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A CENTURY
OF VIOLENCE
INA RED CITY
A CENTURY OF
VIOLENCE IN A
RED
CITY
Popular Struggle,
Counterinsurgency,
and Human Rights
in Colombia
LESLEY GILL
DUKEUNIVERSITYPRESS
DurhamandLondon2016
©2016DukeUniversityPress
Allrightsreserved
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmericaonacid-freepaper
DesignedbyAmyRuthBuchanan
TypesetinChaparralProandFranklinGothic
byTsengInformationSystems,Inc.
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in—PublicationData
éGil(lfi,eLnteusrlyey,author.
ofViolenceinaredcity :popularstruggle,counterinsurgency,andhumanrightsinColombia/Lesley
1 .
pa escm
Incudesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978—0—8223—6029—2 hardcoverp:aaplekr.s3aper)
ISBN978—0—8223—6060-5 pbk.:alk.
ISBN978—0—8223—7470-1 e-book)
1.Humanrights—Colombia—History—20thcentury.2.Workingclass—Colombia—History—20thcentury.3.
Labordisputes—Colombia—Barrancabermeja—History—20thcentury.I.Title.
JC599.C76552016
986.1'25—dc23
2015026279
Coverdesign:JenniOhnstad
INMEMORY OFMY
MOTHER,JOANGILL
(1927—2012)
CONTENTS
ListofAcronyms
Acknowledgments
Introduction
ONE Black Gold,MilitantLabor
TWO ColdWar Crucible
THREE Terror andImpunity
FOUR Unraveling
FIVE Fragmented Sovereignty
SIX Narrowing PoliticalOptions andHumanRights
SEVEN TheAftermath of Counterinsurgency
Conclusion
Notes
References
Index
ACRONYMS
ACEDEGAM Asociacién Campesinade Ganaderosy Agricultores del
MagdalenaMedio (Associationof MiddleMagdalenaRanchers
andFarmers)
ANAPO Alianza NacionalPopular(NationalPopularAlliance)
ANUC Asociacién NacionaldeUsuariosCampesinos (National
Association of PeasantLandholders)
AUC Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia(United Self-Defense Forces
of Colombia)
BACRIM bandascriminales(criminalgangs)
BCB BloqueCentralBolivar(CentralBolivarBloc)
CINEP Centro deInvestigaciény Educacién Popular(Centerfor
ResearchandPopularEducation)
CODHES Consultoriaparalos DerechosHumanosy Desplazamiento
(Consultancy for HumanRightsandDisplacement)
CONVIVIRS CooperativasdeVigilancia y Seguridad Privada (Cooperatives
forVigilance andPrivate Security)
CREDHOS CorporaciénRegionalparala Defensadelos Derechos
Humanos (RegionalCorporationforthe Defense of Human
Rights)
CSTC Confederacién SindicaldeTrabajadores Colombianos(Union
Confederationof ColombianWorkers)
CTC ConfederaciéndeTrabajadores Colombianos(Confederationof
ColombianWorkers)
CUT CentralUnitaria deTrabajadores (UnitaryWorkers Central)
DAS DepartamentoAdministrativo de Seguridad (Departmentof
Administrative Security)
ECOPETROL EmpresaColombianade Petréleos (ColombianOilCompany)
ELN EjércitoNacional deLiberacién (NationalLiberationArmy)
EPL EjércitoPopulardeLiberacién(PopularLiberationArmy)
FARC FuerzasArmadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Revolutionary
Armed Forcesof Colombia)
FEDENAL FederaciénNacionaldelTransporte Maritimo,Fluvial,
Portuarioy Aéreo (NationalFederation of MaritimeTransport,
River,PortandAir)
FEMSA company name
FILA Frente deIzquierdaLiberalAuténtica (Frontofthe Authentic
LiberalLeft)
JACS juntas deacciéncomunal(neighborhoodactioncommittee)
LGBT lesbian, gay,bisexual, andtransgender
MORENA Movimiento deReconstrucciénNacional (Movementof
NationalReconstruction)
MRL Movimiento Revolucionario Liberal(LiberalRevolutionary
Movement)
NGO nongovernmentalorganization
OFP OrganizaciénFemeninaPopular(PopularFeminine
Organization)
PANAMCO company name
PCC PartidoComunistade Colombia (ColombianCommunistParty)
POSTOBON aPepsibottling company
PSR Partido SocialistaRevolucionario (Revolutionary Socialist
Party)
SINALTRAINAL Sindicato NacionaldeTrabajadores dela Industriade
Alimientos (NationalUnion of Food andBeverageWorkers)
SINTRAINDRASCOL anolderunion
TROCO Tropical OilCompany
UNIR UniénIzquierdaRevolucionaria (RevolutionaryLeftUnion)
UP UniénPatriética(PatrioticUnion)
USO Unién SindicalObrera (SyndicatedWorker Union)
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Acknowledgments are expressions of solidarity: they give one the opportunity to
connect the people whose support, patience, insight, and affection intertwine in the
production of abook. Because the research andwriting ofA Century of Violence in a
Red City took ten years, I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to a number of
individuals and organizations.
In Colombia,the projectwouldhave been impossiblewithoutthe sustained support
of SINALTRAINAL, the indomitable Colombian trade union that never succumbed to
intimidation andterror, evenin the darkestdays of the dirty war, andthat continuesto
fight for equality,peace, andjustice. Javier Correa, Juan Carlos Galvis, Luis Eduardo
Garcia, Efrain Guerrero, Armando Jurado, William Mendoza, Edgar Péez, Alfredo
Porras, Gonzalo Quijano, Efrain Zurmay, and many more answered my endless
questions,introducedmeto others,pointed me innew directions,and,on occasion,put
meup intheirhomes.Their generosity,humor, andpoliticalinsightsmeantalotto me,
andtheirresilientstrugglesare asource of continuinginspiration.
In addition to SINALTRAINAL, a number of people and organizations educated me
about daily life in the working-class barrios of Barrancabermeja, after right-wing
paramilitaries tied to the military occupiedthese neighborhoods andmade life aliving
hell for a great many residents. Enrique explained the specific problems faced by
sexual minorities. Eduardo illuminated the workings of the neighborhood action
committees. Discussionswith Pedro Lozada aboutrural life in the Middle Magdalena
made me understand anodyne concepts, such as “displacement,” in more Visceral,
emotion-laden ways and to appreciate the challenges faced by displaced people in the
city. Salvador described the frustrations and dilemmas of the young, and Jaime Pefia
demonstrated what it takes to demandjustice. The women of the Popular Feminine
Organization (OFP) introduced me to residents in different neighborhoods and
explainedthe history of female popular struggle in Barrancabermeja. I am particularly
grateful to Yolanda Becerra and Jackeline Rojas for their time and patience. The
Christian Peacemaker Teams generously accommodated me for a period of time and
helped meunderstandthe nature ofhuman rights activisminthe city. Specialthanksto
SusanaCollerdforher insights aboutlife innortheastBarrancabermeja andto Amanda
Martin ofWitness for Peace forhousing me in Bogota andletting me tag along during
atripto Barrancabermeja.
In the United States, I have benefited from years of ongoing discussions with
Aviva Chomsky, Forrest Hylton, Sharryn Kasmir, Steve Striffler, and Winifred Tate,
who read all or portions of the manuscript. The book is immensely better because of
their insights and observations. ChrisKrupa and David Nugent stimulatedmy thinking
aboutthe state during a conference they organized in Quito,Ecuador. Camilo Romero
was a great friend, and Camilo Garcia listened to my arguments over the course of
severalyears andhelped me grasp life in the Middle Magdalena through his stories of
working asajournalist there. Ifeel exceptionally fortunate tohave allthese individuals
as friends and colleagues. Ihave alsohad the pleasure to work with Emma Banks and
Gloria Pérez, graduate students at Vanderbilt University, whose own research in
Colombiahas enrichedmy thinking.Teresa Francoprovided editorialassistance.
I was fortunate to have institutional backing at various stages of research and
writing. American University, Vanderbilt University, and the National Science
Foundation provided crucial financial support for the project. Gisela Fosado of Duke
University Press was a supportive editor, and the Duke University Press staff was
alwayshelpful.
As he has inthe past,ArtWalters made it easierto navigatethe dead ends and deal
withthe frustrationsthattypically ariseinthe course ofwriting abook. Hewas always
willing to listen to metalk aboutissues and conceptsthatIhad stillnotgottenmy mind
around. More important, his love and support made it possible to keep life in
perspective.
