armed men as part of a protection program for threatened leaders in Colombia. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the entrance to several villages in Montes de Mar\u00eda there are graffiti by the AGC with the name of the leader in the area. The presence of these groups, according to several testimonies for this journalistic work, triggered femicides, executions, forced disappearances and is causing a new wave of displacement. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Days before the second round of the presidential elections, fishermen and farmers in some towns were ordered \u201cnot to go out to work or vote.\u201d Despite everything, thousands in the region went to the polls, giving the left victory for the first time in the history of Colombia. With this news, broadcast on television, a family that voted for the Coalici\u00f3n Pacto Hist\u00f3rico in the urban area of the municipality of San Juan Nepomuceno closed the day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
A family looks at the results of the presidential elections that gave victory to the Historic Pact Coalition.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This work was carried out with the support of Global Exchange<\/a>, in collaboration with Peninsula 360 Press. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may be interested in: Peace and social justice, Petro's pillars for his next government as head of Colombia<\/a><\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Texto y fotos por Manuel Ortiz Esc\u00e1mez, con informaci\u00f3n de Duv\u00e1n CaroPie de P\u00e1gina \u2013 Pen\u00ednsula 360 Press A Mayelis Angarita Robles la han intentado asesinar en tres ocasiones debido a su trabajo como lideresa defensora de derechos humanos y el territorio en Montes de Mar\u00eda, en el Caribe colombiano. La subregi\u00f3n Montes de Mar\u00eda, […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11114,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[295,14,8,44],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-11107","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-colombia","8":"category-cover","9":"category-usworld","10":"category-fotogaleria"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11107","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11107"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11107\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11395,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11107\/revisions\/11395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11114"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11107"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11107"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/peninsula360press.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11107"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}