“If they don’t help us, we will kill more jaguars”
The peasants of Mangos Calenturas, in Amalfi (Antioquia) were sick and tired of the jaguar that had been roaming around, killing their animals and threatening residents’ lives, so they took matters into their own hands and hunted down the animal, killing it last Tuesday night.
Residents said the jaguar had eaten dogs, chickens, horses and cows; they also feared for the safety of their children as several walk to school every day.
The community claims Corantoquia, the pertinent environmental authority, was notified and didn’t respond; but the institute said it was unaware of the situation until after the animal had already been hunted. Apparently the female jaguar and her cub are still on the loose and residents say they have no problem killing them as well in an effort to protect their animals and their people.
julio 30th, 2012 en 10:29 am
Hi. don’t you think the term “peasant” is way past it’s time and a bit degrading at this day and age? a peasant is a definition used during feudalism and it implies being born in to a working class that has restricted freedom.
There should be no one labelled as a peasant in Colombia. Please advise.
julio 30th, 2012 en 4:21 pm
I will look into using a different term, and I’m open to suggestions. What would you suggest?
While the definition of peasant is what you say, it also has the following meanings, which are quite accurate in the case of Colombia:
1. A member of the class constituted by small farmers and tenants, sharecroppers, and laborers on the land where they form the main labor force in agriculture.
2. A country person; a rustic.
I often struggle with the word myself, I think of referring to countryfolk as ‘farmers’ but that term doesn’t always necessarily apply either, so I hesitate to use it. Again, I think it’s an interesting observation that warrants further discussion and would be curious to see what others think.
Thanks for reading!
Colombian Headlines
julio 31st, 2012 en 1:43 am
I agree with both of you, and while the term might mean something that does apply to Colombian “farmers”, it is indeed a word that is derogatory and is, as Sebastian says, past its time. I ask you then, is there any need to give these people any name other than what they are, merely people? Or perhaps inhabitants?
By the way, good article. I can’t believe the environmental authority didn’t do anything about it, and now if there is any problem these poor people are going to have to pay for it somehow because that’s just how our country works.
julio 31st, 2012 en 1:01 pm
Well I think there is a need to call them something besides ‘people’, just because we need to distinguish their protests and territories from those of, say, transportation workers, or unionists, and when we write about them it’s usually relevant to specify further. Any thoughts?
julio 31st, 2012 en 1:25 pm
what about “villagers?” it’s true and it’s not derogatory.
julio 31st, 2012 en 2:31 pm
I strongly disagree with David and Sebastian… I don’t think it is derogatory, and complaining about it sounds much more as an unsolved complex you guys have rather than knowing any language at all (including Spanish)… But anyway, Antioqua, you can also use “countryman” too if you like…