«There is very little left of the colonial city; with two hours you have to spare. So we have organized a tour of two neighborhoods of the Commune 18 so that you know our reality at the foot of the field », tells me in transatlantic call Carmiña Navia, writer, professor at the School of Literary Studies of the Universidad del Valle, Great prestige in Colombia, and feminist. Carmiña lives with Asunción painted, A Catalan that has been here 50 years. Cities were left to help "peeles" (boys) Caleños. Founded on 1976 the House of Culture Weaving Sororities, With headquarters in Barrio el Jordán and Prados del Sur.
I stay at home, Next to the headquarters of the El Jordán neighborhood. It is an austere housing with red brick on the outside and enchanted inside, With an open patio in the center. With my host lives Wiking, Javeriana like them; It will be my guide for this “hot” Caleña route. In alone 48 hours, They tell me about your life, Your beliefs and reflections, And from this city with drug trafficking corpses floating through the rivers of memory.
And 48 Hours tell me about your life, Your beliefs and reflections, And from this city with drug trafficking corpses floating through the rivers of memory
We start talking about its belonging to liberation theology during 30 years. «Fostered in part by the priest Camilo Torres, It was a change movement that led us many enemies », Carmiña account in front of a calaño plate based on vegetables, Meat and rice.
The Catholic hierarchy was thoroughly used against them, especially Archbishop Uribe Urdaneta; With the support of military and ruling castes. «In attacking us, It has been the only thing to all agree on; Even the "ellenes" (ELN guerrillas, The National Liberation Army)», Add with skeptical smile.
«In attacking us, It has been the only thing to all agree on; Even the "ellenes"
Today they practice a mutual "Laissez Faire" that does not prevent their outrage at the numerous allegations of pedophilia within the local church, Obviated without blush, They complain, By biempensante society and the Vatican itself. In fact, Pope Francis's words on his last visit to Chile have left a sour taste in the palates of the basic ecclesial communities.
«I never made expectations with him; Not with power, Because the power corrupts », APUNTA CARMORIña. Too many words and little action. Nor have they accepted the Catholic divorced couples or clarify the Vatican accounts. Yes, Criticisms to progressive Christians continue - it is joined by Asunción.
His "walk" on the hill, The highest mountain in Cali, He discovered the real needs and stayed
Regarding their relationship with other ecclesial grassroots communities, They have been constant with the Brazilians and Costa Ricans, And also with the Mexican from Puebla Parallel (1979).
My next question is related to Bolivarian leaders. «We did not make expectations either. Chávez had some interesting ideas, But it was very macho, And you see Daniel Ortega. With Lula and Pepe Mújica it was different and time has proved us right », says Rotunda Carmiña. —The Latin American situation cannot be the result of a revolutionary process of great leaders, but of maturation of the bases through their formation, which is not an obstacle so that we do not consider the concept of Gramsci leader valid, Because it is imbricated at the base - my interlocutor concludes.
- But the theology of liberation was too patriarchal and macho, "says Asunción. Therefore, from the year 2000 They opt for feminist theology of Ivone Gebara. Fruit of a deep crisis, They traveled, They observed and reflected. «And we decided to locate ourselves in another space and another perspective, work with victims of gender violence », The Spanish continues.
Its inhabitants came here forced to leave their lands for environmental disasters, for the violence of the army and the paramilitaries and by the guerrillas, that kidnap the youngest to swell their ranks
His "walk" on the hill, The highest mountain of Cali, He discovered the real needs and stayed. Although there are no censuses, It is estimated that some live some 110.000 inhabitants. Your settlement, as in other large Colombian cities, It is the result of large invasions caused by forced displacements. They have been forced to abandon their lands due to environmental disasters and the violence exerted by the army and the paramilitaries, that support the interests of the great owners and the multinationals, and the guerrillas, They kidnap the youngest to swell their ranks and charge them "vaccines" (Periodic economic extortion).
They started by installing 250 books in a living room to go children and young people. Then, The venues arrived, Where the strata live 0, 1 and 2 (Colombian society is divided into strata, that hug from 0 the 6. The first is that of misery; the 1, that of extreme poverty; the 2, The one with great poverty). Its primary objective was always to form a group that brings together the people of the neighborhood and created a sense of community.
In my incursion, I immediately proved that the "invisible borders" between the different sectors of the hill did not exist for us. For Viqui, for being a component of the community that works and lives in the district; for me, for being your guest. Women greeted us and welcomed; anxious to meet after the holiday impasse from November to January.
In my incursion, I immediately proved that the "invisible borders" between the different sectors of the hill did not exist for us
—When you have consolidated a network of women, One of the leaders or a very hard family blow dies, And start again; to gain the confidence of another to continue calling - Viqui counts after introducing me to a solved nature and clean look, But with tragic biography. Still, He posed flirtatious before my camera after talking to me of brutal family deaths because of the drug, While a granddaughter watched the scene, Woman of 20 years, Mother of three children and lame. Result of a “lost” bullet from the “Pichincha” military camp, where they instruct soldiers with few security measures and serious environmental deterioration when they try without warning tear gas that intoxicate the entire hill in a matter of hours.
Viqui will react along this pilgrimage of 12 Hours the history of the commune and that Colombia that does not appear in the tourist guides or in the history manuals. In the past, It was a tropical green upholstered paradise flying over a good handful of birds. We can find descriptions of what was in the "Maria" of Jorge Isaacs, His summit novel. For the hill, Barracks have been growing like fluffy fungus carpets. They already arrive almost to the river. Initially, Its new colonizers raised four cards that fell immediately because of rain and wind or paramilitaries, But they didn't give up and, With communal zeal, They took advantage of the night to lift walls. End, His hardship beat the weather and salary gunmen and the houses have remained standing.
The hill was a taped paradise of tropical green flew over a good handful of birds. Now, The barracks such as fluffy fungus carpets grow by the hill.
We travel by car the dangerous sections; the market, Insurance. Some streets remind me of the street art: garbage stacked in the corners, Girls suffocating doors and windows, Drug addicts practicing board games in minimal squares, Two twenty police officers making the round in ramshacks motorcycles, gangs defending in the corners every span of its territory through invisible borders and sellers of "basuko" to 30 meters from primary schools; to the high school, They are sold to 7 km from here, Because there are no classrooms in the hill. Every morning, Those who decide to continue studying 14 km by roads where they are very likely to end up being raped.
Sometimes, Some image reminds me of a coz in the eye that Cézanne spoke and Ginsberg, as fitness gyms or beauty salons in the territory of few pesos (Colombian currency).
- Colombians live obsessed with their appearance; They link image to social category - tells my guide. Colonial would say; They are like that Spanish gentleman who hid under a lustrous black cape the misery of his biography. The names and images about the invasions that I see on walls and facades catch me; have created a fascinating imaginary.
Some streets remind me of the street art: Stacked garbage, Girls suffocating doors and windows, Drug addicts practicing board games, two twenty -year -old police officers in ramshacks motorcycles
We stop at the Jera Foundation, born under the auspices of the rich autumn family in support of education. It is a modern and aseptic building, empty and silent. Could house secondary education to avoid adolescence 14 km daily horror, But the government does not contribute budget.
We pass in front of the children's village No. 1000, For children without families; The problem here is that whole groups are attached to the violence and the shortage of pesos.
At twelve, Heat resets when we approach the Jordan Health Center. The silence of the only waiting room squeak. Two men sleeping sitting in the bank; Women prepare food at home; Health can wait for them.
Loma is a collective biography of helplessness, But hungry to continue fighting
"You can't imagine your mercy what Calvary is to fall sick," a. "For days to get my diabetes medicine," he says with three raised fingers. The first to ask for a turn with your doctor; the second, To request the steering wheel that would allow him to order the medication in the pharmacy at an excessive price; the third, To go pick it up.
Returned home. The temperature and humidity have thrown us out of the street. The evening tour will be more of the same: A collective biography of helplessness, But hungry to continue fighting.
He was careful: The colonial city only took me two scarce hours of walk and the neighborhoods of the strata 5 and 6, A taxi. I did not find manifestations of Street Art as interesting as those that the hill held me.
