The recent combats between the Army and the Farc dissidents of alias ‘Iván Mordisco’, in the rural area of the municipality of La Plata, have generated a massive displacement of about 900 people. This is what the Ombudsman’s Office warns in an alert issued from this municipality in western Huila. The fear grows. Displacements in other areas of the department are not ruled out.
Hernan Galindo
temadeldia@lanacion.com.co
The Ombudsman’s Office alerted yesterday about the massive displacement of 867 people from 14 villages of the San Miguel corregimiento, jurisdiction of La Plata, in western Huila, where a few days ago a 4-year-old girl lost her life when she was left in the middle combat between the mobile column ‘Dagoberto Ramos’ (FARC dissident group) and the National Army.
After the death of 4-year-old Salomé Ussa Mosquera in the middle of fighting between the dissidents of the Farc and the Army in the township of San Miguel, 242 families had to move to the municipal seat for fear that the hostilities would continue, warns the organization defending human rights.
There are 242 families, made up of 398 minors and 469 adults, mostly peasants and indigenous people, who arrived in the urban area of the municipality of La Plata, where the Ombudsman’s Office is carrying out a humanitarian mission to provide specialized care, particularly to the town of San Miguel.
The national entity, in joint work with the municipal Ombudsman, is carrying out the process of taking statements from the displaced population, as well as verifying and monitoring the delivery of humanitarian aid that the municipal Mayor’s Office and the Governor’s Office have been doing. Huila.
comprehensive care
Yesterday an extraordinary session of the Transitional Justice Committee was held in La Plata, in order to provide comprehensive care and establish long-term solutions whose direct beneficiaries are the communities that are victims of displacement, a forced event that began on the 27th of July, when there were clashes between armed men under the command of ‘Iván Mordisco’ and uniformed men from the Army.
Johana Roa, Regional Ombudsman, commented that they are coordinating the care route with the different entities, so that all the displaced receive guidance and help with which they can mitigate the difficult situation, until the conditions are met to return to their territories.
“We are covering the attention of the eleven villages in the municipality of La Plata, I am in the Food Bank coordinating the humanitarian aid” he commented.
The Victims Unit requested to activate the contingency plan for the community of the villages of San Miguel, San Antonio, Los Cauchos, Los Pinos, Alto Triunfo and Cabuyal.
Edwin Anacona Collazos, representative of La Plata, confirmed that “the number continues to increase; Up to now, 867 people have displaced, representing 242 families, made up of 398 minors and 469 adults.
“The displaced are being cared for in the Ombudsman’s building, we do what is humanly possible; the administration has been with the entire team attending to accommodation, food and psychosocial support; We have had full support from the public force, protecting the integrity of the people, two shelters have been established for the moment ”.
“We had two important activities, a security council with local level authorities, and the Transitional Justice Committee where the situation was reported; We had the accompaniment of the Unit for Victims where they tell us that they are aware of the situation and that support will be provided,” added the representative of the Public Ministry.
Although it is not possible to have an exact date on the possibility of the return of these families to their homes, the representative stated that the presence of President Petro gave them encouragement so that all routes and entities are activated promptly, thus They hope that this situation for which they said they were not prepared will be overcome as soon as possible.
For her part, the territorial director of the Unit for Victims in Huila, Luisa Margarita Gil Olaya, assured that “the Unit for Victims provides assistance to the municipality of La Plata for the care of victims displaced by the responsibility of armed groups, participated in the Extraordinary Committee for Transitional Justice, and provided guidance on the immediate humanitarian response.”
“In this order of ideas, food, toilet and habitat kits will be delivered to care for all the families affected by the events. We send a message of solidarity to the Usa Mosquera family, for the loss of the minor Salomé, and to the entire affected community, we are articulating attention with the Ombudsman, the municipal administration of the municipality of La Plata and other humanitarian organizations.
On the other hand, the mayor in charge of La Plata, David Alejandro Paredes Trujillo, indicated that he asked President Petro to activate all the routes to deliver humanitarian aid, while the conditions are met according to the directives of the president to the Military Forces. that allow displaced families to return to their territories. The official asked for the solidarity of the Huilenses and Colombians.
Touching goodbye to Harlin Salomé
While the authorities concentrate on attending to the hundreds of displaced people that the armed conflict between the State and the FARC dissidents has generated, in the midst of scenes of pain and with the accompaniment of the community, the relatives of Harlin Salomé Usa Mosquera, They gave him a Christian burial.
Around ten in the morning, yesterday Sunday, adults, young people and children, mostly peasants like his family, accompanied the sad goodbye of the small victim who lost his life in the midst of combat between the Army and the rebels.
The funeral services were held in the town of San Vicente, in the rural area of La Plata. After having told details of the tragedy that affects them, their parents decided to remain silent in the midst of the sadness that overwhelms them.
The statement of Marly Mosquera, mother of the minor who, in the midst of sobs, said: “How am I going to forgive those who took a part of my heart?” is still valid.
An attendant at the funeral said that the relatives of the minor had recently arrived in the area, they came from El Pital and that the silence is because they fear being victims of reprisals.
