Diary of an Irish Priest visiting the Popular Movements in Colombia

international | anti-war / imperialism | opinion/analysis Friday November 14, 2008 23:39 by Fr. Raymond Murray - Grupo Raíces (Grúpa Fréamhacha) raices2007 at gmail dot com

The following is the diary of Fr. Raymond Murray, Chaplain of Armagh's Prison and human rights defender of the political prisoners during the Troubles. He is also author of the book "State Violence -Northern Ireland 1969/1997" and numerous reports on torture in Northern Ireland with Fr. Denis Faul, such as "The Hooded Men". He agreed to travell on behalf of Grupo Raíces (Grúpa Fréamhacha) to share his experiences in Northern Ireland with the popular movement in Colombia. He will be speaking at a public conference in Liberty Hall on November 24th, at 19:00 together with Michael Dowling (SIPTU) and a Colombian resident in Ireland who was also there at the conference (check event at http://www.indymedia.ie/article/89819)

COLOMBIAN JOURNEY

I travelled to Bogota, Colombia, via Madrid, on Sunday 12 October, on behalf of the Irish Colombian Solidarity Group based in Dublin (Grupo Raíces -Grúpa Fréamhacha) to attend the congress of a coalition of human rights groups (COMOSOC). A few days later Michael Dowling, trade unionist (SIPTU), followed. Even on the 10 hour flight from Madrid to Bogota, I experienced, the warm friendship of Colombians. As I was dressed in clerical clothes they felt a freedom to open up conversation with me and seemed pleased that I was visiting their country. I experienced the same friendship and courtesy from officials at the airport. On the plane were 93 Colombian soldiers in civvies, many of them carrying big teddy bears, obviously presents for their wives or children. From what I understood from one of them they had been in Israel doing a course of training in 'anti-terrorism'.

At the airport I was met by Fabio one of the secretariate of COMOSOC ((The Coalition of Social Organisations and Movements of Colombia). This coalition was formed in 2004. It has as its main goals the setting up of a common agenda for Colombia from the regions where members are active and to position the organisations and social members as political actors of change. The seven organisations are: National Indigenous Organisations of Colombia (ONIC); Popular Feminine Organisation, (OFP); National Agrarian Coordinator, (CNA); Black Communities Process, (PCN); Afroamerican Movement African Traces; The Movement of Christians for Peace with Justice and Dignity; The National Movement for Health and Social Security.

Immediately on arriving in Bogota I was brought to the Franciscan Office Centre, containing a number of sub-offices including Franciscan Spirituality and COMOSOC. I was introduced to some of the staff of COMOSOC including the inspirational 'leader' Fr Omar Fernández OFM. After our exchange of introductions I was brought to the Casa de Retiros where I was to stay hosted by the Sisters of Charity who ran a primary school and a second level college for girls. I enjoyed my stay there; they were so generous and humorous.

Every day Tuesday to Friday I was brought to the office of COMOSOC to engage in dialogue with members and heard the problems of Colombia: the economically strategic zones oppressed by right wing militias in collusion with government, private companies and the multi-internationals. These right wing militias by intimidation, threats and assassinations break down organisational groups who form to defend their rights. Poverty and social marginalisation are a feature of the social life of indigenous peoples, Afro-Colombians, and the peasants. Their lands are being taken over and their environment damaged; there are millions of displaced persons. I paid a few visits to the office of ONIC in another part of the city where I heard vivid and heart rending stories of the oppression carried out against the indigenous people by military and the right-wing paramilitaries who are tolerated by the government, although the constitution nominally speaks of the protection of the state for everybody. While I was there protests were taking place in the indigenous regions and a number of the protesters were shot dead by the military. There is a young English woman working in the ONIC office and she was very helpful in interpreting.

At all these meetings I explained our own situation in the North of Ireland, basic facts of the reasons for the conflict, the violence and the processes of peace and settlement, and emphasised the importance of the external dimension both for embarrassing government to break the wall of silence regarding the violation of human rights and providing help in the form of mediation.

Michael Dowling and I met with Tarsicio Moray Godoy, the new dynamic president of the combined trade unions, Central Unitaria de Trabajadores de Colombia, who explained trade union activities in Colombia often in face of great government opposition. Michael Dowling promised that he would explore the possibility of inviting him to speak on Colombia at the annual congress of the Irish trade unions in Tralee next year.

COMOSOC has been able to relate to Colombian Solidarity Groups in other countries and last year visited a number of these in Europe and north America and hopes to make other foreign journeys next year. In these first days, Tuesday to Friday, Michael Dowling and I were introduced to other delegates who had come to visit Bogata, most of them for the COMOSOC's great Congress which was to be held on Saturday and Sunday, 18-19 October. International visitors and official delegates for the congress represented Venezuela, Italy, Sweden, Belgium, Canada, Ireland and England.

The Great Congress was attended by 500 people, delegates from the seven groups of COMOSOC and the international delegates. Each international delegate was given an opportunity to introduce himself/herself individually to the Congress and speak briefly on their interest and work for human rights. A speaker then from each group of COMOSOC brought everybody up to date on their present situation. There was an opportunity for individual dialogue in the different breaks and each group, including the international group, met singly for reassessments and discussion on the future agenda of COMOSOC. One of the suggestions I made was that the office of COMOSOC should provide a periodical bulletin which would bring the international groups up to date with what was happening in Colombia and would also contain current news of the activities of the different international groups and suggested that there should be a common agenda for all of the international groups as well as their own special agendas. There was great enthusiasm at the congress and attention was occasionally enlivened by the singing of their protest anthem and by folk dancing of men and women in traditional dress.

The Congress was held in Ciudad Bolivar on the south-west edge of Bogota where nearly a million people live in a huge 'shanty town' on a mountain slope where there are great problems of poverty, hunger, scarcity of water. lack of sewage. With financing from Japan mainly the De La Salle Order of religious has built a technical college there to instruct students in carpentry, electrical work, domestic economy etc. Among the buildings is a conference hall which was used for the Congress. The college also provided the meals for the Congress.

On Monday 20th October secretariat staff of COMOSOC, international delegates to the Congress, the United Nations Commissar and representatives from foreign embassies gathered together for a meeting in the United Nations building. The meeting was chaired by the Swedish ambassador, the only ambassador present but there were representatives from the embassies of Italy, Spain, Belgium, Britain and Germany and a representative from Oxfam. Two delegates from COMOSOC explained the formation and aims of the coalition and the discussion was then open to the floor. I raised the subject of international assistance to promote dialogue between government and human rights groups and expressed surprise that with all the information available of the problems in Colombia that there did not appear to be a great concern and anxiety from the members of the United Nations to help. In defence the United Nations Commissar explained that help for dialogue between the government and grievance groups had been offered to the government but President Uribe had refused it.

Obviously the USA could play a major part in promoting dialogue in Colombia but this has been impossible under President George Bush. There is some expectation that perhaps Obama, if he becomes president of the USA, would help.

There is great social division in Colombia. There has been prosperity for some people and they support President Uribe. There is also question of intimidation of candidates at elections. The hierarchy, except for a few, are conservative and come from the bourgeoisie class so there is little support for the human rights groups from the Colombian episcopal conference. General knowledge abroad is limited to the military/FARC guerillas conflict which is only part of the problem of Colombia. The social divide is very evident in Bogota itself in the contrast, for example, between Ciudad Bolivar and the prosperous and elegant northern part of the city. In the far north of the city there is another shanty town which the international delegates also visited and introduced themselves expressing solidarity for their efforts to gain justice.

The centre of Bogota is classically beautiful. the main square comprising the president's residence, government buildings, the cathedral, and the court house. For the visitor there is also the attraction of a fine art gallery/museum, the pilgrimage churches on Montserrat and Guadeloupe mountains overlooking the city and other beautiful churches in the city centre, and, I repeat, the wonderful friendly people. Obviously tourism could be a feature of Colombia's if there were peace.


Monsignor Raymond Murray
Armagh