The armed conflict in Putumayo has had different impacts and our society has not

been nor is prepared to assume them and overcome them. Since 2000 we live in a
constant state of war that increasingly takes lives of peasants, Indians, women
and children, key actors in an unprecedented humanitarian crisis whose output co
ntinues to be imposed by military means. From 2000 to 2006, what happened? FARC
had two fronts, 32 AND 48. Today we have identified eight fronts. AUC began with
the Southern Bloc of the AUC, then become the Bloque Central Bolivar (most infl
uential Mafia) with five groups and is now called the stubble. Public Force, Put
umayo region where they operate two of the major security strategies, Plan Colom
bia and Plan Patriota, which have increased military presence. There are 16 poli
ce stations, soldiers, farmers in all locations, narcotics police, a brigade wit
h five battalions XXVII, a Mobile Brigade, the Naval Forces South (a major in th
e country) and Narcotics Brigade operating from the base Tres Esquinas in Caquet
a. If something has changed in this period is poverty, which increased with the
spraying. People live with 80% of NBI, particularly the rural population. The mo
st dramatic effect of the spraying is the hunger for community. Still have inves
ted over 400 billion on social welfare of Plan Colombia. Five years have not pas
sed the dependence on the coca economy. After five years of intensive spraying (
more than 130,000 hectares in the Putumayo), we have a major replanting in the p
ast two years an estimated 40,000 ha. Ie 60,000 ha (45% of national total), was
reduced to 2003-25000 has (by the intensity of spraying), but these results were
not sustainable, moved to Ecuador and Putumayo now may be among the first three
departments with coca. Ecuador for their part, if a broker for all illicit trad
e, the area also makes the installation of crystallizing (some phones), another
new phenomenon is the tendency of young people of Ecuador to work as pickers, al
so known Ecuadorians have some coca plantations on the side of Colombia.
HUMANITARIAN CRISIS AND HANDLING One of the most dramatic manifestations of
this war, forced internal displacement of approximately 37,000 people who have l
ost their identity, territories, possessions, placing them in a situation of hig
h vulnerability. Moreover, the institutions are very weak compared to the dramat
ic situation facing military offensives by all armed actors.
For five years, the department has been the forced displacement of 7825 househ
olds, about 37 314 people. By region, the area known as the lower Putumayo (mu
nicipality of Puerto Asis, Puerto Caicedo, Orito, San Miguel-La Golden Valley Gu
amuez-La Hormiga and Puerto Leguizamo), has the highest population driven with 5
387 displaced households (25 779 people), representing 69% of the total. The M
edio Putumayo region (municipalities of Villa, Mocoa and Puerto Guzman), shows 2
4% of the total population driven with 1864 households (8950 persons). The Alt
o Putumayo (municipalities of Santiago, San Francisco, Sibundoy and Colon), by c
ontrast, is characterized as receiver and recorded a 4% (33 households, 157 indi
viduals) displaced population. Arguably, the department suffered from forced dis
placement reconfiguration of its total population. The capital of the departme
nt, is the largest reception center in the department, its relative safety and p
resence of institutions makes it appealing to vulnerable populations affected by
armed conflict, seeking shelter and emergency assistance. Since 2000 this city
has received 13 510 people (2946 cores), which represents about half of the popu
lation residing in the town (25000), Puerto Asis, in addition to being the great
est thrower, is also second in reception 10 896 displaced persons (2136 cores).
The shift in these two cities has profoundly changed social and economic dynamic
s, increased informal sector, basic needs in health and sanitation, poverty and
the emergence of slums. The above data do not reflect the reality of displacem
ent in Putumayo, is notorious for underreporting on posting interveredal and fam
ilies moving drop by drop and which are not recorded because they believe it inc
reases your risk, preventing their return and do not trust institutions. Groups
at Risk 4.2.1 Threatened Teachers Teachers are one of the few representati
ons of state and government in the most troubled and isolated areas of the depar
tment. Many of them are in the midst of conflict, vulnerable and faced with all
armed groups, guerrillas, FARC and the security forces. Most of the complaints
 made by teachers are recorded as evidence to justify his threat and moving, how
ever, these statements are in themselves serious violations of human rights and
international humanitarian law, teachers in addition to promoters Rural health i
s one of the official sectors of greatest vulnerability
midst of conflict, not in vain, 167 teachers are registered as threatened from 2
000 to 2005. In 2005, the Departmental Secretary of Education, 80 teachers rep
orted threat. Most of the violations committed against teachers have to do wit
h murders, threats, accusations, take and damage to educational facilities, forc
ed recruitment of their students and forced displacement. The possession by th
e army of education facilities also jeopardizes the student population that serv
es as a human shield. Making for more than a year of high school Cuembi (La Carm
elita, Puerto Asis), by the Army for Road Infrastructure and Energy No 11 Puerto
Asis, is a dramatic event that forced the displacement of 200 families in the C
armelite to be identified as military targets by the guerrillas. And many teac
hers as well as displaced, many are still resisting in high-conflict regions aga
inst the war and the situation of food insecurity due to fumigation. Brave teach
ers risk their lives daily, trying to defend the schools of possession by the gu
errillas, the army or the paramilitaries, also to avoid forced recruitment of th
eir students and their desertion. Women and children Women in the department
of Putumayo represent half the population (46.8%) in recent years, its traditio
nal role is being transformed to new demands and social demands made by the inte
nsification armed conflict, displacement, hunger and the impact of spraying. Thi
s group has assumed a major role in preserving the social and productive fabric
of the region and has been playing items vetoed by the dirty war, human rights a
nd peace. This female force, however, has been also a victim of armed conflict
, for example, in 2002 70 women were killed, including 34 in the municipality of
Puerto Asis. From (2003) have been concerned as homicides have increased the lo
cal women leaders with high-impact processes, including mention of LUZ MARIA Ben
avidez, killed on November 25, 2003 in the municipality of Villa, after to perfo
rm the "March Against Spraying, war and the demilitarization" (initiative of the
Ruta Pacifica) and MARTHA Jamioy, Governor Ward Alpamanga indigenous municipali
ty of Puerto Guzmán, who was killed on November 23, 2004, for reporting the inva
sion of their territory by armed groups. Similarly, in recent years, threats h
ave increased and the displacement of many leaders, and their families, (being k
illed by their husbands or children, hunger produced by spraying or by preventin
g the forced recruitment of children ), moved into marginal areas
Mocoa, Pasto, Neiva Pitalito or losing all the organizational capacity and leade
rship that characterized.

TABLE NO 3 ADULT DISPLACED POPULATION BY GENDER AND BY COUNTY 2000-2005 Putumayo

MAN MUNICI women SUBTOT AL RES S PIO Puerto Asis 2759 2191 495
0 129 Puerto Guzmán 164 293 185 203 Puerto Caicedo Villagarz 388
651 785 1436 ion Orito 419 515 934 283 The 641 358 San
Ant 117 148 265 Miguel Puerto 472 482 954 Leguiza mo Mocoa 3
036 6621 3585 331 Sibundo 724 and 393 40 48 Santiag 88 or
119 Columbus 124 243 San Francisc 91 82 TOTAL 173 or 8065 9645
17 710 Source: Social Solidarity Network. Departmental Secretary of Educati
on Of the total adult population displaced 17 710, 54% are women and 45% men.
As noted in Figure 1, in all municipalities was a higher percentage of displacem
ent in women than in men.
Plot No 1
Adult Population Displaced by Gender and Municipio Putumayo 2000 - 2005
ADULT POPULATION DISPLACED BY COUNTY 2000-2005
4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0
Pu or m ig a M er ig ue to Le l gu iz am or M c or oy na bu If Sa nt ia go As uz
m Pt is án G o. C ai Vi ce ll do a ga rz ol ion ion C Fr an ci sc o. or Pt T o
O ri
MEN WOMEN
H
Pt o.
Sa n
Source: Social Solidarity Network. Departmental Secretary of Education By ge
nder, the total number of women and young girls displaced during 2000 to 2005 we
re 19 334, including the adults represent 50% (9645), mostly heads of household
and the group remains of girls aged 5-12 (5250), who becomes the holder of mater
nal labor.
The situation of food insecurity (by spraying, displacement,
fighting) is one of the reasons for greater distress for women, which affects th
eir participation in organizational processes, as their expectations are focused
on solving immediate economic needs and individual rarely articulated structura
l transformations Community principles and creating a lack of solidarity socia1l
tissue breakdown. Another situation is silenced and made invisible to childre
n and youth in the conflict. This population is not treated properly and their i
ntegration into society is limited to a quota in colleges or schools of the depa
rtment, without any counseling or therapy to help them overcome the dramatic eve
nt of the death of a family, his exile, the cultural changes that exist between
urban and rural.
1
Idem.
Sa n
Of the total displaced population 37 314, 10% are children under 4 years, 29%
were among children 5 to 12 years and 13% young people aged 13-17 years. (See Ta
ble No. 4, 5 and 6). The forced recruitment is one of the major causes of disp
lacement of rural families who prefer to leave everything before their children
are involved in the war. Domestic violence and sexual violence against women a
nd children is another reality invisibilizada that goes hand in hand with the ar
med conflict and displacement. increase in regions of conflict where there is hi
gh concentration of armed personnel. According to the ICBF, in the four zonal ce
nters of Putumayo, have been addressed out of court in 2005, 3204 cases, of whic
h 181 are of child abuse. It is important to note also the silence about the v
iolation of human rights and international humanitarian law and this one manifes
tation of widespread terror with which armed groups operate with impunity and th
e discrediting of the state. The ending impunity, serious acts that violate hu
man rights, in contrast to the persecution and the fight against drug traffickin
g, which shows its best results in the arrest of small farmers, peasants and ind
igenous people. According to the Regional Ombudsman of Putumayo, 90% of the 463
inmates of the jail department of Mocoa, are arrested for finding a kilo or two
of coca paste, and even coca plants, with sentences of more than five years. Thi
s group includes 61 women arrested, peasant and indigenous mothers and most hous
eholds have abandoned their homes.
CONCLUSIONS AND PROPOSALS Displaced families urgently seeking a place to hos
t emergency humanitarian assistance and dissemination of their rights. Once it h
as passed the first phase of location in the host society, the two priority need
s for this population is to ensure survival, which means having a job or source
of income for them or access to credit. "Hopefully we have stopped both the in
stitutions and we really give help, take four years for all to access to housing
for
education, to health, but never gets anything, everyone knows that we have only
one meal a day and yet we are still counting ."... Mocoa displaced Testimony. "
Within the group of displaced women constitute the largest percentage, the maj
ority is returned to society with low-paying jobs that exploit their status, the
ir need to keep the family agrees to accept any job, whether in homes , bakeries
, restaurants, peddling, etc. In particular, the situation of displaced indigeno
us women is very difficult because they do not adapt to the conditions of the ci
ty and "... chagras cry a lot for its rivers, mountains and animals that were ta
ken away "... .. usually reaches the displaced population to the cities withou
t identity documents,€which severely limits their access to labor market or rece
iving grants or loans for productive projects, commercial, education and health.
It highlighted the situation of food insecurity (for spraying, moving, fighti
ng) as one of the reasons for greater distress for women. The presence of arme
d actors mute and invisible causes of serious violence against women, children,
situations that do not talk and start to assume as part of everyday life. The
application of justice depends on the armed actors that controls the territory (
guerrilla, paramilitary forces), as there is no civilian presence of the State o
r its presence is subordinate. Violence against women and vulnerable groups incr
eases with impunity. Women deprived of freedom, for coca, without saying, the
prisons and there should be conditions have certain rights, child care, nursery,
we must begin to speak out against this violation. But the worst is happening i
s in Puerto Asis, there are 20 internal appalling conditions. The lack of syst
ematic and updated information on the different types of violence against women
hinders the analysis documented that allow visible and influence the transformat
ion of this situation. PROPOSALS Build and strengthen partnerships between c
ommunity organizations, governmental and non governmental organizations, which w
ork to articulate a gender perspective aimed at the protection and prevention of
violent acts against women, children and youth. (Processes of training, advocac
y, documentation strategies, and impact on public policy). Lost Memory on the
emblematic cases of human rights violation and visibility are problematic from a
symbolic language. In this
Similarly, it is necessary to document the information, report and develop advoc
acy actions. psychological processes of children and the general community aff
ected by armed conflict. Violence against women occurs both because they are w
omen, as for being women leaders, teachers, belonging to indigenous communities,
as women as refugees and young people. It is urgent and necessary to develop st
rategies for protection and prevention of violent events. It is necessary to i
dentify and articulate all organizational efforts, including proposals that have
been rescued from the displaced and from the need for food security. It is im
portant to have a database that allows to have information disaggregated by sex,
age, ethnic group, which would help to clarify the socio-demographic profile of
the population in situation of displacement.
An interesting experience in Mocoa, is the San Andreas community board made up
of vulnerable and displaced 144 families who bought land activities and conduct
ed a housing project and now are fighting for the basic services of sewer, water
and energy led by Carmen Elena Ocoro a woman Cauca.