A wide riverbed trail surrounded by steep rock walls. Delicious locally harvested rice. Lagoons and rivers met with lush green foliage. Homemade bee and sugarcane honey...These were the sights and flavors experienced during a recent FOR accompaniment in early March to visit areas whose inhabitants have recently joined the Peace Community of San José.
One of the most dynamic and intriguing elements of the current Peace Community process is its expansion into new areas outside the district of San José de Apartadó and department of Antioquia. Specifically, families from four adjacent veredas in the neighboring department of Córdoba, including Naín (to the east of La Resbaloza), Alto Joaquín, Las Claras and Puerto Nuevo, have joined the Peace Community over the past two years.A member from Alto Joaquín described the process: “We knew about the work of the Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, and the farmers in this region organized meetings to discuss the possibilities of joining. Then, Community members came to meet with us, to fully explain its principals. We feel much stronger and safer now that we are part of the Peace Community.”
During its first eleven years of existence, the members of the Peace Community shared a common history: displacement in 1996 from their farms and settlements in the district of San José de Apartadó, and then the subsequent struggle to return to their homes, be it to La Unión, La Esperanza or Mulatos. However, these new members from Córdoba are neither victims of that particular displacement nor relatives of the families that founded the Peace Community.
That is not to say they do not share a similarly tragic story. To the contrary, they do, albeit under different circumstances.
In the mid 1990s, the Colombian government authorized a massive hydroelectric project known as Urrá (after the name of the company, Urrá S.A.). Construction began in 1998, and this dam of the Sinú River flooded 7,400 hectares and displaced almost six thousand people. According to a Peace Community member from Las Claras: “This lot here where we are standing has been my family’s since I was a child. Then came Urrá and massive displacement. People were offered a very small amount of money for their homes; those that wouldn’t sell were threatened by paramilitaries. They killed lots of people. We displaced from here in 1995 to a town nearby. It was also dangerous there, and there was no work, so we returned here in 2003.” This plot of land is located on ground still above the reservoir, and is planted with various crops, such as rice, sugarcane and cacao. A wide variety of crops are planted in this region due to its incredibly rich soil.
However, since 2007, Urrá S.A. and the Colombian Ministry of Mines and Energy have urged the construction of another dam, known as the “Sinú River Project,” or Urrá II, which would inundate over 50,000 hectares, seven times as much as Urrá I. Last June, the Ministry of Environment denied the hydroelectric proposal, on grounds that the new reservoir would encroach into part of the protected Paramillo Natural Park. Other concerns include the adverse social consequences for the inhabitants of the area, which include not only Peace Community families, but also other farmers and indigenous Embera Katío communities. Nevertheless, the project’s proponents remain undeterred. Despite the Environmental Ministry’s ruling, the President of Urrá S.A. revealed this March that in order to begin construction as planned in 2011, he will appeal to the State Council for approval.
A resident of Puerto Nuevo told us that the farmers in the region fear being forcibly removed from their homes next year, and that “if they go ahead with Urrá II, about 100,000 families will be displaced.” This would significantly increase the number of the already almost 5 million internally displaced Colombians. It was the struggle to defend itself from displacement and violence that the Peace Community was founded thirteen years ago in San José. Now, the Peace Community extends its resistance against the encroachment of the armed groups and mega-projects across even more territory to encompass these areas in Córdoba.
Yet, many have already been threatened for deciding to organize themselves with the Peace Community. A youth from Las Claras told us, “I recently had to stand up to the Army and guerrillas and tell them that I am a Peace Community member and do not collaborate with nor share information with the armed groups.” In fact, Peace Community communiqués dated January 18th and February 21st record instances of Army soldiers in Naín and paramilitaries in Las Claras threatening civilians, respectively.
Still, throughout the four settlements we visited, common sentiments among the new community members were excitement and hope. Members in Alto Joaquin said, “We are farmers, and want to work. This rich land gives life and food. We are happy to be part of this community because the Peace Community defends the rights of the peasant population. Before, when there were threats, we had to leave, and that was that.” According a man from Las Claras, however, “there is more security now due to the international support and accompaniment. When there are threats, internationals will bear witness and respond.” A man from Alto Joaquin added, “We hope that as the other farmers see how we work as a community, they will join as well.”
With the expansion into Córdoba, a new and exciting chapter of the Peace Community has begun! Stay tuned for more news about Urrá II and the courageous farmers of Naín, Alto Joaquín, Las Claras and Puerto Nuevo at www.forcolombia.org and www.cdpsanjose.org
