Life in Colombia

Life in Colombia
Scott Nicholson – Colombia

“We are so tired of this life” Yuri said to me. Yuri is five years old, and she’s living here in the Arauca Social Organizations building in Saravena with her mother and two sisters.

She walked into the office as I was downloading pictures and started talking to me. “My birthday was on October 31 and we had such a good time. I’m going to be six this year.” Yuri told me about the party and then suddenly said, “My father bought me clothes just before he was killed. I was three years old.”

She then told me that her uncle, “Manuelito,” had also been killed. Manuel Roa was the president of the Arauquita city council and was assassinated by FARC guerrillas on April 2 of last year.

Yuri finished by telling me about the death of another “uncle” – the father of her oldest sister, Gloria. He was killed on March 27 in Venezuela. Yuri told me that her mother, Sandra, received the call and her other sister, Tania, started to cry. “We told her to stop crying so that Gloria wouldn’t find out. I couldn’t stand it any longer and I started to cry.”

“My father and two uncles have been killed. Bro, we are so tired of this life.” Yuri then remembered that she was on her way to see a friend, and she ran out of the office.

I was surprised and overwhelmed by our conversation, and a few hours later I went to talk with Sandra. “The one that’s most affected is Tania” she said. “She can’t take very much and she cries easily.” Sandra told me that Tania’s father, Rito Diaz, was killed by the army during the La Cabuya massacre on November 20, 1998. Tania was four years old.

“She (Tania) was the one then that encouraged me to keep going forward” said Sandra. “I was very distraught and cried a lot. She told me ‘I loved my father too, but we can’t cry.’ I realized that if she was able to overcome the situation, then I could too.”

Sandra described how difficult it is to be a single mother of three children. “I went into debt so they could stay in school. I work all day but I don’t see any way out.” There are moments when she feels she can’t endure anymore, but then she thinks about her daughters and that gives her the strength to continue.

Sandra is a member of the Dawn of Women for Arauca Association and she shared her story with a Witness for Peace delegation that was visiting Saravena on July 8. She began to cry as she started to describe the murder of her compañero, Rito. In the midst of her pain, she found the strength and courage to continue telling us about that night of November 20.

“The army killed five people in the community, including a woman who was seven-months pregnant. They took my spouse outside and slit his throat and then shot him in front of the house. We fled from the community the next day.”

While Yuri and Sandra are hoping for an end to the violence in Colombia, the U.S. congress and arms manufacturers continue to fan the flames of war. Although the House of Representatives recently approved a partial reduction in military aid to Colombia for 2008, the U.S. government will still be contributing $440 million for the war here next year. United Technologies also announced the sale of 15 Black Hawk helicopters to the Colombian military for $225 million.

“These experiences motivate me to work for a new society with truth and social justice” said Sandra. “I want the world to be different and I want a better future for my daughters.”

Photo of Sandra and Yuri:

In love and solidarity,
Scott

Scott Nicholson serves as a Short-term Volunteer with the Social Organizations of Arauca, Colombia. As a part of the process of accompaniment, Scott works as an advisor/consultant in the administration of productive projects in the rural communities.

 

Scott Nicholson – Colombia “We are so tired of this life” Yuri said to me.  Yuri is five years old, and she’s living here in the Arauca Social Organizations building in Saravena with her mother and two sisters. She walked into the office as I was downloading pictures and started talking to me.  “My birthday was on October 31 and we had such a good time.  I’m going to be six this year.”  Yuri told me about the party and then suddenly said, “My father bought me clothes just before he was killed.  I was three years old.” She then told me that her uncle, “Manuelito,” had also been killed.  Manuel Roa was the president of the Arauquita city council and was assassinated by FARC guerrillas on April 2 of last year. Yuri finished by telling me about the death of another “uncle” – the father of her oldest sister, Gloria.  He was killed on March 27 in Venezuela.  Yuri told me that her mother, Sandra, received the call and her other sister, Tania, started to cry.  “We told her to stop crying so that Gloria wouldn’t find out.  I couldn’t stand it any longer and I started to cry.” “My father and two uncles have been killed.  Bro, we are so tired of this life.”  Yuri then remembered that she was on her way to see a friend, and she ran out of the office. I was surprised and overwhelmed by our conversation, and a few hours later I went to talk with Sandra.  “The one that’s most affected is Tania” she said.  “She can’t take very much and she cries easily.”  Sandra told me that Tania’s father, Rito Diaz, was killed by the army during the La Cabuya massacre on November 20, 1998.  Tania was four years old. “She (Tania) was the one then that encouraged me to keep going forward” said Sandra.  “I was very distraught and cried a lot.  She told me ‘I loved my father too, but we can’t cry.’  I realized that if she was able to overcome the situation, then I could too.” Sandra described how difficult it is to be a single mother of three children.  “I went into debt so they could stay in school.  I work all day but I don’t see any way out.”  There are moments when she feels she can’t endure anymore, but then she thinks about her daughters and that gives her the strength to continue. Sandra is a member of the Dawn of Women for Arauca Association and she shared her story with a Witness for Peace delegation that was visiting Saravena on July 8.  She began to cry as she started to describe the murder of her compañero, Rito.  In the midst of her pain, she found the strength and courage to continue telling us about that night of November 20. “The army killed five people in the community, including a woman who was seven-months pregnant.  They took my spouse outside and slit his throat and then shot him in front of the house.  We fled from the community the next day.” While Yuri and Sandra are hoping for an end to the violence in Colombia, the U.S. congress and arms manufacturers continue to fan the flames of war.  Although the House of Representatives recently approved a partial reduction in military aid to Colombia for 2008, the U.S. government will still be contributing $440 million for the war here next year.  United Technologies also announced the sale of 15 Black Hawk helicopters to the Colombian military for $225 million. “These experiences motivate me to work for a new society with truth and social justice” said Sandra.  “I want the world to be different and I want a better future for my daughters.” Photo of Sandra and Yuri:   In love and solidarity, Scott Scott Nicholson serves as a Short-term Volunteer with the Social Organizations of Arauca, Colombia.  As a part of the process of accompaniment, Scott works as an advisor/consultant in the administration of productive projects in the rural communities.