I met Danilo Villafaña in an uncomfortable situation when, while working at El Tiempo, I did a story about an indigenous man whose wife had had triplets. He stated that only one was his, the others were not. I found his position curious and made the news that went viral at the time.
On his social networks, a visibly offended Danilo stated that this news was an affront against the indigenous people and that he would file lawsuits against me.
I contacted him and he met me at the Shopping Center, he wanted me to know more about his ethnicity.
I went with the fear of meeting a brave and irrational character. Far from that, I was greeted by a pleasant man who spoke to me with great wisdom about the Arawaks and their philosophy. He invited me to Nabusimake in the bowels of the Sierra Nevada, which I gladly accepted. That day he took Bruce Mac Master, Director of the Department for Social Prosperity, governor of Cesar Luis Alberto Monsalvo and Fredys Socarrás, mayor at the time, and some presidential officials who arrived by helicopter. Meanwhile, he decided to take my cameraman José Luis Pérez and me by land, who would do a special for Canal El Tiempo and the newspaper El Tiempo. I noticed the respect with which the indigenous people treated him while they looked at us with distrust. “If you are with me you are safe,” he told us several times.
There I met his brother Amado Villafaña who has traveled the world with his photographs and documentaries of the indigenous population.
That day he told me about his commitment to Mother Earth, the Environment and Climate Change, he told me his story of how he was abruptly taken from his environment when he was about 10 years old because his father wanted him to study in Santa Marta, how hard it was for him. He heard the noise of the vehicles, he covered his ears in terror and the worst thing was the food, he was used to eating cassava, bananas and very basic foods. He wrinkled his face because the spicy food was unbearable. He studied in Santa Marta, Bogotá and several countries, he became a presidential advisor and his friends were presidents, ministers and congressmen. He was recognized by the Ministry of the Interior as Arhuaco Governor Council of La Guajira and Magdalena. He told me a phrase that I will not forget, “It’s no use having friends in the Government if you don’t have projects.”
And he did many to benefit his people.
I always met him at events where the president came and he greeted me warmly. The last time I tried to approach Iván Duque as a journalist and his bodyguards prevented me from doing so, while I saw Iván Duque look for Danilo in the crowd and he came down to greet him. . That day I told him as soon as I see you I’ll stick to you, you are my entry key. “Commigo, you’re sure,” he told me again. Looking at me with pride and gallantry.
Not only did the Arhuaco people lose with their absurd death, Colombia also lost a great human value and the world a leader in the environment.
By: Yanitza Fontalvo
