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Note: This sermon was presented in Spanish with Lois Todhunter giving the translation listed below.  Mr. Luis Gilberto Murillo Urrutia is the former Governor of El Choco State in Colombia, who was forced to abandon his political career and seek refuge in the United States following his kidnapping by paramilitaries and threats to his family. An Afro-Colombian, Mr. Murillo was the youngest person ever to win a gubernatorial election in his country. Now in exile in the United States, he is an outspoken  advocate for the environment, the rights of ethnic groups and peace in Colombia.

Primero que todo quiero agradecerle a la Iglesia Unida en Cristo por esta oportunidad de presentar en esta Homilia, de manera resumida la situacion que esta atravenzando Colombia.

Mi Pais es una nacion de 42 millones de Habitantes de los cuales el 26% son Afro - Colombianos, el 5% Indigenas y el resto Mestizo y Blanco. Como lo pueden ver es una nacion multicultural y plurietnica, mas esto no se refleja en la estructura de poder politico y economico, debido a la historica exclusion social y discriminacion de la mayoria de la poblacion.

Colombia ha venido sufriendo un conflicto armado violento de cerca de 40 anios, originado principalmente en la injusticia social, en la falta de oportunidades, por que unos pocos se han abrogado el derecho de tenerlo todo en detrimento de la mayoria de la pablacion, y en lugar de abrir el dialogo en torno a estas dificultades, ellos responden con mas y mas represion e infraccion de los derechos humanos universalmente reconocidos.

Hoy en Colombia hay una intensa violencia que el anio pasado dejo cerca de 4.000 muertes politicas, la mayoria de ellas cometidas por grupos paramilitares de derecha apoyados por militares del gobierno, 2.800 personas secuestradas de ellos cerca de 200 son ninos, 425 masacres y 1.8 millones de desplazados por la violencia o refugiados internos, la mayoria de ellos Afro - Colombianos, asi mismo, cada anio se registra un numero alarmante de lideres de base, religiosos, academicos, sindicales, defensores de derechos humanos y aun alcaldes asesinados por los violentos.

Las tierras de Afro - Colombianos son territorio de intensa guerra, pero ademas de eso nuestra poblacion esta ubicada en los niveles criticos socio - economicos, niveles similares a los de los paises mas pobre del mundo, por ejemplo: Solo tenemos un medico por cada 10.000 habitantes, cuando el promedio nacional es de 1 por cada 1.000 habitantes, la mortalidad infaltil alcanza la horrible cifra de 110 ninos muertos por cada 1.000 nacidos, mientras el promedio nacional es de 25. Lo mismo en educacion, solo el 39% de nuestro ninos va a la escuela, mientras el promedio nacional esta en 83%, solo 2% de los que termina el bachillerato ingresa a la universidad y es asi como tambien, no tenemos representacion en las esferas de poder economico y politico, en marcada desproporcion con el numero de nuestra poblacion.

En este contexto, Nosotros estamos desarrollano una lucha silenciosa e invisible para muchos, en contra de este estado de cosas, por la busqeda de la paz y la justicia social, lo uno es esencia de lo otro y viceversa.

Cundo fui gobernador yo me levante, como muchos otros Afro - Colombianos y lideres sociales en contra de la injusticia y en favor de mi gente, propuse la desmilitarizacion de mi estado a traves de su declaracion como territorio de paz, defendi los derechos ambientales y territoriales de mi gente, pero eso me valio un secuestro de los violentos paramilitares de derecha, quienes amenazaron mi vida y la de mi familia, hecho que obligo a mi salida del Pais y a la busqueda de asilo politico en U.S.A.

Es lamentable que en este contexto, el Gobierno de los EEUU, en lugar de ayudar a lograr la reconciliacion nacional en nuestro pais, ha enviado una ayuda militar de 1.3 billones de doalres, en el marco del Plan Colombia, que implica mas violencia y muertes, mas afectacion al medio ambiente a traves de la fumigacion de cultivos de coca, con venenos quimicos, los cuales estan generando grandes danos en la poblacion y en sus cultivos de pan cojer en detrimento de su seguridad alimentaria, asi mismo, el anfasis militar del Plan Colombia puso en peligro el fragil proceso de dialogo para la paz que se ha iniciado entre el Gobierno y los grupos de guerrilla, Proceso en el cual las fuerzas sociales, contando con la ayuda de Dios, hemos puesto muchas esperanzas .

Colombia necesita mucha ayuda, pero no armas y veneno quimico para agravar la situacion que hoy vivimos. Ustedes pueden ayudar mucho en la busqueda de la reconciliacion de los Colombianos, haciendo que la politica de su gobierno hacia nuestro pais sea mas constructiva y persiga la paz en lugar de la guerra y la injusticia social, escribanle a sus representativos en el congreso y el gobierno para que se den cuenta de lo que esta pasando realmente en nuestro pais, hay que pedirle a Dios que a traves del Espiritu Santo ilumine sus mentes en la toma de estas decisiones que pueden afectar las vidas de mucha gente. Ustedes pueden apoyar directamente y hacer acompanamiento a la poblacion pobre en Colombia, que esta sufriendo las consecuencias del conflicto, no nos dejen solos.

La Iglesia Unida en Cristo tiene una larga experiencia espiritual en la lucha por la Justicia social y en contra del racismo, yo tuve la oportunidad de conocer a Barbara Gerlach precisamente por el compromiso que ella y la Iglesia Unida en Cristo en General tiene con los desplazados de nuestro pais y por el logro de la reconciliacion de todos los Colombianos, pero asi mismo, ese compromiso se ha manifestado en la irremplazable ayuda humanitaria que le han dado a mi familia y ami, en estos dificiles momentos, que nunca nos imaginamos que nos podia pasar.

Como lo dice el Salmo 126, Con nuestras lagrimas y sufrimiento y con la ayuda y solidaridad de muchos de Ustedes para aliviarlo, estamos sembrando semillas, que el Senior nos asegurara que en futuro, las recogeremos con gozos, cantos y alabanzas a el, nuestro Dios.

TRANSLATION by Lois Todhunter.

Sermon of Luis Gilberto Murillo

April 1, 2001

First of all I would like to thank you at the United Church of Christ for this opportunity to present, in this homily, a summary of the situation that is happening right now in Colombia.

My country is a nation of 42 million people, of whom 26% are Afro-Colombian., 5% are indigenous people, and the rest are Mestizo and white. As you can see, it is a multicultural and multiethnic country, however, this is not reflected in the structure of political and economic power, due to a history of social exclusion and discrimination against the majority of the population.

Colombia has been suffering a violent armed conflict for nearly 40 years, originating principally in social injustice, in the lack of opportunities, because a few have restricted those rights to the detriment of the majority of the population. Instead of opening the dialog around these difficulties, they have responded with greater repression and further infraction of universally recognized human rights.

Today in Colombia there is an intense violent conflict that last year left about 4,000 political deaths, the greatest number committed by paramilitary groups of the right supported by government military forces; 2,800 people were kidnapped, and among them 200 children; 425 massacres and 1.8 million people left homeless because of the violence, or refugees in their own country – the majority of them Afro-Colombians, and each year includes a greater number of religious and academic leaders, journalists, defenders of human rights and even mayors assassinated in the violence.

The Afro-Colombian lands are territories of intense war, and in addition to this, our population finds itself in the most critical of socio-economic levels, levels like those of the poorest countries of the world. For example: we have only one doctor for every 10,000 people, while the average in the country is 1 for every 1,000 people; infant mortality has reached the horrible figure of 110 deaths for every 1,000 births, while the nation average is 25. The same in education, only 39% of our children go to school, while the national average is 83%; only 2% of those who finish high school enter the university. And, of course, we do not have representation in the spheres of economic and political power, in marked disproportion with the numbers of our population.

In this context, we are developing a silent and invisible fight for many, against this state of affairs, in a search for peace and social justice, each of which is essential for the other.

When I was governor, I raised up, like many Afro-Colombians and social leaders, against injustice and in favor of my people. I proposed the demilitarization of my state by declaring it a peaceful territory; I defended the environmental and territorial rights of my people, but this resulted in my being kidnapped by violent paramilitaries of the right, who threatened my life and my family, such that I was obliged to leave the country and look for political asylum in the United States.

It is sad that in this context, the government of the United States, instead of helping to achieve national reconciliation in our country, has offered 1.3 million dollars worth of military assistance, by the name of Plan Colombia, which implies more violence and deaths and greater damage to the environment through the fumigation of coca crops with poisonous chemicals which are creating grave damage to the population and their crops and affecting their food security. The military emphasis of Plan Colombia has put in danger the fragile process of dialog for peace which has been initiated between the government and guerilla groups, a process in which socially concerned groups, counting on the help of God, have put much hope.

Colombia needs a lot of help, but not arms and poisonous chemicals which aggravate the conditions under which we live today. You can help greatly in the search for reconciliation among Colombians, by influencing the policy of your government toward our country to be more constructive and pursuant of peace instead of war and social injustice; by writing to your representatives in congress and the government so that they will understand what is really happening in our country. It is necessary to ask God, that through the holy spirit their minds be opened and illuminated when making decisions that can affect the lives of so many people. You can help directly, and be companions to the poor people of Colombia who are suffering the consequences of the conflict; do not abandon us.

The United Church of Christ has considerable spiritual experience in the fight for social justice and against racism. I had the opportunity of knowing Barbara Gerlach precisely because of the covenant that she and the UCC have with the homeless of our country, and for the success of reconciliation for all Colombians. This covenant has been manifested in the irreplaceable humanitarian help that she has given me and my family, in these difficult times that we never imagined could happen to us.

As Psalm 126 says, with our tears and suffering and with the help and solidarity of many of you to alleviate them, we are planting seeds, that God assures us in the future we will harvest with joy, songs and praise to him, our God.

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