Intense fighting erupted between the rebel group Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government on September 16 in northern Colombia, near the mouth of the Esmeralda River, placing the Emberá Katío community in the middle of the conflict.
Incursions began near the town of Puerto Frasquillo and caused many families to flee for fear of being caught in the crossfire. The XI Brigade of the Colombian military impeded the families' movement, essentially placing them under siege. The violence erupted two weeks after government-formed committees visited the area and assured indigenous communities that their rights would be guaranteed and protected.
"We hold the Colombian government responsible for any action that puts the lives of our brothers at risk, and for actions taken against us by paramilitaries," according to a statement issued by an Association of Senior Indigenous Leaders. "We demand once again that the military, FARC, and paramilitaries respect our territories."
The civil conflict, however, promises to worsen in coming months. The New York Times reported on October 11 that the U.S. Congress approved a measure to increase the number of U.S. soldiers in Colombia from 400 to 800. Human rights organizations, such as Colombia Human Rights Network and Amnesty International, fear that the involvement of more armed forces will increase violent confrontations between the army, paramilitaries, and guerillas, putting indigenous communities in the middle. Indigenous leaders have repeatedly and emphatically declared their neutrality, to no avail.
"The government has done nothing. They [Emberá Katío] are forced to advocate for themselves," said Enrique Guetio, an organizer for the Northern Assosciation of Indigenous Leaders. "The government is trying to divide these people, and the entrance of more North American soldiers will not help. What the Emberá Katío need are projects to improve their quality of life, not agents of violence."
The Emberá Katío declared a state of emergency in July due to food shortages and ecological damage produced by the Urrá dam on the Sinú river, near their traditional lands in the north. During the early 1990s, Emberá Katío resisted the dam in Constitutional Court, and won a small victory with an injunction that suspended the filling and operation of a dam's reservoir. Their valley, however, was flooded in 1998 after subsequent legal proceedings ruled in favor of the dam. Not only did the construction of the dam wreak environmental havoc, but it also displaced the Emberá Katío, moving them into the middle of zones of conflict where escalating violence now threatens their safety and livelihood.
