Catatumbo is a region located in the north-east of Colombia, just a few metres from the Venezuelan border, where multiple actors and phenomena converge and have generated dynamics of violence that are regularly reflected in the national press.
By: Jorge Escobar Banderas
However, a youth collective has taken on the task of making visible the resilience that characterises this population, leaving aside sensationalist headlines and focusing on those stories that allow the construction of the social fabric, through storytelling and memory.
Con los pies en la tierra’ is the audiovisual project that emerged as a result of a formative process initiated 5 years ago, between the Committee for Social Integration of Catatumbo (Cisca), the Minga Association and the young people of the community, who had the opportunity to enter the field of communication.
See also: Asociación Minga website.
Why show the other face of the region?
Sonia Cifuentes, a communicator from Asociación Minga, explained to Pressenza that this product consists of a series of three episodes that portray the stories of María, Andrea and Marina; three women who, despite the violence, have sought alternatives to overcome and move forward.
She also said that this project seeks to raise public awareness of the suffering of women in conflict environments. At the same time, it also shows the community organisation around exercises of sustainable economy and food sovereignty, considering that Catatumbo went from being an agricultural larder to a territory of monocultures.\
“We are used to being told of a violent and deadly Catatumbo. In the depths of the region, what we have is a lot of resistance and defence of life”, said Cifuentes.
Con los pies en la tierra’ will be available from Thursday 9 September through the social networks of Cisca (Facebook) (Twitter) and Asociación Minga (Facebook) (Twitter).
