They Remember, They Resist

In Barrancabermeja, May 16th, 1998 marks the beginning of the brutal paramilitary takeover. In a small football field in the neighborhood of Campín came 30 to 50 armed men and changed the lives of everyone in the city. They proceeded to kill 7 people and “disappear’’ 25 more. Last weekend (23- 24 January), the first 5 bodies of the disappeared returned to the families after 10 years. The community accompanied the families to receive the remains, prayed with the families, cried with the families, and continued to resist violence and death with the families.

After retrieving the remains in Bucarramanga, the community returned to an all night vigil in the soccer field where the massacre took place. This vigil was held to remember the lives of the victims, a wake of sorts. The five small coffins carrying the remains were placed on the stage and replicas of coffins for others that have not yet been found were placed on the ground. A picture of each person was located inside each coffin. (see pictures: http://cpt.org/gallery/album272) The vigil ended with a Catholic mass after which the community went to the cemetery.
Over the last week, I have been asking myself, “How does a community respond to such horror? How does one remember the victims?” Personally, I do not have answers to these questions. However, this community does.
Armed groups commit massacres to install fear in and social control over a population. Instead of giving into this fear, this community responded by remembering. This remembering is an act of resistance. Together, they have chosen to remember the lives of their loved ones and resist death. Instead of living in fear, they have chosen for 10 years to remember and in turn to resist together. They have chosen never to forget and to continue the work of holding the individuals responsible.

‘’There can be no forgiveness without the truth, without justice, and without reparations’’ leaders repeated throughout the event. Since the demobilization process, a few paramilitary commanders have confessed to this event but can only receive a maximum of 8 years. A sentence, which is 2 years shorter than the time these families have spent without their loved one. How many more years will they spend without them? How many years will they have wait for justice, for reparations? Furthermore, the Colombian military, which is also complicit in this action for allowing and sponsoring it has had complete impunity.

Though justice has not come, the bodies of Ricky Nelson García Amador, Wilson Pacheco Quiroz, Ender González Baena, Oswaldo Enrique Vásquez Quiñonez, Oscar Leonel Barrera Santa were buried last week. They are present as the community continues to move forward remembering -- the victims of May 16th and all the victims of this war. In that remembering, they resist.