Mujeres tras las huellas de la memoria (Women on the trail of memory)

Women in the Footsteps of Memory, El Placer – Putumayo: Summary

Key Concepts:

• Colombian Armed Conflict
• Paramilitarism (AUC - Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia)
• FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia)
• Drug Trafficking (Cocaine Bonanza)
• Territorial Control
• Gender-Based Violence
• Resistance
• Memory
• El Placer, Putumayo
• Forced Displacement
• Sexual Enslavement
• Community Resilience

Historical Context and Actors

The video focuses on the experiences of women in El Placer, Bajo Putumayo, Colombia, during the height of the Colombian armed conflict, specifically between the late 1990s and the mid-2000s. Putumayo, located in the Amazon bordering Ecuador and Peru, experienced economic booms (oil, then cocaine) followed by intense violence.

• Oil Rush (Mid-1960s): Attracted people from other regions, particularly Nariño.
• Cocaine Bonanza (1980s onwards): Emerged due to the oil crisis, state absence, and drug trafficking mafias pushed south. Gonzalo Rodríguez Gacha (Medellin Cartel) pioneered cocaine production in Putumayo in 1987, creating the first paramilitary groups ("Masetos" and "Combos").
• FARC (1991): Established Front 48 in Bajo Putumayo, initially expelling paramilitaries and regulating the cocaine trade.
• Peasant Cocaine Protests (1996): Occurred in Putumayo, Caquetá, and Guaviare against aerial spraying of glyphosate.
• AUC (Late 1990s): The Putumayo Southern Front of the AUC entered the region, ostensibly to fight guerrillas but primarily to control drug trafficking.

Paramilitary Control and Violence in El Placer

The arrival of the AUC in El Placer marked a period of intense control and violence.

• El Tigre Massacre (January 9, 1999): 150 paramilitaries entered El Tigre, killing 28 and causing 14 disappearances.
• La Dorada and El Placer Attacks (November 7, 1999): 60 paramilitaries attacked, killing 6 in La Dorada and 11 in El Placer (including two women, one pregnant).
• Permanent Base: The AUC established a permanent base in El Placer, turning the villages and women's bodies into battlefields.
• Curfews and Restrictions: Residents were subjected to curfews (6 PM), movement restrictions, and constant surveillance.
• Control of Daily Life: The paramilitary controlled all aspects of daily life, eroding friendships and creating fear.
• Treatment of Outsiders: Strangers were tied up for days and killed if unclaimed.

Women's Experiences of Violence

Women in El Placer faced specific forms of violence and control.

• Sexual Violence: Rapes and sexual abuse were rampant. Young girls were specifically targeted.
• Control over Appearance: Women were targeted based on their clothing and appearance, accused of collaborating with the FARC.
• Forced Collaboration: Women were forced to cook and provide services for the paramilitary.
• Relationships with Armed Actors: Young women had relationships with paramilitary members, sometimes due to coercion or circumstance.
• STDs and Prostitution: Prostitution increased, with sex workers subjected to disease control, public humiliation, torture, and murder if they had STDs.
• Sexual Enslavement: Some women were detained, tortured, and sexually enslaved in houses controlled by the paramilitary.

Example: One woman was forced into sexual slavery to protect her family. She was held in a house with other women and subjected to constant abuse. When she escaped, she faced rejection from her family and husband.

Community Resistance and Memory

Despite the violence, the community of El Placer demonstrated resilience and resistance.

• Mediation: Some individuals, like Grandmother Nohemí, mediated with the paramilitary to save lives and mitigate the brutality of their actions.
  • Example: Grandmother Nohemí convinced the paramilitary to stop displaying dead bodies publicly and to leave them in the cemetery instead.
  • Quote: "Oh no, nobody will kill me, I know nobody is going to kill me" - Grandmother Nohemí, demonstrating her courage.
• Community Processes: Participation in community processes helped to build life alternatives amidst the violence.
• Memory Preservation: Collecting images and objects helped to preserve the memory of the conflict and prevent future recurrence.
• Mapping Symbolic Places: Mapping symbolic places helped to remember the history of the armed conflict and paramilitary control.

Demobilization and Aftermath

• AUC Demobilization (March 1, 2006): 504 members of the Putumayo Southern Front of the AUC demobilized.
• Continued Conflict: The FARC continued operating, and new paramilitary groups emerged.
• Lasting Scars: The armed conflict left deep scars on the lives of men and women in El Placer.

Conclusion

The video highlights the devastating impact of the Colombian armed conflict on the women of El Placer, Putumayo. It details the specific forms of violence they faced, the control exerted by armed groups, and the resilience they demonstrated in the face of adversity. The video emphasizes the importance of remembering the past to prevent future atrocities and to build a more peaceful future.