In May 2014, paramilitary forces came in the vicinity of Baudó river (department Chocó, Colombia) and had been confronted with the ELN guerilla. 2,800 Embera (26 communities) abandoned their homes and escaped to seek refuge on the village Catrú. With a tripled population, this village is confronted with a critical humanitarian crisis in an isolated place. This essay is part of a reportage making a portrait of a region which is in the heart of a 50 year-old internal war. A timid peace perspective emerged recently for the first time between the state and the two guerillas (FARC and ELN).
The northwest land of Colombia with the chlorophyll’ colors, Chocó nevertheless chokes. Chocó chokes on the war. In May 2014, paramilitary forces came in the vicinity of Baudó river, and had been confronted with the ELN guerilla. 2,800 Embera people, for a total of 26 communities, abandoned their homes and escaped from the area to seek refuge on the village Catrú. With a tripled population, this village is confronted with a critical humanitarian crisis in a total isolated place.
While accompanying members of the National Agrarian Coordination (CNA) on a field mission of observation the situation, they stated that the paramilitary’s entry is the first step to the attempt to take control of the area and the population displacement that they use as a form of land management. Today Chocó, forgotten land until now, is indeed coveted for its natural wealth: gold, petroleum, biodiversity, water, and precious wood. Added to those is a particular geographic position, between two oceans, the Pacific and Atlantic, which let to imagine the wildest regional development projects to occur.
This essay is part of a reportage making a long-term portrait of a region which is in the heart of a 50 year-old internal war. A timid peace perspective emerged recently for the first time between the two guerillas (FARC and ELN) and the state.
Realistically, how will the peace be possible while other illegal armed actors prepare to break into the territory, while economic interests around the exploitation of the natural resources support the war’s logic, and while there is poverty, malnutrition and lack of public services in the daily life of the communities?