Afro-Colombian, indigenous and peasant communities send letter to the United States government
Colombia, January 21, 2021
President:
Joe Biden
Vice President:
Kamala Harris Washington
We send a respectful greeting and our best wishes that the exercise of your mandate during these four years will be the beginning of a process of new horizons for humanity and planet earth in brotherhood, solidarity and justice.
We write to you a day after your possession in the hope that our concerns can be received by you and taken into account in the political, economic, environmental and labor decisions you are going to make in our relations with our country.
Our black communities, indigenous and peasant communities live in remote parts of Colombia that for more than 40 years we have lived in the midst of armed confrontation for political and social reasons, today we continue to suffer old and new violence. Persecution, torture, murder, enforced disappearance, displacement and violent dispossession of land, sexual violence, stigmatization, and forced to remain silent or we will be killed. New slavery.
More than 900 social, peace and environmental leaders have been killed, and more than 200 peace signers have been killed. The Peace Agreement signed by President Santos in 2016 is today in crisis due to the series of breaches to what was agreed
We believe that peace is built on dialogue and compliance with agreements on social inclusion, on the cessation of discrimination and on respect for sources of life such as water and forests.
Neither investment nor development in the world nor in Colombia can be based on misery, exclusion, environmental devastation and armed violence, yes in respect for human rights, in the peace agreed, in reconciliation and respect for the land and all its wealth and a neat and respectful public force of rights.
In the midst of the pandemic, the undersigned wrote to President Duque to ask him for a cease-fire, in the face of what was to come, that illegality would consolidate his armed control, sadly protected by sectors of the Military Forces. We never received a precise answer. Today everything is more serious. We also sent this message to the ELN guerrillas and other new guerrillas. Also to the groups inherited from the paramilitaries such as the AGC, Comandos de Frontera, Los Caparrapps, La Local and Los Bustamante to a Global Humanitarian Agreement. The president ignored us, as well as United Nations Security Council resolution 2356 and Pope Francis’ call for peace.
We respectfully invite you to take into account in your agenda of cooperation with Colombia the following aspects:
- Invitation to the government of President Duque to complete compliance with what was agreed with the FARC signatories.
- A resumption of rapprochement with the ELN guerrillas on humanitarian agreements and the development of the six-point agenda for dialogue towards peace. 3. A public policy built from the territories and with the communities for the gradual and comprehensive dismantling of all armed structures
- A public policy built from the territories and with the communities for the gradual and comprehensive dismantling of all armed structures inherited from paramilitarism.
- An agrarian reform that makes it possible, with the provision of land, to clean up property, to create guarantees for the inhabitants of the territories and, in particular, for women, for those investors who wish to approach these territories in accordance with respect for human rights, democratic principles and principles of respect for the environment. Avoiding the implementation of any model of development that excludes direct dialogue with the legitimate owner inhabitants, which destroys vital sources of life such as water and forests necessary for the survival of humanity.
- Implementation of an illicit crop substitution policy agreed with communities with international oversight.
- Institutional inclusion in territories with civil State presence in our remote areas through justice houses with the presence of the Office of the Comptroller, the Office of the Attorney General’s Office and socio-environmental care units with a focus on human security and restorative law.
Without social and environmental inclusion, without respect for human rights, it will be difficult for the military solutions and investments to generate well-being and authentic contributions to new international relations at a time when global warming is accelerating, when COVID19 continues, of cocaine trafficking.
Thanking you for your attention, with hope, from all consideration,
-ADISPA as representative organization of the 24 Communities of the Peasant Reserve Zone Amazon Pearl (Putumayo):
-Community of Agualongo.
-Community of Lower Cuembí.
-Community of Lower Lorenzo.
-Community of Lower Mansoyá.
-Community of Baldío
– Community of Belén.
– Community of Bocana de Cuembí.
-Community of Buen Samaritano.
-Community of Camios.
-The community of Angosturas.
-Community of Chufiyá.
-Community of Comandante.
-Community of Frontera.
-Community of Guadalupe.
-Community of Juvenil.
– Community of La Alea.
-Community of La Española.
-Community of La Piña.
-Community of La Rosa.
-Community of Puerto Playa.
-Community of San Salvador.
-Community of Sevilla.
-Community of Toaya.
-Community of Zamora.
– Indigenous high town council, Sinaí, Villa Garzón.
– Indigenous high town council, Suspisacha, Piamonte.
-Indigenous town council,Cerro de Guadua, Puerto Guzmán.
-Indigenous town council Çxhab Wala, Villagarzon.
-Indigenous town council, Juan Tama, Puerto Guzman.
-Indigenous town council, Kiwe Nxusxa, Las Delicias.
-Indigenous town council, Kiwe U’kwe, Puerto Caicedo.
-Indigenous town council, Kiwe U’se, Nueva Palestina, Valle del Guamuéz.
-Indigenous town council, Kiwe Zxiçxkwe, Tierra Linda, Valle del Guamuéz.
-Indigenous town council, Kjwen Tama Luuçxwe’sx, hijos de Juan Tama, Mocoa.
-Indigenous town council Ksxa’w Nasa, Alto Danubio, Puerto Asís.
-Indigenous town council Kwe’sx Kiwe, Orito.
-Indigenous town council Kwe’sx Kiwe. Puerto Asís.
-Indigenous town council Kwe’sx Nasa çxayu’çe, Alto Coqueto, Puerto Caicedo.
-Indigenous town council Kwe’sx Tata Wala, Puerto Caicedo.
-Indigenous town council Nasa Kiwe Puerto Leguizamo.
-Indigenous town council Nasa Tkuymatewe’sx, Orito.
-Indigenous town council Nasa Fxi’w La Libertad, Puerto Asís.
-Indigenous town council Pkid Kiwe, Los Guayabales.
-Indigenous town council Sat’t Tama, Puerto Asís.
-Indigenous town council Thä’ Tadx Kiwe, Loma Redonda, Villa Garzón.
-Indigenous town council Yu’ Çxihme, El Libano, Puerto Caicedo.
-Indigenous town council Yu’kh Zxiçxkwe, Selva Hermosa, Puerto Caicedo.
-Indigenous town council Yu’luuçx, Las Minas, Puerto Asís.
-Jerusalén town, Villa Garzón.
-Indigenous town Mühm Kiwe, Los Guaduales, Puerto Guzmán.
-Indigenous town Jerusalén San Luis Alto Picudito.
-Indigenous town Jxkase Kiwe, El Descanso, Puerto Guzmán.
-Indigenous town La Florida, Mocoa.
-Indigenous town Nasa Çxhab, Puerto Asís.
-Indigenous town Kiwnas Çxhab, Alto Lorenzo, Puerto Asís.
-Nasa Indigenous town Uh Los Gavilanes, Jardines de Sucumbíos town, Ipiales
-Indigenous town Sek Kaanxi thä’ Kiwe Alpes OrientalesTown, La Floresta, Alto Coqueto.
-Indigenous town Txitx U’kwe Kiwe, Town Porvenir La Barrialosa town, Puerto Guzmán.
-Indigenous town Yu’ukwe Kiwe, Aguaditas, Puerto Guzmán.
-San Luis Alto Picudito town, Villa Garzón.
-Santa Rosa de Juanambu town , Villa Garzón.
– Association families victims of Trujillo (Asfavit), (Valle del Cauca).
-Asokoinonia de Río Chiquito town, Trujillo (Valle del Cauca).
-Community Council of Cabeceras, Bajo San Juan, (Valle del Cauca).
-Humanitarian Zone Puente Nayero, Buenaventura, (Valle del Cauca).
-Humanitarian Indigenous town Santa Rosa de Guayacán, Calima, (Valle del Cauca).
-Humanitarian Indigenous town and Biodiversity Unión Agua Clara (Valle del Cauca).
-Central Women’s Committee of the Association for Sustainable Integral Development -ADISPA- “My Name is Amazon Pearl Woman” MEMPA, (Putumayo).
-Youth Roots of Dignity Amazon Pearl – JURADIPA, (Putumayo).
-Integral cooperative of women and men agricultural entrepreneurs victims of the armed conflict in the municipality of Trujillo, CIMEVAT, (Valle del Cauca).
-Agroecological Association Esther Cayapu, ASOESCA, La Sonora, Trujillo (Valle del Cauca).
-Association of Agricultural Families with land restored in Colombia, AFAREC, La Sonora, Trujillo, (Valle del Cauca).
Community Council of cabeceras, Bajo San Juan, (Valle del Cauca).
-Community Council La Esperanza, Buenaventura, (Valle del Cauca).
-Humanitarian Zone neighborhood La playita, Buenaventura, (Valle del Cauca).
-Families victims kidnapping and murder deputies, (Valle del Cauca).
-Humanitarian Zone Santa Rosa de Guayacá, Calima, (Valle del Cauca).
-Humanitarian and biodiverse Zone Unión Agua Clara (Valle del Cauca).
-Humanitarian Zone and biodiverse Union San Juan de Puerto Pizario. Litoral San Juan, (Valle del Cauca).
-Indigenous Zone of Puerto Guadualito, Puerto Pizario, Litoral San Juan, (Valle del Cauca).
-Zone ancient town Wounaan Córdoba, Buenaventura, (Valle del Cauca).
-Autodetermination Communities, Life, Dignity, CAVIDA, Cacarica Collective Territory, (Chocó).
-Families of camp victims (Antioquia)
-Association of Displaced Women of Ríosucio, CLAMORES, (Chocó).
-Jiguamiandó Humanitarian Zones and Biodiversity Zones (Chocó)
Cabildo Mayor Embera de Resguardo Urada Jiguamiando, CAMERUJ, (Chocó).
-Wounaan Community of the Pichimá River Resguardo Ravine Displaced in Docordó, Litoral San Juan, (Chocó).
-Wounaan indigenous Zone of juin Phu Buur, Cacarica, (Chocó).
-Environmental Zone SO BIA DRUA, Jiguamiandó, (Chocó).
Cabildo Mayor Embera de Resguardo Urada Jiguamiando, CAMERUJ, (Chocó).
-Wounaan Community of the Pichimá River Resguardo Quebrada displaced in Docordó, Litoral San Juan, (Chocó).
-Wounaan Indigenous Zone of juin Phu Buur, Cacarica, (Chocó).
-Environmental Zone SO BIA DRUA, Jiguamiandó, (Chocó).
-La Yulina Biodiversity Zone, Curbaradó Collective Territory, (Chocó). Cabildo Mayor Embera de Resguardo Urada Jiguamiando, CAMERUJ, (Chocó).
-Wounaan Community of the Pichimá River Resguardo Quebrada displaced in Docordó, Litoral San Juan, (Chocó).
-Wounaan indigenous reserve of juin Phu Buur, Cacarica, (Chocó).
-Environmental Zone SO BIA DRUA, Jiguamiandó, (Chocó).
-La Yulina Biodiversity Zone, Curbaradó Collective Territory, (Chocó).
– El Hobo Biodiversity Zone, Collective Territory of Jiguamiandó, (Chocó).
-El Retorno Biodiversity Zone, Collective Territory of Pedeguita y mancilla, (Chocó).
-La Esperanza Biodiversity Area, Polo Family, Collective Territory of Pedeguita and mancilla, (Chocó).
-Mary Hernandez Biodiversity Area, Collective Territory of Pedeguita y mancilla, (Chocó).
-My land (Mi Tierra) Biodiversity Area, Pedeguita and Manilla Collective Territory, (Chocó).
-Area of Biodiversity Andalucia, Collective Territory of Curbaradó, (Chocó).
-Caracolí Biodiversity Zone, Curbaradó Collective Territory, (Chocó).
-La Madre Union Biodiversity Area, Collective Territory of La Larga Tumaradó, (Chocó).
-Camellian Humanitarian Zone, Collective Territory of Curbaradó, (Chocó).
– Pueblo Nuevo Humanitarian Zone, Collective Territory of Jiguamiandó, (Chocó).
– Association of victims of Inzá,” sowers of peace”, (Cauca)
-Costa Azul Humanitarian Zone, Curbaradó Collective Territory, (Chocó).
-Humanitarian Zone Andalucia, Collective Territory of Curbaradó, (Chocó).
-Association of Women Displaced from Meta, ASOMUDEM.
-Association of Women Victims United for Peace, (AMVUPAZ), La Uribe, and (Meta).
-Association of victims of the conflict united by peace, distance, (Meta).
-Civil Community of Life and Peace – CIVIPAZ, El Castillo, (Meta).
-Network of Women of Vistahermosa, (Meta).
– Indigenous reservation, resguardo Naexal Lajt of the people
– Corporation peasant Women of Nariño, (Comucan)
-Network of Women sidewalk vereda la Y, Puerto Rico, (Meta).
– Network water defense life and territory (Cauca)
– Group of victims from the south of Huila
– Families Community Councils Tumaco, Nariño.
-Aguirre family, victim of massacre of Rivera councillors, (Huila).
The signatures continue…
Antioquia, Cauca, Chocó, Dever, Meta, Putumayo, Valle del Cauca