La Chiva - The Colombian Solidarity Group

The current social and political situation in Colombia receives little coverage in the mainstream media. In the context of the country’s 50 year long armed conflict, social forces in Colombia have faced foreign intervention in various stages and levels of intensity, as well as a host of domestic social and economic class tensions. Once a battlefield of the ‘Cold War,’ Colombia now finds itself a front in the so-called ‘war on drugs’ and ‘war on terror’ simultaneously, as well as a laboratory of the neoliberal project. Regarding human rights, the situation is grave: Colombia holds the shameful top position worldwide for murders of trade unionists, and roughly 10 percent of its population has been forcibly displaced. Colombians fighting for basic human rights and dignity enjoyed by Canadians are too often either caught in the middle or directly targeted by actors in the conflict. Like Palestine and Iraq, Colombia is a frontline in the struggle between empire and resistance; the international activist community must be aware of it as such. From our privileged position, we must ensure that Colombia is not forgotten.

Mission Statement

The overriding goal of La Chiva is to foster awareness of the current Colombian social and political situation through proactive campaigns that reflect our commitment to social change. Through our actions, we will reach the public both inside and outside the University of Alberta. Our long-term goal is to raise consciousness of the situation in the local community; to that end, we hope to inspire students and community members to keep La Chiva running well beyond the current academic year and beyond the university environment. To our knowledge, La Chiva is the sole entity in Alberta that seeks explicitly to highlight the situation in Colombia.

Action Plans

Our events will include film screenings, boycotts against multinational companies involved in the violation of human rights in Colombia, conferences, the distribution of flyers, and other activities that we believe will contribute to the development of our goals. Additionally, we plan to engage in a relationship of reciprocity with APIRG, offering any skills or services the organization may require.

  • Film Screenings: one film screening per month on the U of A campus intended to inform students and non-students alike on issues pertaining to the Colombian situation. Discussions will likely follow the screenings.
  • Anti-Coca-Cola Campaign: primarily an information campaign to generate debate on campus regarding Coca-Cola’s exclusivity contract with the university. The main focus will be to highlight the company’s unethical practises in Colombia directed against trade unionists and their families. Our tactics will include the distribution of handbills, creating banners, doing interviews with the local media, and making links with other groups working toward the same goal.
  • International Week Conference: a conference to be held during international week focussing on the Colombian situation. The theme will likely address the controversies of the so-called ‘war on terror’ and ‘war on drugs,’ pending the selection of the speaker. We plan to bring a speaker from Colombia for a panel presentation followed by a public discussion.
  • Fundraising: To fund the more expensive projects, we will be carrying out fundraising campaigns, such as creating and selling t-shirts and soliciting donations from organizations such as trade unions and other such organizations in Alberta.
  • Discussion Groups: we plan to host monthly discussion groups pertaining to current events and issues in Colombia. The groups will be open to the public, and pre-discussion information material will be distributed via our email list to ensure an informed and deep discussion. The discussions and materials will all be in English.

In each of our action plans, we encourage the participation of U of A students. Volunteers will be sought for our events; and through this participation, we hope to entrench within students an acute understanding of the issues and realities that the Colombian people face. We hope that these understandings will not only reach the classrooms of students but also the consciousness of the Edmonton community, so that Colombia will not be forgotten or relegated to the status of a minor conflict in the global war of empire

Contact La Chiva

To ask questions, recieve updates or join La Chiva, email lachiva@apirg.org

To see past events and activities, go to:

La Chiva's Website (archives only)