by Karen Juanita Carrillo

Zulia Mena García – the first Colombian congressional representative specifically elected to protect the interests of Afro-Colombians – was in New York City recently.

Mena García came to New York with the social activist Isaias Chala to make connections with various people and organizations. On June 23rd the two were featured in a talk sponsored by Dr. Georgina Falu’s Falu Foundation where they spoke about and related the lives of Afro Colombians with those of African Americans.  The talk was held at the City College of New York's City College in Harlem.

Mena García noted that there are close to 10 million Afro Colombians – they are some 10 percent of the nation’s population – and the majority of this population lives below the poverty line. 

 

Malin Falu, Professor Yaa-Lengi Ngemi, Dr. Georgina Falu, Dr. Leonard Jeffries, Zulia Mena García and Professor Isaias Chala

 

Photo credit: Karen Juanita Carrillo

And social activist Chala spoke about the fact that although many Black people live on the most biologically diverse and resource-rich land in Colombia in states like Chocó, the country’s civil war – which has been ongoing for more than 40 years – has resulted in over three million being displaced from their homes because of threats of violence.

While in New York to make connections, Mena and Chala had also come to take notes on governing policies in the United States.  The two were on a three-week tour of the United States en route to the final leg of Mena’s campaign for the mayoralty of Quibdó, the capital city in Chocó.

Three years ago, both Mena and Isaias Chala were competing with the current mayor of Quibdó for that office.  Between them, Mena and Chala had garnered the most votes, but the third candidate wound up winning the election – although many say his office was won by fraud. 

This year, Mena and Chala have teamed up to try to win the mayoralty.  Chala has stepped down from his campaign and urged his supporters to vote for Zulia Mena.  The two expect that with this move, they will have enough voter support to win the election.