Photo: John manifestant à Santa Marta, 4 Juin 2021.
Colombia is one of the countries with the most varied biodiversity in the world. From the Jungle, to snow-capped mountains, through deserts and white sand beaches, it is home to 10% of the world's flora and fauna. Seven UNESCO classified sites and ever increasing tourism. Yet Colombians find it difficult to understand where the money is, how did it go and who benefits?
My name is Jhon Hincapié Salas (Jhomby), I am 20 years old and I am a business management student from the National Apprenticeship Service (SENA). I live in the town of Santa Marta - Magdalena. Magdalena is the third poorest department in the country, it has been forgotten for decades by the national government. And yet we have the best beaches on the South American continent.
Depuis 200 ans nous sommes laissés pour compte dans ce pays, nos droits ne sont pas respectés, on nous assassine. L’histoire montre que la Colombie est un des pays possédant la plus grande richesse en matière de biodiversité, mais on nous a volé tout ce qui nous appartenait. L’Etat n'investit ni dans l'agriculture, ni dans l'éducation, ni dans la science, et encore moins dans le sport et la culture. En réalité, les gouvernants pendant deux siècles n'ont pas soutenu les classes moyennes et populaires du pays, au contraire, ils ont continuer à "jodiendo" (à s’acharner) comme on dit populairement chez nous, c’était le but de la fameuse réforme fiscale qui a fait descendre tout un pays dans la rue.
Cette réforme a été la goutte d'eau qui a fait déborder le vase. Vous savez pourquoi ? Parce que la pandémie nous a laissés au bord de la famine, nous n'avons jamais reçu d'aide du gouvernement. Et malgré cela ils voulaient rajouter des impôts. Il devenait impossible de survivre, nous qui vivons au jour le jour.
Photo: John dans les rues de Santa Marta le 28 Mai 2021.
We're just peaceful protesters.
I am less worried than proud. Proud of these people who, despite all the injustices of these shitty politicians, are still looking for ways to bring home some money. I am proud that they have decided to take to the streets to fight for the defense of their rights, these rights violated for two centuries. I am grateful to the struggling youth.
But of course, I worry. There are deaths in Cali, Bogota, Popayán, Medellín and the rest of the country. There are more than 60 dead and thousands missing and no explanation is given to us.
The police must be reformed now, they must be educated. In this country, unlike the developed countries of the world, anyone can be a police officer, there is no training. They oppress the people, they abuse their authority, they shoot, torture and kill without mercy and regardless of who is in front. We are just peaceful protesters. They act this way because they are brainwashed by the government. The soldiers are a special case, to speak only of the false positives *. They kill peasants and young people to receive a commemoration. This commemoration and these incentives were given by the former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez and the current Iván Duque. The first being the real president, the second a puppet. There are now more than 300 false positive investigations against the government.
I personally have not experienced violence, but I have seen the way they torture and kill young people to fuel these false results in government, to make people believe they are winning the war against the guerrillas.
Vidéo: John et ses amis manifestent à Santa Marta, le 6 Juin 2021.
I claim a life of dignity with access to education, health, sports.
What will this social explosion give? I hope next year the elections will take a better turn. This country needs a change of leadership, we need a serious vote to change the course of the country. I claim a dignified life with access to education, health, sports. This country needs more social equality, we must stop assassinating social leaders, stop fueling an unnecessary war in which we, the middle class, are counting our dead, while they live like kings in laughing at us. We must find peace in this country, it is essential. I want a free country, where our rights are respected, where the new generation of children can realize their dreams without having to go into debt.
We must all have the same opportunities, we do not deserve to live in oblivion. People deserve respect. It is not possible that, in a country so rich in biodiversity, nearly 50% of Colombians live in poverty or even extreme poverty.
I invite the international community not to take its eyes off Colombia. They are killing us, they want to silence us at all costs.
* The false positives scandal was exposed in 2008. It involves the murder of civilians disguised as guerrillos by the Colombian military in order to increase the results of the combat brigades. (More info : https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/nov/19/colombia-false-positives-killings-general-mario-montoya-trial )
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