For 47 years, Colombia has been in a state of civil war, without ever officially acknowledging it. The struggle of the past, with the quest for equality and the defense of political ideals, is no more. A forgotten conflict, a forsaken society and reality often surreal. The war in Colombia is nothing but deceit; the only clear truth in the conflict is the drug trade which keeps the war going and causes countless deaths. Colombia refuses to see the existence of the non-existent war. Society is being torn apart, burdened down by the war, while dismissing it as a vague problem of security arising from a distant past.

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The class struggle and aspirations for revolutionary identity and a grand egalitarian Colombia are past history, although on the rare occasions when the international community turns its gaze towards Colombia, the warring factions will recycle such ideals and use the old revolutionary catch-cries in a bid to justify their stance. Out and out warfare is being waged in areas such as Nariño, Huila, Tolima, Cauca, Choco, Caqueta and Meta, which are kept well hidden so as not to tarnish the image of Colombia seen by the outside world. Across the country, war, violence, intimidation and extortion have forced thousands to leave their homes and land. Civilians fearing for their lives have no other choice; they simply keep moving. In this society by name, with no social fabric, there are systematic violations of human rights, and by all parties in the conflict. The younger generations live and breathe violence. The law of silence is the only law in some remote, poor areas where drug trafficking is the one steady source of income. Colombia, in Eternal Sorrow is a project designed to show the drama and schizophrenia of the country. Peace must prevail if Colombia is to heal the deep wounds inflicted over almost half a century of conflict.

Alvaro Ybarra Zavala

Alvaro Ybarra Zavala

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