AP Photo/Fernando Vergara
Thousands of rural farmers, indigenous activists, and students marched in cities across Colombia on October 12, 2016 to demand that a peace deal between the government and leftist rebels not be scuttled. AP Photo/Fernando Vergara
Our dear friend Cecilia Zárate-Laun, who with her husband, Jack Laun wrote about the peace process in Colombia, passed away this week.
Cecilia was a tireless fighter for peace and justice. She founded the Colombia Support Network in 1987 and took more than fifty delegations of citizens, journalists, and public officials to her native country to witness the destructive impact of U.S. policy there, including a murderous campaign against union leaders, indigenous people, and other Colombian citizens caught in the cross fire of a War on Drugs that often served as cover for a political war.
Just before she died, Cecilia witnessed the historic peace agreement in Colombia, and covered it for The Progressive magazine.
Her life’s work had a profound impact on the world, helping to bring about peace. She will be sorely missed.