The Army Came to my House

Testimony by Robertina Nastacuas

Photos and accompanying  text - Daisuke Shibata

We came here on Janaury 24th. It was Friday. I remember the day and the week.

Nov. 2013 - Don Gregorio and doña Robertina.

The army came to my house, they camped near my house. Afterwards the guerrilla attacked the army and the army responded. It became very dangerous and we didn't want to stay there, so my husband and I came here to stay with our son. 

Nov. 2013 - Couple with their son's family where they were staying.

I told the soldiers not to touch our belongings. For now we are staying here. Don Gregorio sometimes goes back to the house to take care of our chickens, pigs and cattle.

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Husband and wife don Gregorio and doña Robertina live in the Arrayán area of Magüi reservation. On December 2, 2012, at 1am, an army plane bombarded guerrilla fighters who were camped a 10 minute walk away form their home. The bombing was intense and lasted three hours. The commander and more than 20 guerrillas were killed.

Feb. 2013 - Arrayán, area that was bombed in 2012

Don Gregorio and doña Robertina were at their daughter's home in the neighboring area. They heard the explosions and waited until dawn to go to their house, but they thought it was still dangerous to stay there so they returned to their daughter's.

Feb. 2013 - Doña Robertina with daughter-in-law and grandchildren.
This is near their son's home, where they have taken refuge.

After the bombardment the national army took over their house. A month later the couple returned with a mandate from the community government council (they hold posts in it), to talk with the army and investigate the situation.

Nov. 2013 - Corn for planting being smoked to protect it from insects.

The army finally left the house, but most of the animals had died during the fighting. Blankets and clothes missing, and seeds that were stored for later planting had burned. Doña Robertina and don Gregorio denounced this to the army but have gotten no response.

Nov. 2013 - They have bought new animals.

Combat in the Reservation II

Testimony by José Chingal - Head of the Magüi Reservation Council

Fotos - Daisuke Shibata

The combat started before noon. I was with my wife near the pond where we grow fish. The guerrilla sent 4 bombs flying over the valley to where we are from the other side of the mountain.  The army is near here, that's why the guerrilla is firing in our direction.

José Chingal

One bomb landed only 100 meters from our house. The house shook. After that they started shooting. The shootout lasted a long time, about two and a half hours. After this the shots became more spaced out. Finally it stopped after three hours. My granddaughter was inside the house, drawing, when it happened. She was in shock. 

We were two families in the house, ours and a mother with her four children. The ten of us decided to go out to get away from the danger. The other family had come to gather "chiro" (small bananas). When things calmed down we went to the school, which is our evacuation site. The other family left their chiros behind, carrying them would have made our exit harder. 

Chiros

I don't know how long we will be staying at the school. lt's been 20 days since the army arrived and tension with the guerrilla started. 

Five more bombs fell near our house yesterday. I don't know if anyone died or was hurt. Usually when this happens helicopters fly in but this time they didn't come, so maybe no one was injured. We don't know what is going to happen now.

Combat in the Reservation

Text and images - Daisuke Shibata

In the southern part of Colombia, there is an Awá indigenous community called Magüi. It is in Ricaurte municipality, Nariño, near the Ecuadorian border.

This area is the site of a conflict that has gotten worse since the late 1990s. I met the people of Magüi for the first time in Ecuador, where they were living as refugees. Since last year, after their return, I have been visiting them back in Magüi reservation.

I've heard many stories of people being injured or killed in this conflict. When I came to visit the community for the first time, I was impressed by the beauty of its forest and pure water. I especially remember the sight of the mountains at dawn.

I remember what one old refugee man told me “There is no other place with such fertile soil, where we can grow all our crops.”

The conflict has continued, sometimes quietly and sometimes with violence, as if it would never end. This year, clashes between the guerrilla and army have gotten worse in and around Magüi.

With explosions, overflights and shots sounding off in the distance, we are staring this blog from the INKAL AWA school. It is a first step in an effort to make the life and thoughts of the people of Magüi visible to the outside world. As soon as this current clash subsides and the school year can begin, we have planned a photography and blog workshop with the students.

This blog project is a MINGA (collaboration) between the Awá community of Magüi and Cineminga.

Daisuke Shibata is an independent photojournalist from Ibaragi, Japan, collaborating with Cineminga on this project. He has worked with indigenous communities in Mexico and Colombia since 2007.