Aguachica

Local Zones of Peace: General Survey and Map.
 
                                       Aguachica
                                                                                                                                              
Official Title: Corporacion Aguachica, Modelo de Paz
Departamento: Cesar
Region: NW of Colombia bordering Venezuela
Population: c100,000
Location: In the far south of the departamento about 290 miles from the capital, Valledapur
Ethnic mix:
IDP population:
Date of establishment: August 1995
Traditional political affiliation:
Trigger event[s]: The assassination of Dr.Jose David Padilla, director of the Aguachica hospital, led to the holding of a local plebiscite [Consulta Popular] and the decision to establish Aguachica as a model “municipality of peace”. It thus was one of the pioneering experiencias, together with Mogotes & Sonson.
 
Persons/organisations involved in establishment:
Leadership: The mayor [1995-97], Luis Fernando Rincon, who was amnestied from M19 in 1991, was a major force behind the establishment of the experiencia. The Municipal Council also supported the initiative virtually unanimously. 
Supporters: The Vicario Episcopal of South Cesar, Mgr.Leonel Pinada Guerrero, was a strong supprter of theexperiencia, and among the first to suggest a plebiscite. Many Colombian NGOs gave support, together with the Colombian Embassy in France, the French Socialist Party, the School for Higher Social Studies in Paris, Pax Christi and UNESCO. The last two were present in Aguachica in the day of the consulta.
 
Declared objectives:
 
Relations with local government bodies:
 Mayor’s office:
Governor’s office:
 
Memberships of regional organisations:
 
Organisational structure:
 Community meetings:
 Decision making bodies
 Functional committees.
 
Valued goods produced in region:
 
Local armed actors in the region:
 Armed forces: Mobile Brigade #1, 2nd Division.   
 Paramilitaries:  Autodefensas del Sur de Cesar; AU de Magdalena Medio; responsible for high level of violence during the mid-1990s [deaths 1994 – 210; 1995 – 240]
Guerrillas: Union Camelista [ELN] entered the region in 1985, followed by the paras.                                             
                     
Arrangements with L.A.A.s
 
Significant events: Luis Rincon was assassinated by the paramilitaries while running for mayor, Aug 2000
 
Further comments: Cesar was one of the departments most affected by paramilitary violence; it was also an area which contained many demobilised ex-guerrillas from M19, EPL, PRT and Quintin Lame, seen as natural enemies by the ELN.
     Many consider that the consulta popular served as a model for the later Mandato Ciudadano por la Paz.
 
Contacts:
 
Last Updated: