After the murder of 11 deputies by FARC guerrillas, Colombians decided to go to the streets and yell “No More Kidnappings“. It started as a citizen initiative, but soon the democratic security government, big companies and mainstream media supported it and invited people to join. The huge demonstration took place on Thursday 5 July at noon. Even Second Lifers protested. But leftist Alternative Democratic Pole preferred to call its “own march”, because it didn’t want to be supportive of President Uribe, who is also considered [by them] to be responsible for the death of the local lawmakers. equinoXio [ES] had a big special with some pictures from its “correspondents” in 5 cities (Bogotá, Medellín [twice], Cali, Manizales, and Pasto). Padrino José, writing from Cali, recalls his experience [ES]: Hoy marcharon, estuve allí, pero lo que sentía era la soledad en que estaban las familias de los diputados, en medio de convocatorias de caudillos políticos aprovechando pancartas, banderas y muñecos llamando al rechazo, observaba la pesca en “río Cali revuelto” de algunos precandidatos en puja por las próximas elecciones. Pero lo más triste y lo que no quería escuchar era la forma en que fue tratada la hija del diputado Charry mientras leía el comunicado de agradecimiento en nombre de las familias y que fue abucheada por la turba mientras decía: “… Nuestros muertos nos pertenecen. Gracias por movilizarse para rechazar las políticas del gobierno …” Y son ellos, los familiares, quienes en una mezcla de dolor y soledad cobijada por una manta a la cual no se le puede objetar, tienen a mi parecer la mejor versión de los hechos: Promesas incumplidas, citas canceladas, ruegos aquí y allá en una búsqueda incansable de 5 años para su liberación y nada lo consiguió, la voluntad por parte de las partes por ayudar en el momento indicado era un derecho ya ganado y no lo recibieron, y para su sorpresa ahora cuando claman por sus muertos las voces de dolor parecieran ser interesadas y estratégicas y de seguro entorpecerán más el camino para llegar a un final. They marched today, I was there, but what I felt was the loneliness of the deputies’ families, amidst the call from political caudillos that took advantage of banners, flags and puppets calling for rejection [of kidnappings], I saw the pre-candidates for next elections fishing in Cali river’s troubled waters. But the saddest thing and what I didn’t want to hear was the way deputy [Carlos] Charry’s daughter [Carolina] was treated while she read a grateful letter in behalf of the families and who was booed by the crowd as she said: “… Our dead belong to us. Thank you for mobilizing to reject the government’s policies…” And it’s them, the relatives, who in an unobjectionable mix of pain and loneliness, are sheltered by a blanket. They have, in my opinion, the best version of what happened: unfulfilled promises, cancelled appointments, pleas everywhere during a 5-year restless search for their release and nothing could be achieved. The will of the parts to help at the right moment was an already earned right and they couldn’t get it, and to their surprise, now, when they clamour for their dead, the voices of pain seem to be selfish and strategic and they will surely hold up the path to reach an ending. In Bogotá, Marsares says [ES] that there wasn’t a big march since there were several meeting points, so there were smaller marchs all over the city. According to him, there wasn’t a big “human chain” from downtown as announced, but there were some clashes among the ones standing for a safe haven for 45 days for FARC in order for the release of the hostages and the others who claimed for a tougher policy against the terrorists. He also noticed the way some government officials were “instructing” pro-Uribe demonstrators. Thilo Hanisch Luque posts a video and writes [ES]: Quizás los terroristas de turno hagan oídos sordos al clamor nacional, como es la costumbre de la guerrilla. Pero al menos las familias de las víctimas se sintieron acompañadas en su dolor el día de hoy. Son más de 3000 secuestrados, aproximadamente. Maybe the terrorists don’t hear the national clamour, as is usual with guerrillas. But at least the victims’ relatives felt [Colombians joined in] their pain today. There are approximately more than 3,000 kidnapped. Atrabilioso’s [ES] Jaime Restrepo interrupted his vacation to celebrate and say “At last!”. A few months ago he started a campaign against kidnapping and asking for the -now unconditional- freedom of all hostages: “This is a beginning, but hope awakens amidst pain”.