Thousands of People Gathered in Arauca

Suffering into Courage: Thousands of Campesinos Gather in Arauca to Give Testimony

Located on Colombia’s mid-eastern border with Venezuela, Arauca is known as one of the most volatile departments (or states) in the country. The presence of oil companies and illegal armed groups, and its location in a geographic region that is strategic for war purposes leads to it being one of the most militarized areas of the country. The high levels of violence coincide with extremely high rates of poverty, despite Arauca’s abundance of natural resources.

Thousands of people attended a large public hearing in Saravena, Arauca on September 27. That Thursday, individuals were invited to speak out against the crimes against humanity that they either experienced firsthand or witnessed. It was also an opportunity for individuals to actually document, with the assistance of lawyers, those experiences that would otherwise remain only in their memory, separate from any judicial process. In a country with staggering levels of impunity, having an official record of a human rights violation is the first step in trying to diminish the invisibility that engulfs such abuses.

Moreover, this public hearing guaranteed the presence of a diverse group of listeners, including the Argentinean Ambassador, a representative of the Organization of American States peace process monitoring team, international observers such as FOR, Peace Brigades International and International Peace Observatory, Colombian lawyers, and a significant presence of both military and police officers. But the largest audience was composed of campesinos and humble individuals who were ready to actively witness and give voice to those experiences that often have been suppressed by the fear that has penetrated deep into the social fabric of this country.

This space may be the first step of what could be a national process of truth and reparation for Colombia’s victims and survivors. “This public hearing,” said the Social Organizations of Arauca and the Joel Sierra Human Rights Foundation, “was made possible to give the victims and witnesses an opportunity to denounce the various kinds of human rights violations that are a product of strategies implemented by the State.” The strategies identified by these two organizations include: judicial processes that deny social leaders their freedom; the dirty war that is manipulated by the Army and disguised as paramilitary offenses; and extrajudicial executions of civilians carried out by the armed forces.

Senator Alexander Lopez, of the Democratic Independent Pole political party, is vice-president of the Senate’s Human Rights Commission. Lopez politely greeted the large audience and gave an introduction condemning all the human rights violations committed against civil society and encouraging everyone to sign up to publicly denounce acts of violence and terror. His tone underscored his support for every resident of Arauca and verbally recognized the audience for their courage - evident in the simple fact that they showed up to witness this event.

After his introduction, victims and families of victims lined up one-by-one behind a table and, with the assistance of lawyers, filled out the forms that would hold their stories. While some were in line waiting to sign their “denuncia,” others waited to go on stage and give their testimonies. Men and women from seven different municipalities went on stage and spoke for 6-12 minutes - each one about a different experience, but all showed the same level of conviction in their words.

In six hours of testimonies, 60 individuals verbally denounced a violation, 21 provided testimonies, and 118 made an official complaint in written form. The testimonies included allegations of violations committed by the guerillas, the paramilitaries, the national police and army, and many named the Colombian State responsible for systematically enabling the conditions that allow such abuses to occur.

This extraordinary event highlighted the transformation of suffering into courage. It allowed each person present to provide a testimony of how individuals—who at one point in their life felt threatened and feared for their safety—ultimately decided that it was time to share with the world those experiences that had changed them forever.