Colombia  – “A new day is dawning…I’m sure of whom I am, although there are many who don’t understand…To find solutions, war is not an option.  And to find peace, our hearts overflow.”  So begins Pido Perdón, (I Ask for Forgiveness), a song by a group called La Iguana and two demobilized Colombians who are participating in the Government’s reintegration process.

At the official launch of the song and video in the southern city of Cali, Lida Cortés, one of the demobilized who sang with La Iguana said: “This song is a way for us, the demobilized, to ask all Colombians to give us an opportunity, to let us show them that we also feel and love.  We know we have made mistakes, and for this we are asking for forgiveness.” 

Pido Perdón was recorded as part of a larger reintegration and national reconciliation strategy titled Step by Step, which is supported by the Colombian Reintegration Agency (ACR), the National Center for Historical Memory, the Office of the Attorney General, IOM and the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

“There are many reasons why as Colombians we need to ask for forgiveness and this song talks about that.  It talks about people who made mistakes and hurt Colombia, its family and themselves.  We need to understand that we all deserve a second chance,” added Andrés (Gota), one of the vocalists of La Iguana.

Fido, producer and vocalist stressed: “We’re not asking the people to forget, because the past cannot be erased, but to find another road to peace through forgiveness.”

The song tells the true stories of some ex-combatants.  One story focuses on a young man named Angel who at 13 decided to join an illegal armed group lured by promises of money and the power that he thought a firearm could provide. 

Gota, who wrote the lyrics, said Lida’s story and her words inspired him to make them part of the chorus.  “‘I want to start again, show that I can. I want to say I’m sorry.’  With those words Lida never tires of asking fellow Colombians to forgive her.”

“IOM wanted to be part of this strategy because reconciliation is a key factor to achieving true and lasting peace.  These types of initiatives must go hand in hand with political decisions and actions; they all contribute to rebuilding trust,” said Marcelo Pisani, IOM Chief of Mission in Colombia. 

Alejandro Eder, Director General of ACR, said: “Our Agency is convinced that cultural expressions can build a solid bridge to restore the social fabric of our society.  It is very important that we stop the stigmatization of demobilized persons who are earnestly trying to reintegrate into society.”

So far, more than 55,000 anti-government combatants have demobilized – 32,000 who were members of the paramilitary United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), demobilized collectively between 2003 and 2006; an additional 23,000 from guerrilla groups have done so individually.

To watch the Pido Perdón music video in Spanish, please go to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-mwzbCKLM4Y. 

To watch the version with English subtitles http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6gi6LGyZvs

For more information please contact

Jadin Vergara
IOM Colombia
Tel: 571 639 7777 Ext. 1715
Email: jvergara@iom.int