“Victims have taught us that dialogue is not a distant concept”: International Community

Article 142 of Law 1448 stipulates that every April 9 of each year the Day of Memory and Solidarity with Victims will be celebrated, through acts of recognition of the events that have victimized nearly 10 million Colombians, in the context of the armed conflict in the country.

The embassies of Germany, Canada, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway, the European Union, the United Kingdom, Sweden, Switzerland and the Organization of American States MAPP/OAS Mission to Support the Peace Process in Colombia, through a joint statement, joined the commemoration of this date.

In their letter, officials from international countries sent a message to the victims and assured that with their perseverance, “they have shown that despite the deep wounds left by violence, it is possible to bet on the path to peace. We will continue to accompany them on their way to complete peace,” they said.

The Single Registry of Victims has a universe of 9′113,500 people affected during the armed conflict.

One of the points highlighted by the nine ambassadors in terms of reparation and recognition towards this population is the achievement of peace seats. “This is a process that must continue to be strengthened in favor of democracy and peace.”

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However, the verification mission warned that these spaces of leadership cannot be synonymous with risk or insecurity for this population, “today we are united to call on the authorities and society as a whole, to give them all the guarantees for the full exercise of their rights and the construction of peace”, they assured in their letter to public opinion.

It is important to note that on March 22, this same mission in support of the Peace Agreement, announced from the indigenous reservations of Cauca that these communities have been the most affected by the escalation of violence in Colombia, stressing that illegal groups perpetuate the war without respect for the integrity of these peoples.

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In the midst of this commemoration, the representatives recalled that the objective of their work is to accompany and surround the victims, recognizing their fundamental role in the construction of a new reality. “Today we want to thank the victims for the trust they have given us to enter their homes, community centers, booths, schools, malokas and rancherías, and for sharing their pains, truths and demands with us,” they said.

Since 2004, the Mission to Support the Peace Process of the Organization of American States (OAS) has accompanied peace policies in the country. “For decades, victims have taught us that dialogue is not a distant concept, but a concrete tool that has allowed us to process differences and transform conflicts to improve coexistence. We have learned that Peace needs openness and a sum of wills,” they stated in their letter dated Saturday, April 9, 2022.

The ambassadors of the international community in the country concluded their document, reiterating their commitment to accompanying the victims in the process of reparation: “We are going to support them on this path, with the unwavering conviction that it is possible to build a complete, dignified and inclusive peace for Colombia.”

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