We asked leaders from Curbaradó (department of Chocó) about the peace agreement, how they think it will change the situation in Colombia, what their expectations and hopes are once peace is signed with the FARC, and what the risks are that exist in the regions.

Maria Ligia Chaverra

The expectation and the hope we have is for the agreements to be signed, so that we can work in peace, without fear, only if and when the other groups have handed over their weapons.

Also, for peace to be built from the territories, because peace is born from within the territories, where there are people who still don’t know what building peace means.

Francisco Alvarez

The peace agreement will change Colombia when they actually go to the regions and guarantee stability for landholders and owners.  When land is restituted, when there aren’t so many threats against people who are claiming their rights, that is when Colombia changes. When there really is freedom of expression, when people can move about freely and demand their rights to belong as people and as the owners of the land.

The risk for us, who live in the territories, is that the peace is signed and the economic model is not negotiated; in Curbarado if the land is not given back there will be no stability, no hope and no safety for us.

Ledys Turan Gonzalez

The hope we have is for a Colombia at peace, for there not to be so much violence, for the projects for peace, and for what the guerrilla and the army have said, to actually happen.

For Curbarado there are a lot of risks, because we have seen that what the Constitutional Court ordered has not be fulfilled by the Government, like rendering the lands fit for re-occupation.  And in the same way, in these lands of people of mixed race and black skin, there are also many unrecognised dangers. We can see that paramilitarism continues and the communities are facing the risk of once again being robbed of their lands.