3 Stories of Inspiring Human Rights Advocates in Colombia
During COVID-19 these leaders continue to empower women and defend their rights
Raul Arboleda, AFP
Human rights defenders and social leaders are USAID partners in development. They give long-neglected communities in Colombia, plagued by conflict and narco-violence, a voice. They have the courage to advocate for community interests, in spite of the violence they face from criminal actors, who feel threatened by a coherent, organized civil society and strong, functioning state institutions.
As hundreds of social leaders have been killed over the last four years, USAID is proud to stand beside Colombia’s brave social leaders.
Responding to the social leader attacks is among USAID’s highest priorities in Colombia and an increasing human rights focus since the COVID-19 national quarantine began on March 24. While overall crime in Colombia has decreased since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, social leaders find themselves increasingly vulnerable to attacks while isolated and targeted by the narcotrafficking-fueled criminal groups.
USAID supports a comprehensive strategy to bring peace, state presence, and economic prosperity to violence-affected areas of Colombia. In order to halt social leader killings, USAID partners with the Government of Colombia and civil society to prevent violent attacks, protect social leaders, and investigate and prosecute the crimes against them.
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 national quarantine, USAID has communicated with social leaders across the country to better understand and respond to their changing needs. USAID is using social media and virtual events to elevate their essential work, train them in self-protection measures, and maintain dialogue with the government authorities.
Below are three USAID-supported social leaders who have overcome incredible hardship, yet continue unwavering in their commitment to promoting human rights in Colombia. Even during the increased challenge of COVID-19, they remain examples of tenacity, reconciliation, and inspiration.
Empowering Women Victims of Conflict
Mayerlis Angarita, a law student, has spent almost 20 years empowering women victims of conflict. Today, she leads her own civil society organization and a network of 84 women’s organizations committed to protecting women leaders. At age 12, her mother disappeared at the height of the violence during Colombia’s multiple-decade conflict. It was this early exposure to violence, forced displacement, assassinations, and rape that motivated her to use her voice and the community’s collective memory as a tool for healing and to demand victims’ rights. Recently, she was notified — in what she said was a “miracle” — that her mother’s remains had been identified in a mass grave after 26 years.
Due to her leadership as a victim’s advocate, she has faced attempts on her life, most recently in 2019, when the armored SUV she was being transported in was fired upon. She was traveling with one of her daughters and a nephew in Barranquilla. She says these challenges have made her more resilient and propelled the Ministry of Interior-led women leaders protection program, supported by USAID, in which she participates.
While COVID-19 has brought hunger and insecurity to her community, Mayerlis perseveres as a leader and mobilizes assistance for people in need. With USAID support, she continues to advocate for protection of women leaders and the wellbeing of her community.
“When I was attacked last year, USAID was there for me. USAID believed in us, helped raise our voices, and accompanied us in our territories.” — Mayerlis
Advocating for Women Leaders Under Threat
Fatima Murie is president of an alliance of women’s organizations called Tejedoras de Vida (Weavers of Life), a network of nearly 2,000 women in southern Colombia. She is a former teacher, mother, and grandmother, who has devoted her life to protecting women from all types of violence, be it domestic or political. She draws her motivation from the internal conflict in Colombia during the 1990s — which forcibly displaced her family and killed her two brothers. It also exposed her to how women were disproportionately affected by all forms of violence.
Fatima then created a protection network of women’s organizations and leaders, known as Women Weavers of Life.
In her region of Putumayo, the COVID-19 quarantine has dramatically increased gender-based violence and social leader insecurity. She cannot make her usual house visits, but with USAID support, she and her alliance’s team of professionals continue supporting women victims of violence by phone, connecting them with institutions, lawyers, and psychosocial services. Fatima has sought creative solutions for women leaders under threat, including finding them safe lodging after repeated threats to their lives. Additionally, with USAID support, she broadcasts radio messages for women about how to manage gender-based violence, access available services, and file cases against their perpetrators.
“After decades of armed conflict, now we are facing another attack, this time affecting our health. We are strong, resilient women. We will resist this new attack as we have always done — by staying together, helping each other and keeping our spirits high.” — Fatima
Preventing Violence and Promoting Gender Equity
Clemencia Carabalí Rodallega is an Afro-Colombian community leader and ethnic rights defender. She lives in Cauca, the Colombian state with the highest rate of social leader homicides. She survived a grenade attack in 2019 — the same year she won the Colombian National Prize for the Defense of Human Rights. Sadly, this was not her first brush with violence. At 27, during the conflict, she bravely confronted illegal armed actors who arrived in her village, advocating for respect and rights on behalf of her community, and later for food under the threat of starvation. When she was seven months pregnant, 15 heavily armed actors came to her home and threatened to kill her. The stress caused a stroke, and the loss of her child.
Undeterred, Clemencia’s USAID-supported organization has addressed the diverse needs of women in Cauca for the last 20 years — raising women’s voices and engaging government authorities to address ethnic and gender issues in development plans and projects.
Since the onset of COVID-19, Clemencia has advocated against the criminal groups that continue drug trafficking and other illegal activities during the national quarantine. USAID support helped her organization develop a self-protection strategy that has kept her and her fellow leaders safe.
“In this time of isolation of COVID-19, we can prevent violence and promote gender equity with respect and solidarity. Only with love and awareness will we surpass this situation.” — Clemencia
About the Author
Jessica Benton Cooney is the Lead Communications and Outreach Specialist for USAID’s Center of Excellence on Democracy, Human Rights, and Governance.
