Lausanne World Pulse – Themed Articles – Actions for Peace in Colombia: Hope in the Face of Roaring Conflict
“You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted; you encourage them, and you listen to their cry.”—Psalm 10:17
Colombia is known for its long history of violence and drug trafficking, and as one of the most turbulent countries in the world. Its recent upheaval and instability started in 1948 when it was shaken by “La Violencia,” a time of country-wide violence between the two opposing political parties—the liberals and the conservatives. This period left deep wounds in society and stimulated the appearance of leftist guerrilla groups. Throughout the succeeding years, other guerrilla groups arose. During the 1980s, extreme right-wing, para-military groups emerged in response to guerrilla actions. They were funded by vast landowners and used terror as their weapon. Also in the 1980s, powerful drug cartels were formed that have financed both sides of the conflict up to this day. To obtain additional funding, guerrillas resorted to kidnapping for ransom; to date over three thousand people have been kidnapped.
The government military is also getting stronger with growing tax budgets and United States funding to fight drug production and traffic. All this has escalated the internal war. As a result, in the past ten years there have been 250,000 fatalities,1 4,309 forced disappearances2 and over three million people internally displaced.3 All this has led the United Nations to classify Colombia as a country in humanitarian crisis.4 The war, coupled with neoliberal policies, has led to deteriorating social conditions, with sixty-two percent of the population living under the poverty line5, and growing unemployment unofficially reaching over twenty percent.
The Church has not been immune to the war. In the past four years, 152 pastors have been killed and four hundred churches have been shut down or displaced by guerrilla, paramilitary or government forces.6 These have occurred mainly in rural areas.
The challenge to lead the Colombian society into peace and reconciliation is huge, especially because the conflict is ongoing, and the government, reinforced by the media, presents its own slanted view, making other views invisible. As an example of this, the government prefers to speak of guerrilla groups as “narco-terrorists.” Victims and victimizers are still evident at all levels of society; corruption and deceit are widespread. There is great polarization of opinion and distrust on all sides. Sadly, the majority of the evangelical churches have embraced the dominating view of society, verbally proclaiming victory and peace, thus quieting their prophetic voice.
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Grace Morillo serves as a missionary with the Latin America Mission, seconded to Unidad Cristiana Universitaria, where she works as general secretary. She lives in Bogotá, Colombia, and attends Aposento Alto Church, a Free Brethren Assembly, and serves on the board of the Colombian Federation of Evangelical Churches (CEDECOL). Morillo was born in Pasto, Colombia. |