Refugee Focus: Columbia

Left Behind: Colombia

When you think of refugee countries, our minds usually picture the war torn countries in Africa or the Middle East that the media constantly bombards us with in an attempt to flood us with Pathos. What many people, myself included, often fail to grasp is the fact that refugees COME FROM EVERYWHERE. Yes, there are certain regions that produce the majority of refugees, but there are many forgotten countries that produce a substantial amount. This week's feature takes us to Columbia in South America. Columbia, with the 5th largest economy in South America, is probably one of the last countries you would have thought produces refugees.

What is going on?  

For the past 40 years, Columbia has been a battle ground between the government forces and guerrilla groups FARC (an organization of Marxist-Leninist peasants) and ELN (a communist liberation army). For decades, civilian Colombians have been subjected to kidnappings, landmines, sexual violence, random attacks, and other violent methods used by both the government forces and the guerrilla forces. Both of the guerrilla groups are involved in the narcotics trade which adds an extra element of tension and fear among many civilian communities. The narcotics trade further complicates the ability of International Humanitarian Laws, UN aid, and other channels that provide civilian protection because many civilians are illegally forced to grow Coca (used to make cocaine ) that the guerrilla groups sell to buy weapons and other things. As a result, these poor farmers can technically be considered as participants in the armed conflict. That leaves them destitute, because they are barely paid for their labor and they are unable to grow food to feed themselves because they have to grow an inedible crop, and without the widespread support of aid agencies because of their forced role in funding these guerrilla groups. This conflict is the largest and longest ongoing military conflict in the Western hemisphere; about 200,000 Colombians have been killed and 3 million have been displaced.

 

What Happens to the people?  

If you look, it's not hard to find stories of the perils of refugees from Colombia. Mauricio and Liliana are two parents and refugees from Colombia.They fled Bogota, the capital of Columbia, when they were forced to pay a portion of their profits from their food stand business to those guerrilla groups, and they were berated to allow their teenage son to join the guerrilla forces. Due to the fact that they weren't farmers, it was easier for them to apply and get accepted to a UNHCR resettlement program. Now they live a safer life in Buenos Aires, Argentina. There are hundreds of thousands of Colombians with similar stories to that of Liliana and Mauricio, but the majority of their stories do not have such a happy ending. Instead, they are forced to flee to Ecuador (houses over 250,000 Colombian refugees), Venezuela ( houses 250,000 Colombian refugees), or Panama (houses about 200,000 Colombian refugees). The economies in those countries are not stable enough to handle the large influx of Colombian refugees. Consequently, many of these Colombians are forcibly deported back to Colombia and are victims of xenophobia and unfair treatment. Those things are prevented by IHL, but most of the lobbying and monitoring are concentrated in Africa and the Middle East allowing these countries to go unpunished and Colombians to go unprotected.

  We can't continue to let the plight of the Colombians go unheard and unseen. Especially with the increase of technology and terrorism, these civilians need our help and the implementation of IHL more than ever.

Moyo Ajepe

Sources:

Google images

http://www.usccb.org/issues-and-action/human-life-and-dignity/migrants-refugees-and-travelers/columbianrefugees.cfm

http://www.unhcr.org/print/4623926e4.html