UNION PENEYA: SECURITY PROMPTS MASS RETURN

UNCLAS BOGOTA 000884 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL PGOV PTER MARR CO PREF SUBJECT: UNION PENEYA: SECURITY PROMPTS MASS RETURN -------------- Summary -------------- ¶1. In the rural hamlet of La Union Peneya, Caqueta Department, over 1,200 residents have returned to the town they abandoned in 2004 amid military-guerrilla combat. Most of the town's infrastructure is still standing, but the residents returned earlier than expected, before all social services had been reestablished. The Army has provided security and immediate relief aid, and the GOC's Accion Social programs have committed to helping the town become viable again. End Summary. -------------- 2004: A Town Takes Flight -------------- ¶2. In one of the first campaigns of Plan Patriota, in early January 2004 the COLAR launched "Operation New Year" to hunt down FARC terrorists, and the rural town of La Union Peneya found itself caught in the crossfire. The town (population about 2,500) is located in the west of Caqueta, a Department then dominated by the FARC and coca, hence a core target of Plan Patriota. Amid fierce combat, the town priest persuaded the populace to flee; townspeople told us they did so "with only the clothes we were wearing." They dispersed to larger cities in the area. For over three years La Union Peneya remained empty. -------------- 2007: A Population Returns -------------- ¶3. With the military now in control of the area, in January of this year the GOC invited citizens to return. The Army had built a battalion post of 300 soldiers outside town, had demined the entire area, and had established regular patrols. Accion Social, the GOC's social services arm assisting victims of conflict, sent staff to tour La Union Peneya and assess its viability for resettlement. They then contacted town leaders, who rallied the community to return. On the weekend of 27-28 January, between 1,200 and 1,500 citizens returned to their homes en masse. They declined an Army escort, saying they feared FARC reprisals. Apparently jumping ahead of the GOC's timetable, these citizens arrived before basic services were in place, leading the COLMIL and GOC to scramble to provide aid. -------------- The State of La Union -------------- ¶4. Embassy officers visited La Union Peneya on 31 January, 3-4 days after resettlement. Nearly all buildings were intact, belying press reports they were in ruins, although some interiors were burned and some homes roofless. Our predominant impression was of an upbeat, industrious atmosphere of clean-up and repair. People of all ages were in their homes sweeping and hammering, and laundry was hanging from lines strung across the streets. Trash and leaves were burning in neat piles in the street, next to rusted and ruined furniture stacked for removal. As evidence of the precipitous departure shortly after the new year 2004, Christmas decorations were still hung in some places. Soldiers were visibly stationed on street corners, and residents told us they felt safe. -------------- Urgent Relief Needs -------------- ¶5. At a town council meeting, community representatives enumerated their priority needs for assistance: - Health care -- basic medicines and a nurse or doctor. The town clinic was a mess of trash, and it needed new supplies, but structurally it was serviceable. - Potable water was lacking; residents brought water by bucket from a muddy brown creek. A tanker truck of drinking water was the immediate request; thereafter, pumps and a purifying plant needed mechanical attention. - Food: hunger was not a problem yet, and a bakery was open for business, but they asked for trucks to bring supplies from the next town 40 minutes away. - Electricity: power lines were in place; repairs were needed at the main hub. - Education: the school needed clean-up, new books, furniture, and teachers. - Plumbing and sanitation problems were pointed out at the school; this probably applied throughout the town. -------------- Help on Its Way -------------- ¶6. The GOC is mobilizing, immediately with the Army for humanitarian relief and now with Accion Social for longer-term infrastructure. The Army airlifted in meals ready to eat (MREs),especially for children, and two days after our visit the water trucks arrived. A municipal representative taking a detailed inventory of needs, including of equipment specifications, explained that Accion Social resources could only be disbursed at the departmental level. Two days after our visit, the governor duly visited, with his secretaries of health and education, and with Army transport they committed to deliveries of medicines, food, school supplies, teachers, and cleanup crews the next week (two weeks post-resettlement). Accion Social representatives in the department capital assured us that Union Peneya was a priority, and they pledged to meet the needs listed by the community leaders. -------------- Strong Potential -------------- ¶7. The town is largely intact, and rebuilding is not insurmountable if the GOC carries through on its commitments. The town is surrounded by rich agricultural land and is situated near a highway, giving it strong potential for development of a legal economy, under the protection of the Army battalion. DRUCKER