Mogotes

 
                                                                                        Mogotes
                                                                                                                                              
Official Title: Constituent Assembly of Mogotes  [A.M.C.]

Departamento: Santander
Region: Province of Guantenta.
Population: c 12,500
Location: 35 km from San Gil.
Ethnic mix: Mestizo.
IDP population: unknown. 
Date of establishment: Sept. 1998.
Traditional political affiliation: Mixed Liberal & Conservative.

Trigger event[s]: Dec. 1997, ELN attacked urban center of Mogotes, killed several members of the civil administration and kidnapped the Mayor, Dorian Rodriguez A.
 
Persons/organisations involved in establishment: Local diocese of  Socorro & San Gil.

Leadership: Bishop Leonardo Gomez Serra; and the local priest Fr.Joakim Mayorka were heavily involved in the setting up of the AMC.  However, in 2003, both were removed to other positions in the diocese of Manguange in Bolivar. They were replaced by a conservative bishop and local priest who persistently undermined the AMC and spoke out against its activities and orientation.
 
Supporters: Comision de Vida, Justicia y Paz; REDEPAZ; SEPAS; Justapaz; Univ. de San Gil; CINEP; COLCIENCIAS; Viva la Ciudadania. Mogotes was used by REDEPZ as a model for other municipios seeking to establish their own peace community and Fr Mayorka's 8 stage model became the source of orgsnisatinal structures in other mucipalities such as Sonson, and Tarso in Antioquia and Samaniego and San Pablo in Narino.
 
Declared objectives:
 
Relations with local government bodies: Since the setting up of the AMC there has been friction with the Alcaldia, especially when conservative alcaldes have been elected to office. Financial support for the AMC has dwindfled to almost nothing and it has been difficult to hold full meetings of the Assembly for the past four years..

 Mayor’s office: After the kidnapping, release, dismissal and later assassination of Mayor Rodriguez, struggle continued between families traditionally controlling the office and new reforming groups.
 
Governor’s office:
 
Memberships of regional organisations:
 
Organisational structure:
 Community meetings: Regular community action meetings of the Assembly.
 Decision making bodies: Executive Committee.
 Functional committees: Development, Human Rights, Truth, Health, Education, Oversight committees.
 
Valued goods produced in region: Local goods made from fique fibres.
 
Local armed actors in the region:
Armed forces: 

  
Paramilitaries: 

Guerillas: ELN units [e.g. Frente Efrain Pabon] have been active in theregion since the earky 1990's and were responsible forthe inital kidnapping of Mayor Rodriguez..     

                                                                         
                     
Arrangements with L.A.A.s
 
 
Significant events: Awarded National Peace Prize in 1999., but since that time has suffered from much neglect, absence of funding and resources, iternal divisions plus efforts to undermine fits activitities rom conservative elemenst in the municipio
 
 
Further comments: FR Mayorga continued his work for human rights from his position as Director of Justice & Peace in the Magangue Diocese and was twice briefly detained by police in 2004. He was charged with slander and insult by members of the Army battalion of Narino when he demounced the detention and death of 3 local mineworkers and the disappearance of a 13 year old from south Bolivar in January 2004.

  
Contact details: www.mogotes.gov.co
 
Last updated:  August 2012