Paramilitaries block people from bringing food into Curvaradó and Jiguamiandó
There have now been 16 days of a blockade against taking food into Jiguamiandó and a blockade against members of Caño Manso from accessing transportation in Curvaradó.
Ampliación ilegal de siembra de palma y Banano
Los paramilitares que se encuentran en Brisas de Curbaradó, en Cetino, y Belén de Bajirá ordenaron a los integrantes de los consejos comunitarios que no podrían ingresar alimentos sin que hubiera presentación personal. La restricción a bienes de supervivencia al Jiguamiandó está comenzando a generar crisis a sus habitantes
Si los habitantes quieren llevar sus alimentos desde el Curbaradó deben hacerse presentes y contar con la autorización de los paramilitares para su traslado hasta Jiguamiandó. En Jiguamiandó los paramilitares continúan intimidando a la población y aseguraron que van a ingresar a la Zona Humanitaria de Nueva Esperanza en Illegal expansion of palm and banana planting
The paramilitaries in Brisas de Curvaradó, Cetino, and Belén de Bajirá control the access that members of the community councils of Jiguamiandó have to subsistence foods.
If the inhabitants want to bring their food from Curvaradó, they have to present themselves and obtain authorization from the paramilitaries to take it to Jiguamiandó. In Jiguamiandó, the paramilitaries continue intimidating the people and they have asserted that they are going to enter the Nueva Esperanza Humanitarian Zone to kill some of the leaders.
The paramilitaries reiterate that nothing will happen to them because the 17th Brigade is aware of their activities. “We are here to secure progress, coca, palm, banana, and extensive cattle ranching and protect them from the guerrillas.”
Along the border between Jiguamiandó and Curvaradó, the growing of coca continues to expand. The entry of materials for the processing of cocaine takes place in the morning, going by places where there is military presence.
In Curvaradó, the paramilitaries prohibit the members of the community council who live in the Caño Manso Humanitarian Zone from traveling and from accessing public transportation.
The paramilitary control operations take place in the midst of activities of the 17th Brigade. The Brigade indicates that it maintains control in Curvaradó and has an important presence in Jiguamiandó. In carrying out regular operations, this brigade has stolen goods from the members of the Jiguamiandó Community Council.
While the social control and paramilitary blockade is maintained in Curvaradó and Jiguamiandó, tolerated and known of by the 17th Brigade, the bad-faith occupiers supported by the Brigade, by the paramilitaries, and by the banana companies, continue their presence in the Curvaradó collective territories.
They have destroyed subsistence crops, forest and animal species in the Reserve and Biodiversity Zones, and have planted about 150 hectares and constructed 60 huts.
In the same collective territory, it was discovered that 100 more hectares of land have been planted with palm by the banana businessman Jesús Correa, without the consent of the members of the community council and in defiance of the orders of the Constitutional Court.
Bogotá, D.C., October 4, 2011
Interchurch Justice and Peace Commission