The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has marked a milestone by recognizing the Motilón Barí reservation, of the Barí indigenous people, as a victim of forced recruitment of girls and boys, arising from the Colombian peace agreement.
The Motilón Reservation of the Barí People, made up of more than 2,400 members of their communities, has been accredited by the Truth Recognition Chamber of the JEP in Case 07, which investigates the recruitment of girls and boys in the armed conflict, according to what was reported by this special court in a statement issued this Sunday.
During a recent visit to Cúcuta, the city on the border with Venezuela and capital of the department of Norte de Santander, the JEP spoke with 17 Barí authorities. These authorities shared how the presence of armed groups in their ancestral territory altered their worldview, language, customs, and food source.
The indigenous Barí people, located on the border with Venezuela on the Catatumbo River basin, face the risk of disappearing physically and culturally. They have lived for years stalked in a territory controlled and disputed by various groups due to being a connection route between Venezuela and the Caribbean.
The members of the Motilón Reservation of the Barí People emphasized to the JEP that “without territory we are nothing,” highlighting the loss of access to vital and sacred spaces essential for their survival.
Now, the Motilón Barí Reservation will be included in Case 07, which investigates the recruitment of girls and boys in the armed conflict. According to the authorities of the Barí people, both the extinct FARC and the Army committed these practices, which has caused “the dreams of girls and boys to go out” and fractured the transmission of ancestral knowledge to new generations.
The Motilón Barí reservation thus becomes the third indigenous community accredited in Case 07, where to date 6,381 victims have been recognized, mainly collective.