Tiquisio

 
                                                                                Tiquisio

                                                                                                                                              
Official Title:  Tiquisio Citizens Process
Departamento: Bolivar
Region:
Population:
Location:
Ethnic mix:
IDP population:

Date of establishment  2002

Traditional political affiliation:

Trigger event[s]:
 
Persons/organisations involved in establishment:
Leadership: Local Parish priest, Father Rafael Gallego, provided leadership together with leaders Martha Lucia Torres Sierra and Said Antonio Echaves, all of whom have revceived many death threats.
 
Supporters: Support has been forthcoming from the Mayor's office, the Personaria [humn rights office, the Magdalena Medio Peace & Development Office, CINEP and REDEPAZ. From outside Colombia support has been forthcoming from the Colombia Support Netweork, while Christian Peacemaker Teams have been acxtive in accompanying the community.
 
Declared objectives:
 
Relations with local government bodies:
 Mayor’s office:
 
Governor’s office:
 
Memberships of regional organisations:
 
Organisational structure:
 Community meetings: Community governance is arranged around the community Asamblea to which each village sends a representative. The assembly operates through 8 working groupswhich identify projects to be undertaken durting the coming year.
 Decision making bodies
 Functional committees.
 
Valued goods produced in region: Gold, previously mined by local, low-tech methods now being exploited by Canada/S.Africa based Kedahda Corpn.
 
Local armed actors in the region:
 Armed forces: Narino Battalion.; in 2008 the army was maintaining a military base int he mddle of the community near the school.   
 Paramilitaries:  Were in control of region since the late 1990’s.
 Guerrillas: ELN controlled region from c.1978 to c.1997                                             
                     
Arrangements with L.A.A.s. Deaths continue to afflict the community. The EPL has assassinated at least one community leaders
 
 
Significant events: In May 2008 Fr. Gallego and two of his supporters were forced to leave Tiquisio because of death threats issues by the neo-paras, Black Eagles, who were active in the region.
 
 
Further comments: The community has established acommunity farm, a rural school, a health clinic and a community based radio station.

 According to CSN reports, the community has had some success in persauding former guerrillas and paras to give up their weapons and re-integrated in civilian life
 
Contacts:
 
Last Updated: August 2012.