The Dispossessed: Chronicles of the Desterrados of Colombia

Excellent book showing what Columbia was - and largely remains - for the domestic refugees which number in the millions. It's book-ended by an introduction and an appendix (which would better have been termed an "afterward" or "conclusion") which set the socio-political context of the eye-witness accounts you read. I sincerely wish there were more books like this, going from country to country so one can "live the experience" through the stories told, and drink in the political analysis which accompanies it.

A great insight into the daily lives of the people and especially the children of Columbia!

In "The Dispossessed", Colombian journalist and sociologist Alfredo Molano, himself a target of political repression, has bravely compiled a frightening collection of powerful testimonies of displaced persons in Colombia, victims of the ongoing resource war and class war ravaging this strategic Latin American nation connecting South America with Central America. Rather than engaging in abstract political theory, Molano personalizes the conflict by providing a voice for various women and men living in dire poverty and struggling against the brutal violence of the military, paramilitary forces, and police. Sadly, like in Pinochet's Chile, the disappearance of activists, particularly trade unionists, has become commonplace. Indeed, Colombia may well be the most dangerous country in the world for workers to organize in. Though these women and men are not traditional activists speaking in left-wing academic jargon, their horrific stories of courage and survival give the reader a rich understanding of what Plan Colombia and the FTAA are really about.

Very important stories to understand the reality/ies of Colombia. Molano is an amazing writer.

The different stories in this book are truly horrible. The things that these people have lived are a testiment to human's will to keep on struggling no matter what. It gives a vivid account of the internally displaced people of Colombia that you might otherwise only hear a word or two about on the news. I thought I had an idea of the misery of these people but their situation is a lot more exposed and difficult than one might think. Murder and violence are constant companions and there is little, if anything, they can do about it

I used this book as a resource for a university essay on street children in Colombia. This book was a real eye opener ofen a very uncomfortable read but highly informative about the way millions of people live in Colombia.