En unos 10 barrios de Bogotá, la población negra se ha sentido amenazada.
Sin importar los kilómetros de distancia que hay entre estas localidades, en Suba, San Cristóbal, Rafael Uribe Uribe, Bosa y Engativá se respira miedo, discriminación y frustración. En unos 10 barrios de estas zonas, donde la mayoría de la población es de tez negra -proveniente generalmente de la Costa Pacífica y la Costa Atlántica-, en más de una ocasión han amenazado, herido o asesinado negros; varios conductores de servicio público se rehúsan a entrar a esos sectores porque temen ser agredidos verbal o físicamente; y propietarios de casas y apartamentos optaron por no volverles a arrendar a personas de color, pues donde le alquilaban a uno terminaban viviendo más de 10.
“Los negros están matando y atracando a los blancos”, se quejaban los vecinos del barrio Rincón de Suba, a principios del año pasado, ante las autoridades locales (alcaldía menor y Policía de Suba) y administración distrital. Los líderes de la comunidad afro, por su parte, aseguraban que solo los juzgaban por su color de piel; que este era un claro hecho de discriminación racial. “Decían que los negros robaban, hacían bulla en la calle y eran agresivos, pero no pueden juzgar si son buenos o malos solo por el color de la piel. Hay que entender que, cuando llegan a Bogotá, forman colonias con gente de su tierra, mediante las cuales se acompañan y se ayudan; esto sin hacerle mal a nadie”, explicó Rudesindo Castro, exdirector de Asuntos Étnicos del Distrito.
Problemas de convivencia y agresiones entre blancos (mestizos) y negros son el pan de cada día en esos seis puntos de la capital, donde se concentra la población afrocolombiana. Allí se aglutinan más de 70.000 afros de los 129.022 que, según una estimación realizada por un grupo de investigadores del Centro de Estudios Sociales de la Universidad Nacional, residen en Bogotá. La mayoría de ellos llegan buscando mejorar sus condiciones de vida y comienzan a laborar básicamente en ventas informales, vigilancia y construcción.
“No es que seamos racistas, es que (a los afrocolombianos) no los vemos trabajando, pero sí atracando los fines de semana. Después de las 10 de la noche pasan en grandes grupos gritando y haciendo escándalos; le dan patadas a las puertas, rompen los vidrios y al día siguiente se ven muertos, heridos”, reza una carta firmada por 52 vecinos que residen entre las calles 125B y 131, entre carreras 91A y 93A (también en Suba), que fue enviada a la Alcaldía Mayor, a finales del 2011, con el ánimo de conocer por qué las autoridades no tomaban medidas al respecto.
Los ataques también golpean -de forma recurrente- a las personas de raza negra. El 7 de abril de este año, Jimmy Pontón, quien llegó de Jamundí, Valle, murió tras ser herido con arma blanca en el barrio El Claret, en Rafael Uribe Uribe, por un hombre al que supuestamente “no le gustan los negros (…) por ser negro lo mataron”, concluyeron familiares de la víctima ante los medios de comunicación.
Protección a negros y blancos
La Secretaría de Asuntos Étnicos, que comenzó a funcionar en Bogotá el 15 de julio de 2011, básicamente con el ánimo de fomentar la no discriminación, la protección a la cultura afro y el auto reconocimiento, ha detectado hechos de este tipo en la ciudad. “La gente estaba empeñada en asociar a la población afro con delincuentes. Incluso, hay quienes aún no les arriendan porque dicen que detrás de un negro llegan como 15 más, que les ocupan las casas. Muchos se sienten rechazados o señalados hasta por la Policía porque aseguran que estar en grupo es razón suficiente para mandarles una patrulla”, dijo Castro.
Por eso se han organizado con el ánimo de mejorar la convivencia. “Hemos tenido que hacer mesas de trabajo en las localidades para bajar los ánimos. Quienes no les arrendaban, por ejemplo, cedieron y accedieron a dejar que sus familiares se quedaran unas semanas y luego se reubicaran, mientras ellos (personas afro) se comprometían a cumplir con los plazos y con las normas”, agregó.
En otro escenario, varios conductores se niegan a transportarlos. “Después de las 8 de la noche yo no los recojo; si voy por esos barrios de negros, especialmente los que quedan en Bosa y Ciudad Bolívar, prefiero pasar de largo. Son muy peleoneros, no pagan la carrera y hasta me terminan rompiendo los vidrios o sacando cuchillo”, dijo un conductor de taxi, que pidió la reserva de su nombre por seguridad.
Si bien es cierto que no hay cifras oficiales que muestren un comparativo entre el número de riñas en las que se ven implicados afrocolombianos y en las que no (sería discriminatorio, dicen las autoridades), la Policía asegura que el número de grescas en los barrios donde se concentra la población afro -y donde además hay sitios de entretenimiento exclusivo para ellos como peluquerías, tiendas y bares- aumenta especialmente los fines de semana; que en varios de ellos también se excede la capacidad permitida y se incumple con el horario de cierre.
Pero las personas de tez negra sufren en silencio. “Nos toca vivir abusos y matoneo. No nos alquilan por ser negros, porque somos de familias numerosas; llegamos a Bogotá solo a engrosar los cordones de miseria. No hay un entendimiento de la política de victimización, desde el gobierno, dirigida a nuestro territorio. Hasta el momento no le ha interesado que su ciudadanía se entere de lo que en realidad está pasando en los territorios, sobre todo en lo urbano, porque aquí es más fuerte la violencia y la discriminación que en la zona rural”, afirmó Virgelina Chará, coordinadora de la Asociación para el Desarrollo Integral de la Mujer, la Juventud y la Infancia, que trabaja, entre otros, con víctimas de desplazamiento y familiares de desaparecidos.
“Cuando me vine para Bogotá fue muy duro; llegué sin dinero y con ilusiones de progresar. Mi familia y yo terminamos en una piecita muy pequeña de Teusaquillo. Pasaron meses sin empleo hasta que conseguimos trabajo y las puertas se nos abrieron”, dijo Henry Belálcazar, un valluno que desde hace más de 10 años vive en la ciudad.
“Hay un problema claro de intolerancia y de estigmatización contra los afrocolombianos (…) la información que se tiene sobre esta población en la ciudad es básica, tanto que las últimas cifras del número de afros que viven en Bogotá se basan en los datos que arrojó el Censo de 2005, y estas son mucho menores a las reales”, explicó Andrés Mesa, investigador del Instituto Colombiano de Antropología e Historia (ICANH).
“Mientras tengamos discriminación, tendremos pobreza, desempleo, prostitución, violación de derechos y desplazamiento (…) que nos asesinen por ser negros, por vivir en X o Y localidad, porque los negros hacen bulla. Esto seguirá pasando hasta que la gente logre entender las culturas y la visión política de las comunidades negras, palanqueras y raizales”, concluyó Virgelina Chará.
Black Bogotá
In about 10 neighborhoods in Bogotá, the black population has felt threatened.
Regardless of the miles of distance between these Bogotá localities, in Suba, San Cristóbal, Rafael Uribe Uribe, Bosa and Engativá, it breathes fear, discrimination and frustration. In about 10 neighborhoods in these areas, where most of the population have black skin - usually coming from the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts -, on more than one occasion they have threatened, injured or killed blacks; several public service drivers refuse to enter these sectors because they fear being attacked verbally or physically, and houses and apartment owners chose not to rent to people of color, because they ended up living more than 10.
"Blacks are killing and robbing whites," complained neighborhood residents of Suba Corner, at the beginning of past year, with local authorities (Suba administrativa mayor and police) and Capital District administration. The Afro community leaders, meanwhile, claimed that they were only judged by their skin color, that this was a clear fact of racial discrimination. "They said that blacks stole, made noise on the street and were aggressive, but we can not judge whether they are good or bad only by skin color. One must understand that, when they get to Bogota, form colonies with people of their land, through them they accompany and help each other, they do it without any harm for anyone," said Rudesindo Castro, former District Ethnic Affairs director.
Coexistence problems and aggression among whites (mestizos, from mixed ancestry) and blacks are business as usual in these six parts of the capital, which concentrates the Afro population. There are over 70.000 afros from the 129.022 living in Bogotá, according to an estimate by a group of researchers from the Centre for Social Studies of the National University. Most of them come looking to improve their live conditions and begin to work primarily on informal sales and as building workers.
"It is not that we are racist, is that you do not see them (the Afro-Colombians) working, but robbing at weekends. After 10pm they go in large groups shouting and making scandals, kicking the doors, breaking glasses and the next day you see dead, wounded," reads a letter signed by 52 residents living between the 125B and 131 streets, between 91A and 93A roads (also in Suba); it was sent to the Mayor, in late 2011, with the aim of knowing why the authorities did not take action.
Attacks also hit -recurrently- black people. On April 7 this year, Jimmy Pontón, who arrived from Jamundí, Valle del Cauca, died after being stabbed and injured in the Claret neighborhood, in Rafael Uribe Uribe locality, by a man who supposedly "does not like black people (... ) he was killed for being black," concluded the victim's family to media.
Protection for blacks and whites
The District Agency of Ethnic Affairs, which began operating in Bogota on July 15, 2011, primarily with the aim of promoting non-discrimination, protecting Afro-Colombian culture and self-recognition, it has detected such events in the city. "People were determined to associate Afro people with criminals. Even, some people still do not rent them because they say that behind a black arrive 15 more at least to the houses they lease. Many feel rejected or marked up by the police because they claim to be in groups is reason enough to send them a patrol," said Castro.
So it was organized with the aim to improve relationships. "We had to do work-tables in the localities to lower tempers. Those not renting, for example, relented and agreed to let their families to stay a few weeks and then be relocated, while they (Afro-Colombian people) promised to meet deadlines and standards," he added.
In another scenario, many drivers refuse to transport them. "After 8 pm I did not pick them up;if I walk through blacks neighborhoods, especially those who are in Bosa and Ciudad Bolívar, I prefer to pass by. They are very quarrelsome, do not pay the run and they even end up breaking a glass or pulling out a knife," said a taxi driver, who asked not to be named for security.
While it is true that no official figures comparing the number of fights with Afro-Colombians involvement and the ones without it ("it would be discriminatory," officials say), the Police says the number of brawls in neighborhoods with Afro concentration - and where there is also exclusive entertainment sites for them as hairdressers, shops and bars- increases especially at weekends, that several of them also exceed allowed capacity and use to infringe closing time.
But black-skinned people suffer in silence. "We are living abuse and bullying. They don't rent us because we're black, because we have large families; we arrived at Bogota only to swell the misery. There isn't an understanding of victimization politics, from the government, led to our territory. To the day, there hadn't been the interest to make the public become aware of what is really going on in the territories, especially in urban areas, because here violence and discrimination are stronger than in rural areas," said Virgelina Chará, coordinator of the Association for the Integral Development of Women, Youth and Children; they work, among others, with victims of displacement and friends of missing persons.
"When I came to Bogotá it was very hard, I came without money and with illusions of progress. My family and I ended up in a tiny little room at Teusaquillo [locality]. We spent months unemployed until we got work and we opened the doors," said Henry Belalcazar a man from Valle who for more than 10 years living in the city.
"There is a clear problem of intolerance and stigmatization against Afro-Colombians (...) the information you have on this population in the city is basic, while the latest figures on the number of afros living in Bogota are based on data resulting from 2005 Census, and these are much smaller than the real" explained Andrés Mesa, Colombian researcher Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH).
"While we have discrimination, we have poverty, unemployment, prostitution, rape and displacement rights (...) that we are murdered for being black, living in X or Y location, because blacks make noise. This will continue to happen until people achieve to understand the cultures and the political vision of black communities, raizals (islanders) and palanqueras" concluded Virgelina Chara.
In about 10 neighborhoods in Bogotá, the black population has felt threatened.
Regardless of the miles of distance between these Bogotá localities, in Suba, San Cristóbal, Rafael Uribe Uribe, Bosa and Engativá, it breathes fear, discrimination and frustration. In about 10 neighborhoods in these areas, where most of the population have black skin - usually coming from the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts -, on more than one occasion they have threatened, injured or killed blacks; several public service drivers refuse to enter these sectors because they fear being attacked verbally or physically, and houses and apartment owners chose not to rent to people of color, because they ended up living more than 10.
"Blacks are killing and robbing whites," complained neighborhood residents of Suba Corner, at the beginning of past year, with local authorities (Suba administrativa mayor and police) and Capital District administration. The Afro community leaders, meanwhile, claimed that they were only judged by their skin color, that this was a clear fact of racial discrimination. "They said that blacks stole, made noise on the street and were aggressive, but we can not judge whether they are good or bad only by skin color. One must understand that, when they get to Bogota, form colonies with people of their land, through them they accompany and help each other, they do it without any harm for anyone," said Rudesindo Castro, former District Ethnic Affairs director.
Coexistence problems and aggression among whites (mestizos, from mixed ancestry) and blacks are business as usual in these six parts of the capital, which concentrates the Afro population. There are over 70.000 afros from the 129.022 living in Bogotá, according to an estimate by a group of researchers from the Centre for Social Studies of the National University. Most of them come looking to improve their live conditions and begin to work primarily on informal sales and as building workers.
"It is not that we are racist, is that you do not see them (the Afro-Colombians) working, but robbing at weekends. After 10pm they go in large groups shouting and making scandals, kicking the doors, breaking glasses and the next day you see dead, wounded," reads a letter signed by 52 residents living between the 125B and 131 streets, between 91A and 93A roads (also in Suba); it was sent to the Mayor, in late 2011, with the aim of knowing why the authorities did not take action.
Attacks also hit -recurrently- black people. On April 7 this year, Jimmy Pontón, who arrived from Jamundí, Valle del Cauca, died after being stabbed and injured in the Claret neighborhood, in Rafael Uribe Uribe locality, by a man who supposedly "does not like black people (... ) he was killed for being black," concluded the victim's family to media.
Protection for blacks and whites
The District Agency of Ethnic Affairs, which began operating in Bogota on July 15, 2011, primarily with the aim of promoting non-discrimination, protecting Afro-Colombian culture and self-recognition, it has detected such events in the city. "People were determined to associate Afro people with criminals. Even, some people still do not rent them because they say that behind a black arrive 15 more at least to the houses they lease. Many feel rejected or marked up by the police because they claim to be in groups is reason enough to send them a patrol," said Castro.
So it was organized with the aim to improve relationships. "We had to do work-tables in the localities to lower tempers. Those not renting, for example, relented and agreed to let their families to stay a few weeks and then be relocated, while they (Afro-Colombian people) promised to meet deadlines and standards," he added.
In another scenario, many drivers refuse to transport them. "After 8 pm I did not pick them up;if I walk through blacks neighborhoods, especially those who are in Bosa and Ciudad Bolívar, I prefer to pass by. They are very quarrelsome, do not pay the run and they even end up breaking a glass or pulling out a knife," said a taxi driver, who asked not to be named for security.
While it is true that no official figures comparing the number of fights with Afro-Colombians involvement and the ones without it ("it would be discriminatory," officials say), the Police says the number of brawls in neighborhoods with Afro concentration - and where there is also exclusive entertainment sites for them as hairdressers, shops and bars- increases especially at weekends, that several of them also exceed allowed capacity and use to infringe closing time.
But black-skinned people suffer in silence. "We are living abuse and bullying. They don't rent us because we're black, because we have large families; we arrived at Bogota only to swell the misery. There isn't an understanding of victimization politics, from the government, led to our territory. To the day, there hadn't been the interest to make the public become aware of what is really going on in the territories, especially in urban areas, because here violence and discrimination are stronger than in rural areas," said Virgelina Chará, coordinator of the Association for the Integral Development of Women, Youth and Children; they work, among others, with victims of displacement and friends of missing persons.
"When I came to Bogotá it was very hard, I came without money and with illusions of progress. My family and I ended up in a tiny little room at Teusaquillo [locality]. We spent months unemployed until we got work and we opened the doors," said Henry Belalcazar a man from Valle who for more than 10 years living in the city.
"There is a clear problem of intolerance and stigmatization against Afro-Colombians (...) the information you have on this population in the city is basic, while the latest figures on the number of afros living in Bogota are based on data resulting from 2005 Census, and these are much smaller than the real" explained Andrés Mesa, Colombian researcher Institute of Anthropology and History (ICANH).
"While we have discrimination, we have poverty, unemployment, prostitution, rape and displacement rights (...) that we are murdered for being black, living in X or Y location, because blacks make noise. This will continue to happen until people achieve to understand the cultures and the political vision of black communities, raizals (islanders) and palanqueras" concluded Virgelina Chara.
