Defend the Sacred Alliance: We stand with the Peace Community San José de Apartadó
We’ve been in a long-term partnership with the Colombian Peace Community of San José de Apartadó, a group of farmers that has nonviolently resisted war and exploitation and built an impressive example of reconciliation, peace and sustainability since 1997. They’re a beacon of hope for the peace movement in Colombia. Recently, a small delegation from Tamera and the Defend the Sacred Alliance visited the community. Despite the alleged “peace process” in the country, they witnessed first-hand the worrying rise of existential paramilitary threats and attacks against the community. The following appeal is an urgent call for international solidarity.
By the Defend the Sacred Alliance, 04/12/2024
Declaration of Peace for Comunidad de Paz de San José de Apartadó
We, a delegation of Defend the Sacred Alliance, had gathered (from five continents) in San Josecito, to support the peaceful struggle of the Comunidad de Paz de San José de Apartadó. We spent ten days with the community, carefully observing their way of life and understanding the threats they face daily.
On March 18, the Colombian President Gustavo Petro visited the district capital Apartadó and spoke – for the first time for a president – words of recognition and reparation for the Comunidad de Paz. The next day, the paramilitary responded – at least that is how the Comunidad De Paz understands it: 30-year-old Nalleley, mother of three, and 14-year-old Edinson were brutally murdered.
About an hour away from the Panama border, they are constantly threatened by the drug mafia, paramilitaries and businesses. The situation is becoming increasingly murky as their members are offered money and recruited against the community. In addition to the recent attacks, there are currently daily personal threats against members of the community, and the presence of armed persons has increased the threat to the community.
It is important to know that the Comunidad de Paz has been living for 27 years according to principles of non-violence, cultivating their crops and creating a model for a peaceful paradigm shift. Over the years, they have found ways to feed themselves organically and to take care of the medical care, education and energy supply of the community. They have achieved sovereignty in food and self-governance. They have become a role model for the region and, through the establishment of the “Universidad de Resistencia”, which some of us have been supporting for many years, indigenous communities and other farmers are also coming to them to learn from them. Their successful work with cacao has created envy in the area and increased the threat.
We were able to convince ourselves in contact with various ministries and contact in contact with Gloria Cuartas that the government is doing a lot to support the community, but that this is not enough. The power lies in the hands of the Clan del Golfo, who with each passing day are growing more powerful.
Unfortunately, for financial reasons, international support has decreased significantly and the Comunidad de Paz urgently needs help from the concerned citizens globally. Since the paramilitaries want the international community to believe that they no longer exist in Colombia, an international presence is the best protection we can currently offer. This is the reason why other international organisations send international citizens to accompany the Comunidad de Paz at various times of the year.
Testimonies by Sabine Lichtenfels (Tamera’s co-founder), Gloria Cuartas (former mayor of Apartadó) and Rajendra Singh (Tarun Bharat Sangh)
This is an urgent call to the international community to support the Comunidad De Paz and give them attention, because we have found that the situation of the community has not improved, but that they are under more pressure than before. In view of these challenges, we as DSA urgently request attention and support for the following points:
- The Comunidad de Paz is an international village of peace and should therefore be protected at all costs. The lives, property and way of life of the residents must not be affected.
- All areas of the Comunidad de Paz should be demilitarized immediately and no one should be allowed to carry weapons in these zones.
- Their neutrality must be respected and there must be a legal right to it.
- Their land must be legally protected from corporate abuse, and lawyers who have spent many years exposing the corrupt justice system need public protection. There must be no further pressure to evict or expel (them) the community from their properties.
- Adequate medical and educational facilities must be provided near their communities to improve the livelihoods and quality of life of citizens.
- All pending court cases and human rights violations against the community must be dealt with swiftly by the Colombian government and judiciary system.
- This area should be declared an environmentally sensitive zone and protected from mining and further deforestation.
- The government should with international support establish a program for organic farming to promote and market the products of this area.
- This area is rich in biodiversity and therefore a law to protect biodiversity should be a top priority.
- The river is an important source of water for the valley, so the ecological river course should be preserved and clean river water should be a fundamental right for all people.
- We are aware that the Colombian government is also under pressure, which is why international attention is of great importance.
We hope that the Colombian government, with human rights organisations, ministries of energy and environmental protection, embassies and concerned citizens from around the world, will work together to protect the Comunidad De Paz and provide them with the necessary support to preserve their way of life. They can be a role model for the entire region in how to dissolve armed resistance into constructive engagement for nature and non-violent coexistence.