As residents entered the seventh day of a civil strike Tuesday, Colombian government authorities arrived in the western city of Buenaventura to discuss with local leaders possible solutions to human rights violations and other systemic problems in the Pacific coast region, one of the areas hardest hit by the country's more than half century of internal armed conflict.
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The government delegation, made up of the vice ministers of the Ministries of Housing, the Interior and Water and Sanitation, among other officials, was charged by President Juan Manuel Santos to "listen to the community and achieve agreements to lift the strike," the president wrote on his Twitter account.
Minister of the Interior Juan Fernando Cristo and Minister of the Environment Luis Gilberto Murillo are set to join the dialogue process in Buenaventura, located in the Valle de Cauca department, on Wednesday. A separate government team was scheduled to travel Tuesday for a parallel process in Quibdo, the capital of the Choco region, which has also seen a civilian strike since May 10 that sparked the spread of the action to Buenaventura on May 16.
A year has come and gone since Colombians in the southwestern region of the country began their fight for human rights, brought on by rising unemployment rates — the highest in the country — as well as threats of poverty, hunger and personal safety. New talks with the government Tuesday mark a possibility to ease the suffering for both the rural Indigenous and the Afro-Colombian community.
Last May, thousands joined together petitioning peacefully, begging for aid from the government and an end of systemic negligence. However when after a year not even 2 percent of the promised alterations had been made, the movements became more forceful, launching a new round of civilian strike to pressure the government to follow through on its promises.
Moving their fight from Choco to Buenaventura and enlisting help from Afro-Colombian celebrities, the protestors have grown in number and remained strong despite attacks from local police as well as threats and deaths which have occured along the way.
According to War on Wants, the strike was organized with these core values as their motivation:
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Increased health care coverage (preventive, advanced medical treatment, and traditional medicine).
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Recovery and conservation of degraded ecosystems.
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Increased education spending at all levels, from elementary to university.
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Government support for cultural and recreational activities.
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Basic sanitation and infrastructure, and the public and community operation of public services.
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Access to justice and reparations for individual and collective victims.
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Urban planning and new housing.
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Strengthening of regional production, along with economic, judicial, and political measures that create dignified jobs and salaries.
Community leaders were expected to discuss these and other issues with officials Tuesday in what could be a breakthrough in the indefinite strike and, if successful, could signal that change is within reach.