Puerto Asis

 Local Zones of Peace: General Survey and Map.

                                                           Puerto  Asis

Official Title:

Departamento: Putumayo

Region: Lower Putumayo

Population: c30,000

Location: On border with Ecuador; c350 miles SW of Bogota.

Ethnic mix: Campesinos and indigenous communities

IDP population: .

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 Functional committees.

Valued goods produced in region: Center for coca production [in 2000 estimated that in P. btwn 130,000 and 160,000 acres under cultivation]. Hence mass aerial spraying since 2000 as part of Plan Colombia. Since 1960s departamentowas also major source of oil, which helped open Lower Putumayo to settlement.

Local armed actors in the region:

Armed forces: 24^th Brigade and later anti-narcotic battalions.  

Paramilitaries: ACCU/AUC [orig. known locally as Paracos] entered region in 1997 as part of their plan to “librate the south”, have remained active and in cooperation with military have attemptd to clear region of guerrillas, especially following the launching of  Plan Colombia and Plan Patriota.   

Guerrillas: FARC traditionally controlled region and taxed coca production since mid-1980’s.  In 2001 it was estimated that FARC had 1000 fighters in department.                                           

Arrangements with L.A.A.s

Significant events: Frequent massacres, mainly by paramilitaries starting in Feb 1998 when 25 people were killed in PA by ACCU. Until very recently, FARC had control of countryside and frequently imposed travel bans [e.g. Jan. 2001, July 2005] & curfews, which paralysed entire municipio and departamento.

   In July 2002 local indigenous organisations, learning of plan to resume massive spraying, met in PA and addressed a plea to central gvt. to stop aerial spraying, as agreed in a pact for crop substitution signed July the previous year.

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Contact details.

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