Red Hot Burning Peace

Red Hot Burning Peace uses the work of activists and NGOs to analyze the larger processes affecting human rights in Colombia.  The strategies used by these activists offer distinctive insights into the major underlying structures that define the battle for a fairer Colombia, and offer hope and instruction to those looking for weak points in the system. Red Hot Burning Peace utilizes the experiences and network of the Fellowship of Reconciliation Peace Presence team, which has worked with numerous Colombian NGOs for over a decade: http://www.peacepresence.org/.

Colombian Army Escalates Attack on Communities near Tolemaida Military Base
May 14, 2014
Colombian Army blocks the road, uproots fruit trees, and poisons streams in an effort to displace communities. An Army slogan is “Yes, there are Heroes in Colombia”—is poisoning wells ever heroic? 
President Santos to Apologize for Uribe's Slander
Apr 16, 2014
A judge rules seven years later on a case of the Colombian State against trade unionists. In the middle of an election race, President Santos will have to publicly apologize for crimes his main rival committed.
Displaced and Duty-Free in El Tamarindo, Colombia
Mar 24, 2014
The community of El Tamarindo was formed by internally displaced families on empty, untitled land in Colombia. With the expansion of the Barranquilla Free Trade Zone, the community is being forcefully displaced again.
Violence and Vulnerability in Buenaventura, the Dark Side of Development
Feb 24, 2014
On Colombia's Pacific coast, Buenaventura has been host to the worst violence seen in Colombia for years, as the interests of developers, local people, and paramilitary groups collide. 
Military Recruitment Breeds Inequality for Colombia's Teenage Boys
Feb 11, 2014
While a subsection of Colombian society enjoys access to education, access to jobs, and racial privilege, the teenaged sons of the majority of the population put their lives on the line to protect what they themselves do not enjoy.
Lessons From a Peace Community and the Political Economy of Conflict
Jan 28, 2014
One of the emblemetic organizations resisting violence in Colombia provides insight into deeper truths about the political economy of conflict in the country. 
Looking Back on 2013 in Colombia, From Redactions to Resolutions
Dec 26, 2013
As we approach the end of the year, Red Hot Burning Peace takes the opportunity to report on some overlooked stories from the last couple of months and tie up some loose ends, covering President Santos' apology to the comunidad de Paz de San Jose de Apartado, Drummond's fine, Petro's ongoing battle for reinstatement, and the current FARC ceasefire.
The Petro Purge and Political Cleansing in Colombia
Dec 24, 2013
Bogotá has been rocked by indignados protesting the past two weeks due to a possibly unconstitutional removal of the city's Mayor Gustavo Petro. The Procurador Alejandro Ordoñez was behind the move, banning him from holding public office for 15 years. But the institutional force behind Ordoñez, and the consequences the removal will have in the new year, remain to be seen.  
Certified Seeds: Different Wars, Same Reasons
Dec 13, 2013
The modification and certification of seeds has put Colombian campesinos up against giant multinationals, creeping international "protection" laws, the U.S. Free Trade Agreement, and their own government. On December 3, Colombian farmers returned to the streets.
Nostalgia for Escobar, Uribe’s Crying Shame
Dec 6, 2013
The Colombian media is in the midst of a nostalgia fest, sparked by the twentieth anniversary of Pablo Escobar's death. The jefe of the Medellín Cartel, estimated fifteenth richest man in the world, some time Liberal party congressman, some time grave robber, Escobar has been the subject of a number of best selling books in both Colombia and the United States.
Colombian Coal: Fueling the Cycle of Conflict
Nov 30, 2013
The Atlantic Concession Railway links the coal mines of Cesar to the ports of Santa Marta. The traditional ways of life and artisenal industries of communities at both ends of the track have been destroyed by environmental damage, leading to their forced displacement. 
Empires of Gold and Colombian Extractivism Today
Nov 22, 2013
The legend of El Dorado stems from a Spaniard, Juan Rodriguez Freyle, watching a High Priest of the Muisca getting covered in gold dust and jumping in Lake Guatavita, near Bogotá, in a religious ceremony that makes the Pope's big hat and incense burning look fairly underwhelming. Naturally, the Spanish decided that they themselves were far better placed to use all the gold responsibly, and set about destroying the complex societies that had flourished in Colombia prior.
Aerial Fumigations and its Discontents
Nov 15, 2013
Once the signature program of the U.S. drug war in Latin America, aerial fumigation of coca leaf crops is finally in deep trouble. Fumigation’s crisis comes in a moment when coca growers, like other farmers throughout Colombia, face an economic crisis that led to a month-long national agricultural strike in August.
A Hunka Hunka Burning Blog
Nov 8, 2013
As we embark on a new blog here at NACLA, we look at the world of NGOs, how they work best, and how they can offer a window on the complex issues facing Colombia today. As with much in life, the work of human rights organizations can be directly related through a strained metaphor to the preparation of hamburgers.