They are miraculous doubles, brought out alive from a perilous jungle, populated by wild animals in the heart of the Amazon. First, on May 1, Lesly, 13, Soleiny, 9, Tien Noriel, 5, and Cristin, 1, survived their plane crash, leaving behind the remains of their mother who eventually died. to his injuries. Then, for 40 days, the four Colombian children from the indigenous Chukiki community managed to survive. Without an adult, without help, without landmarks. Today, Colombia, the world itself, is overflowing with joy.
Adriana Carrera knows this Indian family and its culture perfectly. She is a close friend of Fatima, the siblings’ grandmother. 16 years ago, she met her at the home of anthropologist friends who had lived in the jungle. Fatima holds her youngest daughter, Damaris, in her arms. The two women exchange a smile. It is the beginning of a deep friendship. Adriana becomes the baby’s godmother. A meeting between two worlds: one retired 70 years old, city dweller and graduate from Bogota. The other, an indigenous woman from Araracuara, with ancestral customs, who calls the earth and the forest “mother”. She lives there with her children and grandchildren, now survivors. Despite the 200 km and hours of pirogue that separate them, their bond has remained intact.
Adriana has infinite respect for this community. With Fatima’s agreement, she agreed to speak to us at length about this family in order to pay tribute to this indigenous people on the verge of extinction. “The whole world must recognize them!” »
After 40 days in the jungle, do you have any news from the siblings?
Adriana Carrera. I know the children are dehydrated, thin, very tired and have a few scratches. For now, they are fed only by infusion. They speak little but according to the doctor, they are calm. They will be followed very closely for three weeks at the Bogota hospital, renowned throughout the country.
You are very close to the children’s grandmother. Today, how is she?
I called Fatima on Saturday evening! It was her brother who answered me because she had just been authorized to see the children. So she was with them in their hospital room. A few hours later, Narcisso, her husband, gave me a call to give me some news. He was very moved and grateful to the “Mother forest”. He said that the children held on thanks to nature.
This community, the Chukiki, who are part of the Uitoto Indians, was evangelized, like almost all the Amazonian population. But it must be understood that they kept their animist beliefs and their deities. Plants like coca and tobacco are as sacred as the Eucharist for Christians. On the phone, Narcisso was very cheerful. He thanked everyone: his community, the military and all the Colombians who donated money, participated in research and said prayers. His call touched me deeply.
How did they experience both the death of their daughter and the disappearance of their grandchildren?
Fatima and Narcisso went through a lot of emotions. First, the death of their eldest daughter, Magdalena, in the plane crash, was terrible. She was a 32-year-old woman, mother of 4, extremely cheerful. Fatima told me that she was full of life and that she was recognized as a great worker. She managed the Maloca very well, a large community hut of 15 m, where parties and ceremonies take place.
That day, she took a small plane with her four children to join Ranoki, the father of the last two, in Bogota, where he had fled because of the Farc dissidents. They threatened him as do many Indians and peasants. As there is no land route, the family had to land in San José Del Guaviare and take the road to Bogota, the capital. The plane unfortunately crashed. But Magdalena’s loss was mitigated by the overwhelming hope of reuniting with their grandchildren. Today, they know that they still have to mourn their daughter.
At no time did they doubt the abilities of their grandchildren?
Never ! The family always knew that the children would be found alive! Fatima told me that she prayed every day. But it wasn’t desperation. She asked Mother Earth to give them back their children and wild animals, like leopards, to take care of them. Moreover, on May 7, one of the Indian chiefs made public a message of peace. He was calling on Mother Forest to save them. The Colombians were very moved and his appeal brought to light this people on the verge of extinction. They must be protected at all costs. It is moreover for them that I agree to speak today: their rights, their strengths and their knowledge must be recognized and respected. These children are now the symbol.
The survival of this sibling is almost a miracle. How did they hold up?
Thanks to their mother’s education. She taught them everything! Among the Uitoto, children sing nursery rhymes about the forest. They say that such and such a plant is edible, that you shouldn’t eat a fruit that isn’t ripe. From childhood, they are passed on this knowledge and this love of nature. Among adults, the tasks between men and women are also very clearly defined. The former can hunt and fish. The second are intended to take care of the chagra, a land where cassava and plantains are grown. They are built in the heart of the impenetrable forest and every year the Indians change the chagra to let the earth breathe.
For them, work is a blessing. To get there, the path is perilous and long, minimum one hour drive. As soon as the children are old enough to walk, the women take them there. The two largest therefore knew perfectly the dangers of the forest, what they could consume, what should not be touched.
But how did the eldest manage to take care of her 1-year-old sister, without an adult, for weeks?
(She closes her eyes, moved). At 13, Lesly was already pubescent. She was therefore able to have children. Her mother therefore trained her to face her future role. Not only does this community make babies early but in large numbers because the parents know they are going to lose them. They are exposed to so many dangers: guerrillas, wild animals… Overnight, anyone can disappear into the jungle. For example, my friend Fatima had 7 children and two died. They are therefore brought up in a completely different mentality from that of “whites”.
Thus, after the plane crash, Lesly had the reflex to snatch the baby from her mother’s arms, to search among the debris for the suitcase containing the diapers for her one-year-old little sister. This is immense proof of his maturity at only 13 years old.
Today, what will be the future of these children?
For now, their fate is in the hands of a structure of the ministry of the family. The last two should go live with their father, near Bogota. As for the two older ones, they were not recognized by their father. And he hasn’t come forward since their rescue.
There are fears that the ministry will apply the law to the letter and that they will be placed. Fatima fears that they will be separated. She only hopes for one thing: to be able to raise her daughter’s four children!
