IDEALS

Indigenous people in Colombia’s remote

northern Nevada de Santa Marta mountain chain say they are being

held prisoners in their own territory by restrictions imposed by

the state of emergency, which keep them from going to nearby

towns to purchase food.

The restrictions form part of the state of “interior commotion”

declared by President Alvaro Uribe shortly after he took office

in August, IPS was told by representatives of around 5,000

peasants and indigenous people from 70 villages affected by the

new measures.

The restrictions have come on top of the growing presence in the

area of the illegal armed groups involved in this South American

nation’s four-decades-old civil conflict.

The state of “interior commotion” gives the conservative Uribe

administration special powers to crack down on the escalation of

violence by the leftist insurgents and right-wing paramilitary

groups.

The armed forces now have the power to monitor and control the

movements of people and food in conflict zones, and to detain,

without a warrant, anyone deemed “suspicious.”

The secretary of the Tayrona Indigenous Association, Jerem°as

Torres, told IPS that the local communities have been

“humiliated” by the increased number of army troops in the Nevada

de Santa Marta sierra, which is located in the departments of

Magdalena, Guajira and CÇsar, along the Caribbean coast.

“These men set up control posts, demand to see our identity

cards, which we do not use in our culture, keep us from bringing

in food, and try to recruit our youngsters,” said Torres,

referring to the army.

Guerrillas and paramilitary groups are disputing control over the

isolated mountain region, which is used as a corridor for the

trafficking of drugs and weapons.

Peasant farmer Jorge Gonz†lez, the president of the communal

association of the village of Santa Clara, said there was no

reason why he and other members of his community should have to

ask for army permission to buy food in nearby market towns.

In late October, 140 Indians and peasant farmers staged a 36-

hour march from the Nevada de Santa Marta sierra, demanding that

the irregular armed groups and the army leave them alone and

respect their neutrality.

“In concrete terms, we demanded that the routes for bringing up

food be unblocked, and that we be allowed to walk freely through

the sierra, which is our home,” said Gonz†lez.

According to the peasant activists, the villages in question

purchased a weekly average of $3,600 worth of food and other

merchandise before the restrictions were imposed, while

authorities are now allowing locals to bring in just $500 worth

of food a week.

The army says the restrictions are aimed at keeping the irregular

armed groups from obtaining provisions by sending local peasants

to purchase food.

The Office of the People’s Defender (ombudsman) expressed concern

over the situation in the Nevada de Santa Marta sierra, in a

report that documents 60 murders and other human rights

violations committed in that area this year.

In addition, it states that between June 2000 and October this

year, 33 indigenous people have died in “selective killings”

blamed on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the

largest rebel group, and the United Self-Defense Forces of

Colombia (AUC), the paramilitary umbrella organization.

The Office of the People’s Defender recommended that the Interior

Ministry “put into effect an emergency plan that guarantees the

fundamental and collective rights of the indigenous and peasant

communities in the Nevada de Santa Marta sierra.”

The government has admitted that “there are doubts regarding the

handling of human rights by the public forces” in some areas

where special measures have been applied, and committed itself to

“doing everything within its reach to ensure respect for human

rights.”

Local human rights groups complain that some aspects of the new

measures are ambiguous, which can bring undesired consequences.

They demand that the new rules be discussed with local

communities, in order to prevent abuses.

Indigenous leaders say their communities are the main victims of

the conflict, despite the fact that they have declared themselves

neutral and in favor of peaceful coexistence.

Colombia’s armed conflict claims around 20 lives a day, only five

of whom are armed combatants. Civilians are often targeted by the

various armed groups, which accuse them of sympathizing with the

enemy.