Refugees of the War on Drugs

History

By Lorena Fernández

Approximately three million people have been displaced in Colombia over the last 40 years. Fifteen thousand others have disappeared and three thousand have been found in communal graves by authorities. While the rest of the world makes “recreational” use of the white powder, this country is chained to the agriculture, production, negotiation and power struggle that comes as the result of being the sole provider of over 80 percent of the world’s cocaine.

The war in Colombia, though fueled by narcotics, is not a war on drugs, nor does it affect the substantial drug trade in the country, which accounts for almost three percent of Colombia’s GDP. Confrontation between FARC guerrillas and paramilitary forces – backed by the national army and international forces – have turned Colombia into their battlefield and used civilians as tools of extortion, terror and income. Surprisingly, the paramilitaries are causing the biggest hardship on civilians. The Human Rights Watch reports paramilitary forces are responsible for 78 percent of human rights violations in Colombia, and police authorities say between 1982 and 2005 paramilitaries – who joined in a consolidated organization in 1997 called United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC – conducted over 3,500 massacres and robbed over six million hectares of land from farmers in different areas of the country.

From 2003 until 2006 35,353 members of the AUC were demobilized, however paramilitary groups and delinquency activities have not ceased. Today it is estimated approximately three thousand Colombians take part in emerging groups.

Colombia has the highest number of displaced population in the world, with a significant number of refugees in its neighboring countries, Ecuador and Venezuela. In the south, Ecuadorian ONGs have adopted different strategies to handle the large amounts of Colombian families crossing the borders. As the numbers of immigrants increased from 1999, Ecuadorian organizations have periodically consulted civilians from both nations in forums and seminars.

Venezuela has also seen a significant number of refugees come in at the border, however, they have not always been received with open arms. In 1999, Human Rights Watch sent a letter to Venezuelan president, Hugo Chávez, expressing concern with the way a number of Colombian refugees were transported back to their homeland forcefully, even though there was still eminent danger from paramilitary forces circulating the area.

On February 4, 2008, thousands of people in cities across the globe put on “Colombia soy yo” (“I am Colombia”) T-shirts and marched for peace in the country and against the FARC. Parting from that initiative, another walk was organized for March 6 to support and remember all of the victims and refugees of the war on drugs. Economic aid is constantly passed on by world powers to ameliorate the situation of displaced Colombian families all over the world.