One more step towards the construction of a local anarchist movement in Colombia

Local Libertarian Conference, Colombia, Medellin, November 2009

Each organized group in the various regions of the country has a different view of these libertarian days depending on their situation; however, it must be recognized what has been generated with this process, such as the setting up of the website www.nodo50.org/anarcol/ with the event held in Medellín in 2004, and the emergence of a joint space for anarchist collectives called the Anarchist Local Coordination (CLA) in 2007.
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One more step towards the construction of a local anarchist movement in Colombia

Local Libertarian Conference, Colombia, Medellin, November 2009

Since 1998 there have been a series of organized libertarian meetings at local and national level in Colombia, known as the "Libertarian Days", seeking to link and consolidate anarchists. The conferences are among the few social opportunities to talk about topics important to libertarian education and critical awareness in a country that does not encourage thinking because of the great danger to the establishment.

Each organized group in the various regions of the country has a different view of these libertarian days depending on their situation; however, it must be recognized what has been generated with this process, such as the setting up of the website www.nodo50.org/anarcol/ with the event held in Medellín in 2004, and the emergence of a joint space for anarchist collectives called the Anarchist Local Coordination (CLA) in 2007.

In November 2009 in Medellin, several groups and individuals close to anarchist ideas met in order to organize another version of the Local Libertarian Days in which, as anarchists, we try to analyze and generate debate on social realities, question the socio-political and economic environment in which we live, share our experiences and actions, and also share the processes of resistance from the grassroots and the various forms of popular struggle.

We believe that collective effort leads to more successful results, but it needs to reflect with our fellow libertarians, since one of the most dramatic failures in the conference was the lack of articulation of the basic work of anarchists at local level.

The Local Libertarian Days took place during the last weekend in November in three different places: the University of Antioquia, the headquarters of ADIDA (Antioquia Instructors Association) and the headquarters of the Community Action Board of the Santa Cruz neighbourhood. In these places there was a good attendance for the lectures, talks and workshops on the three themes proposed in the schedule, with the traditional Community Pot ("olla") and sale of libertarian material, such as magazines, patches, records and newspapers.

The first theme was the Social & Community Resistance Minga. Several comrades who have been part of the process in Medellín reported on how this process was going and what 2010 would bring, marking the journey of the word and the social struggle from five points: Sovereignty, Land & Territory; Right to life; Unfulfilled Agreements; NAFTA, Economic Systems and the Peoples' Agenda - which are part of a joint effort to share knowledge for the construction of dignity, solidarity and biodiversity, for the unity of the social and popular movements.

In the second theme, called the "Criminalization of protest and other forms of State terrorism", we addressed issues related to State persecution through its legal, military and judicial machinery, of dissent and social protest, with the aim of weakening and stopping it, in an attempt to maintain the established order. With the third area, "Popular Struggle and Identity", we tried to study the different struggle methods of the various popular social sectors: workers, indigenous peoples, peasants, African descendents, youth, students and community. There were also notes on the demands of the peoples' struggle to forge an identity that is inimical to the current established order, where the social sectors depend on the geography, economy, politics and culture.

In accordance with the latter two themes, we addressed crucial issues that go beyond the local, such as human rights, collective actions of resistance demands or social struggle, the socio-political project of feminism, as well as tools for dissemination and knowledge of the indigenous struggle in Chile. The various contributions had titles such as: "The fight for decent housing: loans, evictions and social struggle in Bogotá", "Mutations of the State and its repressive methods: the human rights situation in Medellin," "Records of collective action and violence in the general strike of May 1977 in La Ceja, Antioquia", "The women's movement and the libertarian aspirations of the feminist political project in Cali".

The last Local Libertarian Days were just another step towards the construction of a local anarchist movement. They are the traces of a recent history of 11 years of anarchist movement in Colombia, conspiring against capital and revolutionizing our minds to operate on the streets. They are an opportunity for anarchists to socialize. They are a place for dialogue, for building our identity... There are questions, differences and weaknesses that we seek to solve along the way, conflicts that are necessary in order to mature the process, to makes it strong.

Unity, action and self-management is our way. We hope that in 2010 we can meet in a National Libertarian Conference.

ORGANIZING TEAM - Local Libertarian Conference
Contact: coordinacionlocal@lists.riseup.net