Na War We Dey Face: Colombia People Suffer As Drug Fight No Go End

Latino America, Colombia – Na wah, my people! Wetin be dis? As if dem no dey enjoy peace for this part of the world, na so bomb and gunfire don start again. Rival anti-government narco-militias don return this land to state of wahala. Wetin dey cause all dis? Simple: Cocaine dey carry its own wahala.

For the rainforests of Colombia, war don dey gbege between the government and rebel group dem. E don dey happen for over 60 years o! And wetin be inside di wahala? The strong demand for cocaine wey dey make people dey kill demseleves. I dey watch all dis matter as e be, and na today I go share my gist as I just finish explore the wahala for the Catatumbo region.

Catatumbo, my padi! E be like one fine garden wey dey bordered by Venezuela. But no let di beauty fool you – for this area, na every man for himsef as dem dey fight for cocaine trafficking route wey connect dem coca fields to smuggling network. And right now, ELN, one of di oldest insurgent groups for Latin America, dey do battle with di Colombian army and di leftovers of the old warriors. Dem don dey fight since 1964, and dem still dey chop serious accusations like extortion, kidnapping, and all di drama wey dey make di civilians dey fear for dia life.

I manage enter one remote mountain camp to meet up with dis ELN commander wey call herself Silvana Guerrero. E be like say she no wan hear anything about cocaine production or how dem dey recruit young padi dem. It no be small tension wey dey there (you fit feel am for di air like say na bad fish dey smell).

But I hear wetin dey happen for street! Di people wey dey live for between di frontlines na di real heroes. I meet Carmen, one woman wey life don show am pepper. She don lose her husband to di army and her son to di ELN. But instead of folding her hands, she don create Madres del Catatumbo – a group wey dey help women wey don lose children to di conflict, no matter wetin side dem dey support. Na di kind strong woman wey we need, if we wan fit rise from all dis wahala.

Her story carry plenty weight. Behind every soldier and rifle dey waiting mama wey dey mourn, worrying about her pikin wey dey choose path of violence. And guess wetin? Carmen dey bring dem together, turning tears into power for peace. In dis region wey forget wetin peace be, she dey shout for hope and togetherness.

We also meet some poor coca farmers wey don dey suffer for decades to make ends meet. Coca dey grow three times a year, and e dey help dem survive for place wey no get proper roads, schools, or market. Even though billions don dey go for di so-called war on drugs, e be like say nothing don really change. Di price of cocaine dey maintain well well, while di masters wey dey run di drug business dey laugh to di bank.

After di 2016 peace deal, pipo hope say Colombia go fit turn new leaf. But as long as cocaine dey fuel di fighting, na so peace jah go dey elusive. Di farmers go continue to plant, armed groups and criminals go dey fight over territory, and mama Carmen and her like go still dey bury dem dead. Na so we dey run this show; but I still dey see hope for dis land, among di resilience of di people and dem courage.

As Unreported World dey mark 25 years, Channel 4 News dey put together stories wey fit shine light on di matter. I go keep gisting you as di stories unfold, because na wetin dem dey call “real life” be dis, no be soap opera!