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Making Peace with Peace, not War




                   By Ronald J. Morgan

    Bishop Gonzalo Lopez Maranon heads the Catholic
diocese in Sucumbios, Ecuador. The Catholic Church is managing
the Colombian refugee program in the border province
in coordination with the Ecuadoran government and the
United Nations High Commission for Refugees. The UNHCR
officially lists 1,602 refugees and 151 asylum seekers
in Ecuador at the end of last year. In addition, according
to the International Organization of Migration there
are eight Indigenous communities which have been displaced
from their lands in Ecuador as a result of paramilitary
death threats. As concerns mount about spillover problems
from Plan Colombia, the United States Agency of International
Development has launched a $ 8 million
program to improve development in Ecuador's neglected northern
provinces. The effort includes water systems, roads and bridges
in isolated border communities. More funds and projects are expected
to flow from the planned $39 million Ecuador portion of the Bush
Administration sponsored, Andean Iniative.
    Recently Bishop Lopez participated in a week long
conference on Ecuador's border problems entitled Impact of
Militarization on Border Zones. Held in Lago Agrio,
Sucumbios the week of April 15, the conference brought
together experts from Mexico, Central America and South America.
   The same week of the conference Paramilitary forces briefly
crossed from the Colombian state of Putomayo into
Ecuador at the San Miguel bridge area and seized a
number of vehicles. In response the Ecuadoran Special
Forces Rayo Battalion began increased patrols in the
town of Lago Agrio and in General Farfan, areas that
up to now have been an uneasy neutral zone where
lefist guerrillas and paramilitaries have rested.
Bishop Lopez outlined his views on the
border region this way.

What is the biggest concern that the Catholic Church
has for the people on the border?

    Our fundamental concern is not just about Plan
Colombia. We hope to create a more dignified life in
this region based on the rights of the people but also
based on the fact that this is the part of Ecuador
which produces the wealth. (The Ecuadoran Jungle is
the source of Ecuador's petroleum, which according to
the International Monetary Fund accounts for
16.8% of GDP and 48.8% of all exports but traditionally
the Ecuadoran government has spent little money in the area.)
Our principal goal is to counteract the
negative aspects of Plan Colombia. We are not against
Plan Colombia completely, but in the way it's carried
out. We are demanding a social development plan. A
two prong plan: An emergency plan and plan that is
permanent and directed at Sucumbios and Orellana which
have the most problems.
    The security aspect should be understoood not as a
military intervention but as growth: a large-scale
promotion of sustainable development. That in summary
is what we want.
    This doesn't mean that we're not concerned about
the concrete things. As a Church we have assumed the
responsibility of helping the Colombian refugees. This
is a responsibility we are sharing with the Ecuadoran
government and UNHCR (United Nations High Commission
for Refugees) It is coordinated through the church of
Sucumbios. And there is also accompaniment in the
coordination and support for the (Ecuadoran)
displaced.

Is it your opinion that Sucumbios is becoming overly
militarized?

    The military forces of Ecuador have never been as
violent and repressive as the armies of Guatemala and
Chile. Our land is a peaceful land, as the government
authorities have said. But we are hearing that the
joint command of the military does want to increase
the number of men and increase the logistics, which
includes transfering the Pastaza-based division to
Orellana. More....