This was said by the director of the Victims Unit, in a virtual hearing of the Monitoring Committee of Law 1448 of Congress, whose epicenter was Pradera, Valle.

"Listening to the victims, we can build all those initiatives that allow us to generate income to face the pandemic and these processes can be improved so that humanitarian assistance truly reaches those who need it," said Ramón Rodríguez, director of the Victims Unit, during the hearing of the Commission of Follow-up to the Law of Victims of the Congress, carried out virtually from Pradera, in Valle.

In his opinion, "the victims are living in the territory and they know what is happening and how it is happening, so we can also improve each of the mechanisms, including the issues of individual reparation and the payment of compensation that they are requesting".

Rodríguez assured in the virtual hearing that the entity will continue to accompany the Valle department and each one of the municipalities, "because they have made it possible to consolidate this public policy for the care of victims and have mainly included it in their development plans".

Regarding the work of the Victims Unit in Pradera, he confirmed that "it is a municipality that has received an investment of close to 10.000 million pesos in compensation payments." "What we always seek is to accompany the PDET municipalities and there, we are doing the entire articulation process with the counselor and in the consolidation of the peace agreements", he stressed.

More support

The director of the Victims Unit endorsed his support for the mayor of Pradera, which has a victim population of more than 6,800 people. “He has all the support and this has been stated by our territorial director permanently. We continue accompanying the Valle department, each one of the municipalities and we are managing the extension for the construction of the Territorial Action plans, it is a necessity and all the mayors have asked us”, he stressed.

For her part, Luz Adriana Toro, territorial director of the Unit, also undertook with the Pradera authorities to hold an upcoming meeting. "I was last Friday in the municipality and spoke with the mayor, with the Government Secretariat and with our prevention liaison, and we are very aware of the issue of security that is being lived, to hold the meeting", he explained.

Justino Sinisterra, Mayor of Pradera, assured in the virtual audience that the attention to victims has had a very good job highlighted by the Unit, because it is done by the victims. "We aspire to close this year El Arenillo, subject to collective reparation, we have made good progress and we aspire to complete the return and relocation in the township of Libano", noted Sinisterra.

He also explained that they have the approved Prevention Plan and guarantees of non-repetition, which shields leaders and social organizations and the population victim of conflict. "We are in permanent correspondence with the municipal police and the Army for these alerts. Also in the pandemic, the victims were treated with food, humanitarian aid and receive subsidies from Families in Action, Youth in Action and programs for the elderly", he added.

John Jairo Hoyos, chairman of the Congressional Victims Law Follow-Up Commission, confirmed a future meeting between delegates from Pradera, Mininterior and Mindefensa to review security in that municipality.

For Jesús Mario Corrales, coordinator of the Departmental Table of Victims, the victims of Pradera and Valle must be taken into account in all assistance processes.

(End/AMA/LMY)