“My uncle gave us a small piece of land. I was there one day cooking and a group of armed men arrived. They stayed for three days on that little piece of land my uncle had given me, and they made me cook for them. They would tell me to kill four chickens, even though I said that they weren’t mine; but they beat me and I had to kill four chickens for them to eat...That same night, they returned around midnight, and they told me they wanted bread. I protested because it was late; but early the next day, I took out some money to buy ingredients for the bread. When I got back they were awful to me. My uncle came out to defend me and they murdered him, right in his own doorway. I was devastated by my uncle’s death.” — Ricardo

There are also countless examples of deliberate intimidation and violence against the civilian population.

Ricardo, 48, had 7 children.
He was displaced January 17, 2006.
He was an active community leader
and is now seeking refugee
status in Canada.

“One has to live without speaking up, because those who oppose the armed groups are killed. You learn the power of these groups growing up here, and it creates an environment of uncertainty and fear, such that you dare not refuse them anything. This fear and uncertainty swallows you as you suffer the death of acquaintances, the abuse of yourself and family members at the hands of militiamen, and the attacks on individuals who speak out.” — Cristian

Colombia is a fractured society, where irregular armed groups regularly tax and terrorize the rural population. The vast majority of displaced persons have been forced to make payments or provide services to one or more of Colombia's armed groups during their lifetime, coerced into doing so by death threats, torture, or the murder or kidnapping of family members.

"The paramilitaries massacred farming families who were occupying the roads, demanding services and meetings with government officials. We were a neglected part of the province and we wanted attention paid to our condition. Instead they sent in the paramilitaries to clear out the highways and kill our people in our poor farming communities. The International Red Cross made a declaration saying that the sit-in had provoked the AUC paramilitaries to take action against the farmers. They said the massacres were a result of our attempts to organize.” — Deshila

“[In Monterrey] the guerillas would arrive frequently at our house and ask me to cook for them. We had so little and I was reluctant to do so... sometimes I would find the strength to refuse them, but that would result in my family being held in the house for hours at a time until I gave in.” — Juana

Sometimes Colombian civilians can't tell who they are being forced to help. The army demands the same type of collaboration as the guerillas and paramilitaries.

“Collaboration in the campo is a fact of life...When militiamen--members of the regular army, the paramilitaries, and the guerilla--come to your house they all will take what's not theirs to take...They will make you do things for them, they will make you wash their clothes. They'll tie you up and leave you to the elements or to starve... I didn't want to help them. I get so angry when I have to deal with those people. They killed my brother, they humiliated my father, they terrorized my little brother... I can't stand to be near any of them.” — Julia

Displaced Colombians are guaranteed a number of benefits under the Colombian Constitution, but IDP's often find that in order benefit from government aid programs they are required to publicly denounce their persecutors.