August 28, 2022

Earlier this month, on August 7, 2022, the country of Colombia in South America inaugurated two, new, political leaders; namely, Mr. Gustavo Petro as President of the country, and Ms. Francia Marquez as the new Vice President. Further, as a descendant of Africa, Vice President Marquez is the first African Colombian (Afro-Colombian) to attain the high-level position within her country. Chosen by President Petro to be his running mate, Vice President Marquez is a human rights and environmental activist as well as an Attorney.

We must monitor the hopeful progress that Colombia and Colombians shall make under their new leadership. Even more, many domestic and international stakeholders, including members of the business community have significant opportunities to assist President Gustavo and Vice President Marquez with their goals; that is, bringing forth peace, racial equality, human security for all social leaders, and much more positives in Colombia.

— The Stellar i Observer

Source: Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), 2022

04.20.2021

This is the ‘Week of Action’, during which time we have the opportunity to honor/support their work, to help protect their lives, and to learn about the ongoing ways to restore peace in Colombia.

— The Stellar i Observer

September 5, 2020

In early July 2020, reports out of Washington,D.C. declared that ninety-four (94) members of the United States House of Representatives submitted a letter to the Secretary of State Michael Pompeo, which expressed their deep concerns over the standing of Colombia’s commitment to peace.

— The Stellar i Observer

August 5, 2019

Colombia is considered to be a sovereign state that is located in the northwest region of South America but it has land and certain territories in North America. Further, Colombia is bordered by several countries; namely, Panama on its west, Brazil and Venezuela to the east, and with Ecuador and Peru to the south.

Colombia is ethnically and linguistically diverse. Since approximately 12,000 BCE (Before the Common Era), Colombia was inhabited by several Native American Bands, including the Inca—The Empire. By the Fifteenth Century, Spanish speaking people from Europe arrived to this region and many settled there. Successively, many African men, women, and children were forcibly transported from the African continent to Colombia via Dutch and possibly Spanish ships, to be enslaved as unpaid laborers.

In the 21st Century, the general population of Colombia is believed to be 48, 294, 494. The capitol city of Colombia is named Bogota. According to Wikipedia.org, Colombia was declared to be independent from Spain in 1810, but the independence was not recognized until 1819.

Afro-Colombians, whose roots are traced to the continent of Africa, as a result of the African Diaspora, make up approximately ten to eleven percent (10% to 11%) of the current population of Colombia, South America. Sadly, during the past several decades and centuries, the rights of the Afro-Colombians, Native Americans, and other marginalized inhabitants of Colombia have been violated and ignored.

According to the analysis and monitoring of Colombia, conducted by the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), a range from 479 to 702 social leaders of Colombia have been killed/assassinated since 2016, and the OHCHR is currently determining if seventy six (76) more social leaders that have been killed are determined to have died with the title, ‘Social Leader’. Many of the social leaders killed have been Afro-Colombians who were known to have peacefully, and vocally protested against unfair treatment in their country; such as their land being taken, forcibly being removed from their land and much more injustices.