JUAN ARREDONDO

EDITORIAL: Peace Football Club

Peace Football Club for ESPN 

  • September 16, 2017. River Acari, Choco Colombia. Kleider Palma (23) navigate on boat along the Acari river with his fellow members of the 34th front of FARC Vegaez, Antioquia. An hour ride to be able to play soccer with local residents and with the 94th infantry Battalion of the Colombian Armed forces. Kleider joined FARC at the of 18 after the group visited his village he was recruited with his cousin. He always wanted to be a professional player but never had the chance to. After FARC signed a peace agreement with the Colombian Government around 7,000 members disarmed and were settled in 26 transitional zones around the country. Part of the reintegration and a way to win hearts and mind, FARC is beating on forming a professional soccer team. For now FARC teams play against local communities as they wait for assistance from the Government’s sports agency Coldeportes and start a talent program that can foster players for a professional team.
  • September 16, 2017. Vegaez, Antioquia, Colombia. Members of the FARC soccer team of the Transitional zone of Vigia del Fuerte on the right prepare to play a match against the 94th infantry Battalion of the Colombian Armed forces who provide security for the former FARC members as they transition into civilian life.
  • September 16, 2017. Vegaez, Antioquia, Colombia. Members of the FARC soccer team of the Transitional zone of Vigia del Fuerte on the right prepare to play a match against the 94th infantry Battalion of the Colombian Armed forces who provide security for the former FARC members as they transition into civilian life.
  • September 16, 2017. Vegaez, Antioquia, Colombia. Members of FARC soccer team share strategies before the next match against the 94th infantry Battalion of the Colombian Armed forces.. weekend the FARC soccer team travel by boat to the community of Vegaez to play friendly games against local teams. According to Walter Mendoza the leader in charge of soccer FARC program across all the 26 transitional zones, the idea is to start winning hearts and minds through sports. This not only helps out members take part in sports, which has always been at the core of FARC but to have exchanges with the communities. This is the only way for us to continue the work now that we have become a political party.”
  • September 24, 2017. El Cedral, Cauca, Colombia. The men’s team of FARC of the transitional zone of La Elvira (bright green) against the local team of El Cedral. Almost every weekend the FARC soccer team are playing friendly matches against local teams. According to Walter Mendoza the leader in charge of soccer FARC program across all the 26 transitional zones, the idea is to start winning hearts and minds through sports. This not only helps out members take part in sports, which has always been at the core of FARC but to have exchanges with the communities. This is the only way for us to continue the work now that we have become a political party.”
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  • September 25, 2017. La Elvira, Cauca, Colombia. The back of s shirt reads “I only pray to God that the times to come will bring peace” of one of the members of the members of the team from the nearby villages La Esperanza (in pink) as they gather to hear the referee of the tournament.
  • September 25, 2017. La Elvira, Cauca, Colombia. FARC women soccer team (black) play against the local village of La Esperanza at the transitional zone’s indoor football court. After the peace agreement was signed between the Colombia Government and FARC in October of 2016. FARC members were divided into 26 transitional zones. The women’s soccer teams since April of 2017 have started to play game with local communities. Xiomara Mendez recalls that in times of combat they would play soccer in the middle of the jungle and two women were always included in the men’s team but never had the opportunity to play all women’s games.
  • September 25, 2017. La Elvira, Cauca, Colombia. Members of FARC women’s soccer team (Left to right, Julieth Jiménez (26), Xiomara Mendez (20), Yurani Zapata (22), Angela Velasco (24)) stand in front of a banner with the images of the founding commanders of FARC (from left to right, Jacono Arenas, Jorge Briceño “Mono Jojoy”, Manueal Marulanda “Tiro Fijo”, Carlos Patiño, Alfonso Cano) as they wait for their coach to meet and get instructions prior to playing a local tournament against other FARC teams and nearby communities. There has been an increase in women participation in soccer in communities near transitional zones according to Walter Mendoza the director of the soccer project of FARC.
  • September 25, 2017. La Elvira, Cauca, Colombia. Some local residents from the nearby villages of Los Robles and El Cedral come to support their local teams, and members of the FARC women’s soccer team and fellow comrades sit on the stands in between games. The women’s soccer teams since April of 2017 have started to play game with local communities. Xiomara Mendez recalls that in times of combat they would play soccer in the middle of the jungle and two women were always included in the men’s team but never had the opportunity to play all women’s games.
  • OVERVIEW
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    • COLOMBIA
      • Born into Conflict
      • Barrio Triste
      • Internally Displaced
      • La Madre
    • VENEZUELA
      • A Grieving Nation
      • The Changing of the Guard
    • Veni & Vedi
      • Along the Boardwalk
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    • The Healing of Colombia
    • Peace Football Club
    • The New York Times
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