Despite the significant strides made toward poverty reduction and the landmark 2016 Peace Agreement, inequality and violence continue to impact the lives of rural, Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities. These challenges have drawn the attention of international charities and aid groups focused on the region. Several of these charities are based in the U.K. and four in particular have provided significant foreign aid and assistance in Colombia.

The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development

The Catholic Agency for Overseas Development (CAFOD) has been providing aid in Colombia for more than 60 years. Through partnerships with local organizations and Indigenous leaders, it works to protect local environments, build peace and support human rights defenders and Indigenous communities. One of its most notable contributions has been supporting the people of Cajamarca in their fight against AngloGold Ashanti, one of the world’s largest mining companies.

In March 2017, 98% of Cajamarca’s residents, more than half of whom depend on farming, voted against proposed mining in the area to protect their water sources from pollution. Although the vote was legally binding, energy and government officials have tried to overturn it in favor of the mine. However, their efforts have been challenged by a legal coalition of local groups. 

These include the Cajamarca Youth Socio-Environmental Collective (COSAJUCA) and the Socio-Legal Center for Territorial Defense (SIEMBRA), both supported by CAFOD partners.

The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund

The Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund (SCIAF) has operated in Colombia since 1985, providing aid, promoting peace and helping Indigenous and Afro-Colombian communities preserve and protect their land. One example of its work came in 2011, when SCIAF supported COCOMOPOCA, a coalition of 43 Afro-Colombian communities. After 12 years of appeals, their application for collective legal ownership of 73,000 hectares of land in the Chocó region was approved. While SCIAF has continued supporting efforts to protect Indigenous and Afro-Colombian land, it has recently expanded its focus to the growing number of Venezuelan migrants entering Colombia. 

In 2019, SCIAF received more than $140,000 from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund for projects in Colombia. This funding provided food support to 13,259 Venezuelan migrants and nonfood items to assist 6,339 migrants traveling through the country, both 25% above projected targets. These efforts have become even more significant amid rising regional instability. Colombia already hosts around three million Venezuelan migrants and could face another large influx following recent U.S. strikes in Venezuela.

Tearfund

Tearfund is a Scottish-based charity that has provided aid in Colombia since 1980, with assistance ranging from supporting Venezuelan migrants to responding to natural disasters. Through collaboration with its local church partner, CORSOC and funding from the Scottish Government’s Humanitarian Emergency Fund, Tearfund has provided 500 families with basic household goods and food. It has also offered medical assistance to 1,175 people at four church locations across Colombia.

Additionally, 24,000 children of Venezuelan migrants are now Colombian citizens as a result of campaigns supported by Tearfund. In recent weeks, catastrophic flooding in northern Colombia has heavily affected the Córdoba region, where officials report that 156,000 people have been impacted and 80% of the territory remains underwater following heavy rainfall. In response, a network of local churches that participated in Tearfund’s Transforming Communities program has helped more than 3,000 people rebuild their lives, including 700 families.

Christian Aid

Christian Aid has supported local communities and strengthened resilience among Indigenous groups for more than 20 years by helping them secure land and territorial rights. One of its most significant achievements came in 2016, when it partnered with the Inter-Church Justice and Peace Commission (CIJP) to help obtain a collective land title for Afro-descendant communities in the Naya River basin. The title recognizes the land rights of 52 communities that have lived there since the 17th century.

The agreement secured 177,817 hectares of land for 18,000 beneficiaries, marking a powerful milestone 15 years after the Naya Massacre, when right-wing paramilitaries killed 25 civilians in the town of Alto Naya.

Future Efforts

While the aid provided by these four U.K. charities has helped reduce economic gaps between urban and rural areas, more must be done to address the inequality that makes Colombia the second most unequal country in Latin America. The U.K. continues to support efforts in Colombia and has called for faster implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement. 

– Sean Welsh

Sean is based in Haywards Heath, UK and focuses on Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr