The Mothers Of Soacha – An Example Of Courage
Soacha is a municipality very close to Bogotá, the capital of Colombia. This place has been the basis for all kinds of complicated problems. One of the most serious events that happened was the so-called ‘false positives’. The now infamous term symbolizes the murder of innocent civilians who are presented as rebels. This is done by military troops who wish to display military efficiency in order to gain advantages. Read on about Soacha’s brave mothers who are committed to fighting this.
There are nine confirmed cases of false positives in Soacha. And while the total number of victims of these crimes exceeds 3,000, they have had a much greater impact in Soacha. In this city, the mothers of the victims created an organization and undertook a struggle that continues to this day. They based their efforts on the “Foolish Mothers” in Argentina.
The media called these women ‘The Mothers of Soacha’. They are also known as ‘The Mothers of October’ because this was the month they founded the group and took their first steps. Their struggle led them to a crusade of condemnation around the world. They have received several international awards for their work.
One of the shocking cases of Soacha
One of the most paradigmatic cases of false positives in Soacha is the case of Fair Leonardo Porras. Fair was 26 years old and had an intellectual disability. He lived in a simple house, like most inhabitants of Soacha. He did simple work, mainly in construction. He was also seen as a caring person who was willing to help everyone in exchange for some money.
One day Fair did not come home. His family began a frantic search of hospitals, prisons, hospices and even morgues. But they couldn’t find him. Months later, his body was found in Ocaña, a municipality more than 600 kilometers from Soacha. The family were told that he had been killed fighting the army because he was secretly the head of an armed guerrilla group.
When his relatives went to collect his body, they found out that the story they were told was wrong on many points. For example, his body would have been found with a weapon in his right hand. But Fair had no mobility in that hand, and there were even medical statements proving it. It is completely illogical that someone with intellectual disabilities would have been the leader of an armed group.
The mothers who became heroines
It was Luz Marina Bernal, Fair Leonardo’s mother, who took up the fight to bring the facts to light. Colombia’s then president, Álvaro Uribe, suggested that the young man, and the other eight Soacha young men found, were all criminals. Soacha ‘s mothers have therefore made it their goal to restore the good name of their dead children.
Thanks to the help of Soacha’s legal officials and prosecutors, these women were able to have the responsible parties prosecuted. Ms. Luz Marina discovered that her son had been “sold” to members of the Colombian military for less than $100. They defrauded him with false promises of work and made him travel to an area where rebels were active. They later killed him with his back turned to them, and reported that he was “killed in battle.” They obtained special permits and money for their ‘good performance’.
The Mothers of Soacha – a paragon of courage
Luz Marina Bernal and Soacha’s other mothers faced several death threats, but kept on bravely. People demanded that they withdraw their complaints and stop the pressure they exerted for justice. More than five years later, the murder of Fair Leonardo Porras was named a “crime against humanity” by the court. The perpetrators received more than 50 years in prison. The originators of this crime are still unknown.
Soacha’s mothers expressed their sorrow in a play and in various artistic expressions. They are called ‘The Antigones’ and have become an example of courage and resistance. Like their counterparts in Argentina, they decided not to remain silent in the face of arbitrariness. They proved that their feminine power can win even in the most difficult and horrible scenarios.
