The Victims Unit presented the progress of its actions to date in these municipalities, in the framework of a new session of the Sustainable Catatumbo strategy led by the Presidential Council for Stabilization and Consolidation.

In order to strengthen the harmonious implementation of processes aimed at the comprehensive care of children and families residing in the municipalities with Development Programs with a Territorial Approach (PDET) in Catatumbo area, Norte de Santander, the Victims Unit implements actions to link the new generations to processes of reconciliation, coexistence and peace building.

The deputy director general of the Victims Unit, Lorena Mesa, explained that together with other entities and non-governmental organizations they coordinate participation initiatives with the targeting of 250 children in the strengthening of leadership processes aimed at the formation of the participation tables of children and adolescents (NNA) as a strategy for the promotion and guarantee of their rights within the framework of the Project "Catatumbo loves education", in the municipalities of El Carmen, Hacarí, San Calixto, Sardinata and Convencion.

In the same way, the official indicated that the formulation and financing of the project "Festival of graffiti and muralism expresses your youth", of the Cooperation strategy "I get on my PDET", whose implementation in the municipality of Tibú is subject to preventive measures due to the mandatory preventive isolation measures that govern the country due to the pandemic.

Another of the advances presented by the deputy director evidenced the achievements made in strengthening the formulation and implementation of public gender policies that are being worked on in the municipalities of Sardinata, San Calixto, Teorama and Tibú. “We have completed the first two training cycles for public officials, civil society and leaders of LGBTI population in gender-based violence, prejudice and strategic litigation. Additionally, the report on the human rights situation of the LGBTI population is being prepared, carrying out legal and psychological monitoring of four cases of Gender-Based Violence identified in the framework of the project, "Unraveling prejudices, more incidence less discrimination", he added.

In relation to this issue, in the municipalities of Tibú and Sardinata, four consultative and participatory tables were held with peasant, ethnic and reincorporated women leaders and entities with an impact on gender issues, advancing on the route for the formulation of public policy on gender included in Development Plans.

During the meeting, which was attended by the eight mayors that make up the PDET municipalities, Lorena Mesa detailed the progress in the implementation of transitional policies that contribute to the comprehensive reparation of the victims and the reconciliation that is being carried out with the formulation and approval of return and relocation plans in the towns of Convencion, Carmen, El Tarra, Hacarí, San Calixto, Sardinata and Tibú.

“We launched the Participaz with legality strategy to strengthen the capacities of victims with a differential focus in El Carmen, Hacarí, San Calixto, Sardinata, Tibú, El Tarra, Teorama and Convencion. Likewise, we have made progress in two of the eight modules of the community strengthening model, with training processes and the prioritization of community projects that contribute to reconciliation between the population in the process of reincorporation and the host communities”, he stated.

Building, improving and providing spaces that promote participation, recreation and healthy recreation of the communities is another of the purposes led by the Victims Unit in pillar 8. “With the support of Colombia Transforma, we made provision of furniture and office teams in three associations and nine JACs in the PDET Catatumbo municipalities: El Paso, Puerto Catatumbo (El Tarra), Astilleros, El Brillante (Hacarí), Tres Bocas (Tibú), El Carmen, urban area (Sardinata), La Bogotana (El Carmen), San Juancito (Teorama), La Libertad (Convention), La Unión and La Torcoroma (San Calixto)”, added the deputy director of the Unit for Victims.

In the Catalura reservation of the Motilón Barí people, the entity in conjunction with the Red Cross, implements the formulation and financing of the project "Construction of a hut in the Catalaura La Gabarra reservation", which includes complementary training in first aid preserving the cultural identity of community.

For their part, the mayors of the municipalities of El Carmen, Hacarí, San Calixto, Sardinata, Tibú, El Tarra, Teorama and Convencion (PDET municipalities), recognized the progress and achievements made between the institutional sector and non-governmental organizations in the eight pillars of the sustainable Catatumbo strategy where they made known the completed works, projects in implementation and observations regarding the actions.

"We want to thank you enormously from Tibú, the gateway to Catatumbo, to say thank you for having us at that point of preference and among all of us generating investment to bring peace, social and economic development to our inhabitants", said Corina Durán, mayor of Tibú.  

(End/CEG/CMC/LMY)