ixent has left 273 comments

ixent comments on Colombian music in London

Pollito Boogaloo playing in Brighton on Sunday 22 at St James Tavern. They play vallenato/cumbia. Have a listen at http://www.myspace.com/pollitoboogaloo Only an hour from London by Train!

ixent comments on

You could fly to Medellin and take a bus from there. That's possibly a bit closer than Bogota - my guess is 3-4 hours. If you take this option, make sure you use the correct bus terminal from Medellin (I'm not sure which one that would be, off-hand).

ixent comments on ABC Colombia: documentary from the perspective of Colombian children about rural life in paramilitary controlled areas

yes, her name is Enrica Colusso and she is a lecturer at Roehampton University in the UK.

ixent comments on ABC Colombia: documentary from the perspective of Colombian children about rural life in paramilitary controlled areas

I met the producer at the Colombian Film festival in London last Autumn, when she gave a talk about the film. It turns out she has a small finca in the area, as her partner is Colombian, and she has been visiting Colombia regularly for almost two decades. She knows the community very well (she witnessed many of those children, including the protagonist Miguel Angel, grow up since they were babies) which is how she was able to get so close to the community and have these in-depth conversations. From the answers she gave to questions posed by the audience it was evident that the conversations ARE real.

ixent comments on ABC Colombia: documentary from the perspective of Colombian children about rural life in paramilitary controlled areas

Yes, of course it's changed. Some groups of people, usually urban and relatively comfortable, feel that they have benefitted under Uribe. They feel safer to travel around the country, although I'm not convinced to what degree that is just a perception of safety. Unfortunately, not all Colombians benefitted.... Now Colombia is the number 1 country in the world with internally displaced people. Now if you say anything to criticize Uribe you are told that you are a FARC supporter. Military spending has rocketed, at the expense of social investment, which is what is really needed. The country's assets are being sliced up and sold to multinationals at rock-bottom prices in return for the aid from the US and UK.

ixent comments on MPs calling for end to UK military aid to Colombia

hi turnmeon thanks for your answers. I'll answer your questions: *what do you think about the link of the venezuelan goverment and the terrorist of the farc? for me it's impossible to know exactly how strong these links are, or if they exist at all. The Colombian and international media are likely to have distorted the real picture, because Chavez represents an ideology which is not conducive to fulfilling their interests. It is not surprising for relations between the Colombian and Venezuelan governments not to be amicable; remember that a group of paramilitaries were detained in Caracas a few years ago, amid a plot to kill Hugo Chavez. *what do you think of the farc itself? I don't support them. As you know, it's a very complicated situation. Since the attempt of the Farc to join mainstream policitics in the 1980s under the Union Patriotica party, after what happened to 4000 of their members, there has, understandably, been no trust. Without trust effective negotiations are not possible. I don't think it will be easy to defeat them, especially now that they have become involved in the drugs business, which is so profitable. Are they terrorists? They violate the human rights of civilians, and do not abide by international humanitarian law (because of their use of landmines and kidnapping), so yes. But then again, so does the Colombian government, via the paramilitaries. *what do you think of the chavez iron fist regime and his war against democracy? Hugo Chavez was elected democratically, and while he is certainly not faultless, he has engaged in a impressive programme of participatory democracy, including local communities in decision-making, and investment in health and education. The rich hate him, of course, because he does not represent their interests. He is sometimes very outspoken and impulsive, and the propaganda machine in exploit that to his discredit. Despite the strength of the opposition against Chavez within Venezuela, including at least 5 private TV channels, he has managed to stay quite popular. I consider that he has definitely embodied democratic principles more strongly than Uribe, and he doesn't accuse those who opposes his views to be terrorists, like uribe does.

ixent comments on ABC Colombia: documentary from the perspective of Colombian children about rural life in paramilitary controlled areas

i've lost count... I lived there for two years from 2000-2002. Now I go there to visit my in-laws about twice a year on average. Why do you ask?

ixent comments on ABC Colombia: documentary from the perspective of Colombian children about rural life in paramilitary controlled areas

Very thought-provoking documentary.

ixent comments on MPs calling for end to UK military aid to Colombia

Billyb: the only alternative regime I would advocate is one that is which is inclusive of all colombians, regardless of race, wealth or political creed: a true democracy, not a democracy by name only. a colombia governed by the FARC, which you are implying I would support, would certainly not meet those criteria.

ixent comments on MPs calling for end to UK military aid to Colombia

EDITED when one resorts to abusive ad hominem attacks, that's a sure sign that they feel unable to discuss and debate the issues in question with counterarguments. is that the best you can do?

ixent comments on MPs calling for end to UK military aid to Colombia

And, a message to all PBHers: Do Colombia (and yourself) a favour -- boycott Colombian Cocaine (and all other illegal drugs).

ixent comments on MPs calling for end to UK military aid to Colombia

Tasco, I agree that drugs have fuelled the conflct. But, the drugs trade wasn't around at the times of the violencia, and the initial decades of the colombian conflict between the FARC and the government. It came later, and has definitely helped to perpetuate it. But I don't think it's **only** about the drugs. The issue of inequality underpins the whole Colombian conflict, right from the outset, and that has to be resolved too. And perhaps other types of investment, such as education, health etc. would help with this, rather than Uribe's policy of pouring all the money into the military. So, yes, drugs are a problem, but it's simplistic to state that taking drugs out of the equation would solve everything.

ixent comments on MPs calling for end to UK military aid to Colombia

So Tasco, tell me, what do you think about: * The close links of the Uribe administration with the paramilitaries? * The false positives scandal? * The murder of Aida Quilcues husband, after her vociferous attack against Alvaro Uribe's policies in the minga last year?

ixent comments on MPs calling for end to UK military aid to Colombia

Tasco, why do you keep on trying to divert the topic of this thread? Is it because you don't have the confidence to discuss the issues that this thread is about? I'm not willing to descend to a discussion about Brits vs. US, or anything like that. To be honest, I'm not particularly patriotic, so I'm not too bothered anyway, you can slag off the Brits or the British govt if you want. I would caution you however that it is usually wrong to generalize about any nationality... I'm here to talk about Colombia.

ixent comments on MPs calling for end to UK military aid to Colombia

Iraq? Very shameful episode, I agree. We the British people have blood on our hands for not preventing that from happening. I went to a protest in London on a very cold January day but that wasn't enough, obviously. Don't get me started on Tony Blair... Anyway, I suggest we keep discussions on the topic of this post Tasco, it's very easy to go off on a tangent. Have you read the BBC article?

ixent comments on MPs calling for end to UK military aid to Colombia

johnny2008, I know what you're saying is true... things won't change much. But, at least less of my taxes will be going to fuel the atrocious human rights abuses perpetrated by the current regime in Colombia, so a bit less blood on my hands.

ixent comments on MPs calling for end to UK military aid to Colombia

"it's fantastic freaking aid" Yeah, tell that to the mothers of the young men who got killed in the false positives case. Or to Aida Quilcue, the indigenous leader from the minga, whose husband was killed last Autumn in an army ambush. Or the trade unionists, I've lost count how any have been killed this year by paramilitaries etc. "ready. FIRE, aim" --> That says a lot about the way you view the world -- it's an good analogy for the aid being poured into the Colombian military right now, actually.

ixent comments on Now starts "FARCPOLITICA"

"Kill. Them. All!!!!!" They did that with the Union Pariotica in the 1980s, as you may or may not know. Over 4000 of them. Paramilitary groups still are engaged in killing opposition leaders (trade-unionists, indigenous, in short, anyone who is inconvenient to the current regime) in Colombia. Are you sure that you really want to advocate this approach?

ixent comments on Now starts "FARCPOLITICA"

Yeah... if you are not aligned with Uribe, you must be with the guerillas, OBVIOUSLY. Interesting form of Democracy.

ixent comments on Colombia es un país con miles de historias sin contar”:

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/culture/4168-los-viajes-del-viento-wins-award-in-cannes.html Colombian movie 'Los viajes del viento' won an award at the Cannes Film Festival Friday. Ciro Guerra, the producer of the movie, received a prize in the section 'Un Certain Regard' which reviews experimental work. The organizers of the prize said that "Ciro Guerra was rewarded for the ability to give the audience an unprecedented journey of discovery and an initiation of Colombia's diversity. The movie is a journey of awareness, leaving all stereotypes behind", El Pais reported. 'Los viajes del viento' impressed the audience and received ovations Thursday.

ixent comments on

Maybe he's going to do a Putin, by having Santos, the ex-defense minister, in charge for a the next term, and then come back....

ixent comments on Colombian president's ally arrested

I read in the Tiempo article which mentioned this that Eleonora Pineda, another politician from Cordoba who was accused of parapolitica, is already out of prison. Do you know how long the parapolitica prison sentences are? It doesn't sound like very long, given the severity of the crime.

ixent comments on FARC by Bus

safe, especially during the day. go with a relatively decent bus company and you should not have any problems.

ixent comments on

Maybe if other countries waive the stringent visa requirements for Colombians to enter (even for a short visit), the Colombian authorities will be willing to relax this 180 requirement. That's thinking out of the box, isn't it?

ixent comments on

According to this article dated 16 April 2007 (http://www.shortnews.com/start.cfm?id=61836), Venezuela has paid off its debt.... "Venezuela announced on Saturday that it has paid off its remaining debts to both the IMF and World Bank and is to cut ties to the two institutions, which the Venezuelan government accuses of spreading poverty and economic ills in Latin America."

ixent comments on Orinoco Trip

http://www.parquesnacionales.gov.co/PNN/portel/libreria/php/decide.php?patron=01.02021102&f_patron=01.020211

ixent comments on Orinoco Trip

Are you going to Parque El Tuparro? I've never been but I'm told it's very beautiful.

ixent comments on any info on when/if there'll be international flights to Armenia?

Bogotá airport has been getting more and more congested in recent years. A solution to increase capacity would be to expand some of the regional airports to handle international traffice (and this has been, in Europe at least, a trend by low-cost carriers). An airport in Armenia would also service Cali (only a couple of hours away), so quite a good location.

ixent comments on Something like an independent film theatre in Bogota?

Also try the cinemateca in Bogota.

ixent comments on Tofu in Bogota?

Try a health food shop and ask for "coajada de soya"

ixent comments on 3000 less guerrilleros in 2008

Hard to know how accurate this figure is. If they are "official", i.e., provided by the government, most likely they are just propaganda (something that all parties in any war will engage in). I also wonder what proportion of the real figure (which probably nobody knows) were false positives. The following article appeared a few days ago in the BBC, which would suggest we need to be careful before taking figures like this without questioning them. Colombia war data 'unbelievable' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/7781991.stm

ixent comments on There were no e-mails in the PC of Reyes

The interpol report only certified that certain files had not been changed by looking at their timestamp. Interpol did not carry out a forensic test to confirm that the laptop came from a FARC camp and was used by Raul Reyes. As the col goverment is hardly an objective player in this situation, and they have a tendency to misinform their citizens and the rest of the world, we need to take anything they say with a pinch of salt.

ixent comments on Paramilitary groups still spread terror among Colombia's people

Tragically, old news yes, but current news as still going on :(

ixent comments on Does Turbo city have a bus terminal?

looked at the website of Bucaramanga terminal de transportes (http://terminalbucaramanga.com/). They have a list of destinations, and Turbo is not one of them. So you probably have to take at least two buses. Via Medellin seems like the best bet.

ixent comments on Chiquita admits to funding/arming Paras, paying a fine

Coincidentially, El Tiempo mentions that today is the 80th anniversary of the banana massacre perpertrated by the colombian army on behalf of the united fruit company. goes to show how little things have changed over the decades :(

ixent comments on Chiquita admits to funding/arming Paras, paying a fine

allegedly not the only multinational in colombia doing this. i've read that coal mining multinationals have also been denounced for sponsoring paramilitaries. just goes to show that foreign investment is not always a good thing, as is often assumed. it has to be done under careful social/environmental regulation.

ixent comments on Chavez again seeks way past term limit

La Huella, didn't you hear Uribe's famous (or infamous) Hecatombe speech?

ixent comments on Chavez again seeks way past term limit

Yes Dolfi, both Uribe and Chavez are in the same boat here. One is from the left, the other from the right, but apart from that, they have quite a few similarities. Both have allegedly been extremely popular at points in their presidency. Both have tried to extend their terms by more than was allowed originally. Both have been criticised by Human Rights Watch for actions which lead to violations of human rights (Uribe probably much more so, though). Both have undermined the democratic institutions in their country by centralizing the power. At least Chavez speaks his mind and denounces things that other heads of state would not dare to (e.g., about US foreign policy). But he is also very impulsive at times (e.g., the threat of war with Colombia), and a head of state cannot afford to be irresponsible in that way.

ixent comments on What I never believed could happen, happened...

I imagine you must be truly shaken after such an awful experience, as anyone would be. However, your children are half-Colombian. If they leave Colombia now, and go to live in the states, they will leave Colombia marked by a bad memory of their country forever. Why don't you give it some time, and then think about whether you really want to go back. A sense of normality will hopefully resume at some point, and then then you'll be able to make a calmer decision. I suppose, it's also worth reminding oneself that bad things can happen outside Colombia as well, and that fortunately crime here is usually motivated by money, rather than for the sake of it, as happens in the UK and US a lot.

ixent comments on Colombia sees $16 bln in energy investments

Would be interesting to know more details, i.e., specifically what these projects are. It has been reported that there is a huge rise in paramilitary atrocities/internally displaced persons in areas where african palm plantations have appeared (Magdalena Medio, Buenaventura region). The same applies to areas which have been earmarked for open-cast coal minining, specifically the Catatumbo region in Norte de Santander where the Bari indigenous people have fallen victim to the same type of atrocities. So unless these projects have the same regulation (social/environmental) as they would e.g., in the USA or Europe, they will not be benefical to Colombia as they potentially could.

ixent comments on Zombie Backpackers???

"Backpackers are so funny. They think they are alternative, special and who knows what else, but they all go to the same places, all do the same things the same way...." I guess it depends on how you backpack; I suppose it's true in many cases, although you can't really generalise... Whether true or not, it provides for an unforgettable experience and is great fun.

ixent comments on Luggage Embargo, Travel ALERT! on A.A. from November 29 to January 10, 2009 to Cali or Medellin

Don't understand why a cardboard box is different to any other kind of item of luggage. Can anyone shed any light on this? And why doesn't it affect Bogotá? Seems weird to me.

ixent comments on PBH Cookbook

Seems like you would benefit from have a wiki-style editing system, like there is in place for the travelguide.

ixent comments on EMERGENCY PICKET: 1-2 pm FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER COLOMBIAN EMBASSY LONDON

August, I agree that this should been better explained, giving a broader context, to explain why colombia's indigenous are protesting. I have been following this closely, but it's true most people have little idea of why the indigenous are protesting in Colombia. This is probably due to the media coverage in Colombia being very superficial when it comes to describing the issues from the indigenous perspective, and acting mostly as a voicepiece for the Uribe administration. The minga is about protecting the rights of the indigenous which are (already) enshrined in the Colombian constitution. Several laws have been passed by the Uribe Administration which undermine these rights, including laws which could allow mining companies access to indigenous land. Furthermore, Uribe has branded them as terrorists and colluding with FARC, simply because their views are incompatible with his policies. This is an insult to the dignity of a people who have always advocated pacifist resistance (unfortunately not all actors in the Colombian conflict ); and he seems to have omitted the fact that many indigenous and their leaders have been assasinated by the farc themselves. The ESMAD (Colombian riot squad) were very heavy-handed in the recent **peaceful** protests in Cauca, which led to dozens of injuries and 3 deaths. Surprisingly, this was reported in CNN (the only foreign media channel to have done so) http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/americas/10/22/colombia.shooting.video/index.html?eref=edition_americas#cnnSTCVideo So, the aim of the picket outside the embassy today is to highlight the deplorable human rights situation in Colombia and show our solidarity with these people.

ixent comments on EMERGENCY PICKET: 1-2 pm FRIDAY 21 NOVEMBER COLOMBIAN EMBASSY LONDON

Estimados amigos y aliados de la MINGA NACIONAL DE RESISTENCIA INDIGENA Y POPULAR!! En estos momentos, la MINGA sigue su camino rumbo Bogotá. Se ha sumado otros sectores sociales a la MINGA, y están ahora reunidos, afinando los puntos de construcción política conjunta. El día viernes, 21 de noviembre está planeada una gran marcha por Bogotá, terminando en la Plaza de Bolívar, donde estaremos esperando el Presidente, para seguir con el diálogo empezado en la María. Por lo tanto, estamos pidiendo que desde sus países respectivos, hagan eventos de solidaridad con la MINGA, el mismo día 21 de noviembre, para así crear un acto de resistencia conjunta a nivel mundial. En particular, les pedimos hacer plantones fuera de la Embajada de Colombia en sus países, entregando cartas de solidaridad con la MINGA. Asimismo, pedimos que escriban a sus gobiernos, reiterando la necesidad de un diálogo real entre el Gobierno Colombiano y la MINGA, y expresando preocupación para la seguridad de los líderes de la MINGA. Para el encuentro en la Plaza de Bolivar el viernes, les pedimos escribir cartas o pronunciamientos de solidaridad con la MINGA desde sus organizaciones o grupos de solidaridad, por ser leídos en el mismo evento. En estos momentos, vemos los siguientes puntos de suma importancia para sus cartas u otras comunicaciones escritas: 1. reiterar que la MINGA ha solicitado que el Presidente Uribe se reúna con nosotros, el día 21 de noviembre en la Plaza Bolívar en Bogotá. Que este diálogo retome los puntos de debate que se quedaron sin resolver en el encuentro de la María, y la agenda conjunta que se ha desarrollado con los demás sectores sociales. Reiterar lo expresado por la Minga, que los siguientes diálogos no son para negociar sobre acuerdos ya logrados entre el gobierno y la sociedad civil, ni sobre sus derechos. El debate debería estar centrado en los puntos que han desarrollado la sociedad civil conjuntamente en estos últimos días, que incluyen la política económica del actual gobierno, legislación que conduce al despoje del territorio para grandes sectores de la sociedad civil, la solución negociada al conflicto armado y la construcción de una paz duradera e incluyente para Colombia, la adopción y respeto de acuerdos internacionales sobre los derechos de los pueblos. 2. Reiterar que la MINGA solicita que no haya presencia del Esmad ya que no es necesario, como se mostró en la estadía y marcha en la ciudad de Cali, que no tuvo acompañamiento militar y que se desarrolló pacíficamente. La marcha estará protegida por la guardia indígena, cuerpo civil de seguridad. Nos preocupa la seguridad de los integrantes de la marcha y los líderes de la Minga, en la medida que la Minga es una movilización pacífica, no deseamos que se presente ningún incidente. Solicitamos que haya una investigación independiente por los hechos de violencia por parte de la fuerza pública en varias partes del país, en la que tres personas fueron asesinadas, y hay más de 100 heridos por acciones estatales. Favor de escribirnos a este correo, contándonos de sus acciones de solidaridad y enviándonos copias de sus cartas. Mil Gracias, MINGA NACIONAL DE RESISTENCIA INDIGENA Y POPULAR 17 de Noviembre, 2008 Email mision at onic.org.co

ixent comments on

time to bring back the railways, seems like.

ixent comments on Travel to the Amazon (from Cali)

It's not going to be cheap, I'm afraid, especially that time of the year. If you are in Cali and fancy going somewhere cheap for a week why not take the bus to Tierradentro or San Agustin via Popayan.

ixent comments on Where to buy books in English in Armenia, Quindio?

amazon.com? Sorry not very helpful, i know, but that's the only place I can think of.

ixent comments on Today's meeting between Uribe and the Indigenous people's

¿Indígenas activistas de las Farc? Por: Ricardo Peñaranda Supelano*/ Especial para El Espectador Por fin el Gobierno Nacional se sentará este domingo a escuchar los reclamos de las comunidades del suroccidente colombiano. Lo peor que puede seguir haciendo el Gobierno es continuar insistiendo en que los indígenas del Cauca son aliados de las Farc, pues incluso podría llegar a convencerse o más grave aún a convencerlos. Las relaciones entre los grupos armados y los movimientos sociales son uno de los temas más complejos de la sociología de los conflictos. Pero lejos de ser una preocupación intelectual, meramente erudita, ha resultado decisiva para el curso de casi todos los conflictos armados contemporáneos, en escenarios de guerra interior. El tema es de tal importancia que el destacado sociólogo francés Alain Touraine —a propósito de la guerra en Guatemala— llegó a afirmar que sintetiza “el mayor problema del siglo XX” que es, en su opinión, él de todas las revoluciones en la historia moderna: “El de las relaciones entre la ideología y la vanguardia de clase, y las comunidades o los movimientos comunitarios, sociales o religiosos”. El norte del departamento del Cauca es uno de esos escenarios compartidos por movimientos comunitarios rurales y grupos armados. A lo largo de las últimas cuatro décadas, todas las organizaciones insurgentes han querido implantarse allí, atraídas por su intrincada geografía y por el conflicto social que representa la movilización de las comunidades nasa y guambiana en defensa de su territorio. Ninguno de estos grupos logró sin embargo la adhesión que buscaban. Por el contrario, su presencia ha sido siempre fuente de numerosos conflictos, particularmente en el caso de las Farc, cuya primera acción pública, la toma de Inzá —en el corazón de Tierradentro— a comienzos de 1964, dejó una imborrable huella entre las comunidades locales, presagiando lo que sería la dolorosa experiencia de las décadas siguientes. Lejos de lo que el Gobierno y un sector de la opinión piensan, la distancia entre la insurgencia y las comunidades indígenas es enorme: el reclutamiento de jóvenes a las filas guerrilleras ha sido una fuente permanente de conflictos, al igual que la interferencia con las estructuras tradicionales de poder. Incluso —lo que puede resultar asombroso— más que un aliado en su lucha por la tierra, la guerrilla ha obstaculizado los avances del movimiento indígena, tal como ocurrió en los años ochenta, en el apogeo de las recuperaciones, cuando las Farc, que extorsionaban a los hacendados, se opusieron a la acción de las comunidades a fin de no perder su fuente de recursos y llegaron al extremo de asesinar dirigentes indígenas acusándolos de ser delincuentes comunes. En los últimos años, la guerrilla ha amenazado constantemente a los líderes locales que han alcanzado cargos de representación política en alcaldías y concejos municipales y sus demostraciones de fuerza terminaron siendo un martirio para las comunidades que han tenido que soportar los continuos asaltos a sus poblados. Todo esto ha quedado fielmente registrado en documentos tan importantes como la Declaración de Vitoncó (1985) y la de Jambaló (1999) que expresan el rechazo de las comunidades a la manera abusiva como los distintos actores armados pretenden involucrarlos en conflictos que no les conciernen. ¿En la tensa situación que se vive actualmente, alguien se ha tomado el trabajo de leerlos? Por sorprendente que parezca, las élites caucanas, el Gobierno Nacional y la propia guerrilla comparten, paradójicamente, un mismo propósito: todos desearían que las comunidades indígenas fueran la base social de las Farc. Los políticos caucanos, afectados en su mayoría por la pérdida de sus haciendas, encontrarían en ello la oportunidad de contar con el apoyo de los organismos de seguridad y frenar así el avance del movimiento indígena. El Gobierno Nacional tendría justificación suficiente para castigar la insolencia de los únicos que se han atrevido a cuestionarlo, en temas tan álgidos como el TLC, la política minera o la estrategia antinarcóticos. Finalmente, las Farc esperan con ansiedad que los jóvenes indígenas terminen enrolándose voluntariamente en sus filas, empujados por la incomprensión y la represión a la que son sometidos. La actual movilización de los indígenas del Cauca, que reclama el respeto de promesas incumplidas durante décadas por gobiernos de todos los colores, puede resultar incómoda, altisonante e incluso antimoderna, como muchos habrán llegado a pensar equivocadamente. Sin embargo, lejos de ser una amenaza para la adormecida sociedad colombiana, constituye por el contrario un formidable reto, que debería despertar los mejores recursos de los colombianos comprometidos en la construcción de una democracia vigorosa, pluralista y, porque no, deliberante. Ejemplo de resistencia En Piendamó dieron en mayo de 1999 ejemplo de su voluntad de hacerse respetar, expulsando a palos y piedras a una columna del las Farc que intentó tomarse una manifestación de los Cabildos del Norte, que había bloqueado la vía panamericana para demandar del Gobierno el cumplimiento de las reivindicaciones sociales y económicas, contenidas en los llamados Acuerdos de La María, que todavía reclaman hoy, diez años después. Esa valerosa acción, hoy olvidada, fue el inicio de la etapa de “resistencia indígena” que rápidamente contagió a otros sectores sociales y que se extendió bajo la llamada “resistencia civil”. Armados únicamente con su dignidad, las mujeres, los niños y los hombres de los cabildos del Cauca hicieron lo que nadie se había atrevido a hacer y defendieron sus viviendas, sus escuelas, sus hospitales y hasta “sus policías”, de los ataques desmedidos de las Farc, como el que terminó destruyendo la población de Toribío en abril del 2005. *Investigador del Instituto de Estudios Políticos (IEPRI) de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Una versión de su Tesis Doctoral “Resistencia y recomposición identitaria en los Andes colombianos” será próximamente publicada en Colombia.

ixent comments on Today's meeting between Uribe and the Indigenous people's

Tensiones entre Gobierno e indígenas podrían llegar hoy a su fin con reunión entre Uribe y nativos El Tiempo El jefe de Estado llega a La María, Piendamó, en medio de cuestionamientos contra las autoridades por violación de derechos humanos y denuncias por la muerte de tres indígenas en las protestas. Pero el Presidente también encuentra una minga que se calmó en la última semana. Han sido tres semanas de tensión. El ministro de Protección Social, Diego Palacio, dijo que en las protestas había un "interés" por desestabilizar y hacer oposición política al Gobierno. Estas acusaciones fueron calificadas por los indígenas como un irrespeto a la marcha y denunciaron que las autoridades dispararon contra los marchantes. El presidente negó las versiones, pero la publicación de un video obligó a la rectificación. Desde el 15 de octubre se exigió la presencia del Presidente. Esta parecía consolidarse con el diálogo entre Daniel Piñacué, líder indígena, y el jefe de Estado. Pero el encuentro, que iba a ser en Cali el pasado domingo, se frustró. Nunca se pusieron de acuerdo en el lugar de la reunión. La marcha, que ya sumaba más de 21.000 indígenas, amenazaba con llegar a Bogotá. Pero un acercamiento con el Gobierno determinó que partiera hacia Popayán a la espera de un nuevo encuentro con el Presidente en La María. El chef que hoy espera a Uribe Ninguna minga indígena del Cauca se puede iniciar si no está Nemesio Aranda. Su papel no es debatir y menos entrar a los tropeles en busca de territorio y respeto a la autonomía. Pero no falta y hoy será especial, porque sus comunidades estarán sentadas a la mesa con el presidente de la República, Álvaro Uribe. Todos le admiran la habilidad para no dejar quemar ni siquiera un arroz cuando prepara alimentos hasta para 5 mil personas y creen que él, como los grandes chefs del mundo, tiene secretos guardados. Hoy lo demostrará en la cita en La María, espacio sagrado de esas comunidades en el municipio de Piendamó. Nemesio, de 66 años, infaltable en la mingas desde la matanza del Nilo, es uno de los cocineros que prepara alimentos para distintas comunidades y está integrado a uno de los preparativos de comisiones de indígenas que se mueven como hormigas para alistar todo. Ellos, por comisiones de aseo, seguridad y cocina, se mueven como un reloj en medio de la tensión vivida desde el 10 de octubre, cuando emprendieron una concentración en la misma María y hacia los límites del Valle y Cauca, para iniciar una manifestación de resistencia por el incumplimiento en la entrega de tierras y la violencia contra sus comunidades. Nemesio, quien tiene cinco hijos que no heredaron su apego a la culinaria, cultiva la tierra en el cabildo de Honduras. "Es el chef. Es el primero en quien pensamos a la hora de salir a las marchas, reuniones o congresos, donde pueden reunirse desde 200 hasta unos 5.000 compañeros", comenta José Zambrano, presidente de la Asociación de Cabildos de Morales. A la 1 de la mañana pone la olla El cocinero será, de nuevo, uno de los primeros que se levanten hacia la una de la madrugada para poner decenas de litros de agua en una olla gigante para alistar la aguapanela, preparar los huevos, separar la cebolla y los tomates. Luego, dará cátedra de cocinar en menos de dos horas. "No nos preocupamos por la comida. Si va él, nadie queda con hambre", dice Elde Calambas, del cabildo de Honduras. "He participado en cientos de reuniones indígenas. Conozco muchas mujeres que en grupo hacen la comida para miles de compañeros, pero nunca un hombre que sea capaz de cocinar sin que se le queme un solo arroz", anota Ovaldina Chate, gobernadora del cabildo de La Nueva Esperanza. Un bulto de yuca, 10 racimos grandes de plátano, un kilo de sal, 50 libras de carne, un bulto de papas, 5 cajas de condimento, 5 litros de aceite y color al gusto son los ingredientes para un 'multisancocho'.