Displacement in Cacarica, Colombia

The current stage of global capitalism must be understood as a war for territory. The monopoly of force in the hands of the State, expands the dominium of land and hands out submitted territory to corporations. With a political-military conjunction, new spaces are colonized in order to secure and guarantee multinational investment. It is the expropriation of the poor by the new landlords and CEO´s.

The territory of Cacarica, in the department of Chocó, Colombia, is the living proof of the above mentioned war for territory. In it's state of exception, the military forces executed operation "Genesis" the 24th of February, 1997. Armed soldiers and civilians arrived at Cacarica, torturing mercilessly, various members of the community and murdering men, women and children in order to establish their new order. The displaced farmers escaped to Turbo and Boca Atrato where they suffered from hunger, inhumane jobs and the murder and disappearance of various of their friends and family members.

In the 28th of February, 2000, most of the living members of the community decided to return, elaborating a list of demands to the current government. However, in June 2001, Cacarica experienced a second military excursion, forcing the inhabitants to plant, in individual manner, "Coca" and "African palm."

During the years of their displacement, "Maderas del Darién" corporation, sponsored by CODECHOCO, chopped mercilessly trees, destroying fauna and flora, exploiting the vegetable richness of rivers, contaminating the environment and constructing new water and land trails which facilitated the entrance of military and paramilitary forces.

The people in Cacarica have cultivated their land in a collective manner for years, planting a variety of products in an harmonic relation with their surroundings. The displacers, which represent capitalist greed, which try to attain benefits at any cost and value money over lives, refer to Cacarica inhabitants as cheap labor and are forcing them to plant only one crop in individual and separated ways. "African Palm" requires chemical fertilizers, that can damage their health and ecosystem. At the same time, this crop takes five years in order to be productive. Cacarica farmers don't have any factories to process the palm´s oil and to derive other products. In this way, corporations and the whole palm oil industry are using Cacarica´s land for their own profit, submitting the whole community to their new order and investments. People at Cacarica now know that behind every corporation manager, there is an irregular army.

In the middle of this armed conflict, the Cacarica community wants to fight back with civil resistance. As they were displaced by the Colombian government, there is no use in appealing to national laws. Instead they are resisting in order to construct AUTO DETERMINATION, LIFE AND DIGNITY. People at Cacarica want to construct a life project under the principles of Truth, Liberty, Justice, Solidarity and Fraternity. They want their land and their lives back.

Just as joy can detonate totalitarian frontiers and laughter can undermine authority, people at Cacarica sing, laugh and celebrate, because for them happiness is resistance. Right now they are constructing "the fence of life." A fence that can defend their life and territory, a fence to avoid more bloody killings, a fence which can give them more time to escape in future military and paramilitary incursions. A the same time they are constructing a net which can create bonds of solidarity and support, in order to build their civil resistance in between the war they are experiencing in Colombia. This net is made by three main knots, the communication, the political support and the humanitarian solidarity knot. Each knot formed by various threads, represented by people around the world that can help them out in their struggle. For more information and direct communication please write to: cavida@colnodo.apc.org

arch/ive/ief (2000 - 2005)