KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: When you think of land mines, countries
like Afghanistan, Sudan, Iraq, and other conflict areas
around the world might come to mind.
But Colombia is one of the most affected countries in the
world, too.
Because for the last 50 years, there's been a roiling
conflict between leftist Marxist guerrillas and the
Colombian government.
And even though there are peace talks happening right
now in Havana, the legacy of decades of war are literally
sewn into the soil.
So we came to Colombia to find out how this nation is dealing
with this ongoing, violent, and brutal problem.
Since 1990, there have been over 10,000 land mine victims
in Colombia, the second most in the world behind
Afghanistan.
Many victims are poor farmers and ranchers who live in
regions controlled by the guerrilla or other
narcotrafficking groups that operate in the country.
But the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC,
has been the government's main enemy.
And even after over $5 billion in US military aid, around
7,000 FARC soldiers are holding off over 300,000
Colombian troops by surrounding themselves with
land mines--
[EXPLOSION]
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: --their strongest line of defense.
FARC has been around for five decades.
And what began as a Marxist people's army fighting against
capitalist imperialism has devolved into a guerrilla
force that threatens the very people it originally sought to
protect, because of the thousands of land mines
they've buried in civilian areas.
JORGE HUMBERTO JEREZ: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
[EXPLOSION]
JORGE HUMBERTO JEREZ: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: Over the last six months, FARC leaders
have been negotiating peace with Columbia's government.
But even as they talk about ending hostilities, there's no
ceasefire in place.
These negotiations could yield a transformative moment in
Colombian history.
The government is even trying to rebrand the country as a
vacation destination, not just a hotbed of violence.
But the scars of 50 years of war and 50 years of land mines
can't be so easily erased.
Victims of the conflict, who have lived with war for most
if not all of their lives, have little faith
in the peace process.
We're headed to Florencia, which is in the southern
region of Caqueta.
Caqueta is a red zone, an active combat area, that since
the late '90s has not only been a stronghold of FARC but
has also been infiltrated by right-wing paramilitary
groups, too.
So we're going to meet civilians who have been caught
between the crossfire and have been victims of land mines.
[MUSIC PLAYS]
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: Land mines can be found all over
Colombia, especially in the country's three mountain
ranges and dense jungle, where the guerrilla
like to hide out.
Many of these areas can only be accessed from a single
point of entry, so all it takes is one set of land mines
to protect hundreds of acres of territory and
foil any Army advances.
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: Ignacio Gomez is an investigative
journalist who's been reporting on the conflict for
over 20 years.
He's been targeted for assassination five times,
including a personal threat from cocaine
kingpin Pablo Escobar.
And even he thought it was crazy that we
were heading to Florencia.
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: It sounds scary.
You're making me scared to go there.
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: Caqueta is one of Columbia's most
dangerous regions because coke production has shot up there
by 80% over the last few years.
It's basically FARC land.
And what's more, drug cartels and their militias control
much of the region as well.
ANA DARNELLY CUELLAR:[SPEAKING SPANISH]
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: In Columbia's remote areas, it
takes hours to get proper medical care for major trauma.
And the risk of infection for land mine wounds is high,
especially because many of these land mines are homemade
bombs, filled with things like feces and battery acid.
So if you're lucky enough to survive a mine blast, you'll
likely suffer lasting effects of the injury.
JAMIE SANCHEZ: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
JAMIE'S MOTHER: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
JAMIE SANCHEZ: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
JAMIE'S MOTHER: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
JAMIE SANCHEZ: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
JAMIE'S MOTHER: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: Yeah, she's very brave.
How does she feel now?
JAMIE SANCHEZ: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
JAMIE'S MOTHER: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
[MUSIC PLAYS]
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: Yesterday we met a few land
mine victims in Florencia.
And one thing they all shared in common was that they were
displaced by the violence.
After they stepped on land mines, they moved out of the
countryside to the relative safety of the city.
But today we're going to head into the guerrilla-controlled
countryside of Caqueta to meet a few land mine victims who
are still living in an active combat area.
Columbia counts 3.7 million internally displaced people
and 380,000 refugees that have fled the country entirely,
giving it the dubious honor of having the highest number of
displaced people in the world, beating out countries like
Afghanistan and Syria.
Entering FARC-controlled areas is risky, especially for
journalists.
Our driver charged us double and would only spend a few
hours out there.
He refused to stop the car for more than a few minutes.
We met up with Francisney, who lost his leg on the side of
the road years ago.
FRANCISNEY CHAUX: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: So can you show your leg, the
prosthetic you have?
FRANCISNEY CHAUX: [SPEAKING SPANISH]
KRISHNA ANDAVOLU: A week later, we learned that a
soldier lost his leg by stepping on a land mine that
was just feet from where we were.