Light Notes · Short Tales

photographer Paul Mark Smith · Colombia

Goals in the Clouds

After the signing of the peace accords between the Colombian State and FARC guerrillas, the ex-guerrillas moved to different encampments around the country in a process of reinsertion. In one of these, in the mountain village of Llano Grande /Dabeiba, ex-guerrillas faced-off with the Colombian Army’s 17th Brigade on the football field.

“Goals in the Clouds”, written by Patricia Nieto appeared in La Pelota de Trapo – a book published by Fundación Tiempo de Juego.

Note for Paul~Write a little about methods of, and thoughts processes during working:

The Cloth Ball book pages

In blue, ex-guerrillas of the FARC, caribineros and locals, and in white, soldiers of the 17th Brigade pose for a picture at half-time

Above: Ex-guerrilla García (right) battles for the ball with a soldier of the 17th Brigade on the Llano Grande pitch. Below: The other protagonists in the written piece (clockwise l-r) Johnathan, Rodrigo (an ex-g comandante) , Yabirson and his family (all football mad), Carmen; and caribinero policeman Brayan Camacho

Goals in the Clouds

The encampment for ex-guerrillas in Llano Grande, Dabeiba, Antioquia

Above: (clockwise from top left) The white-flag of peace flies over the home of Carmen Cardona; hallowed ground – under the terms of rental between the government and Carmen the football pitch must be left as it is; as must the cemetery; Dabeiba municipality; Patricia Nieto (the writer) with the UNDP team; Ché on a building in the ZVTN

From fighting a guerrilla war in the mountains to domesticity: In the evening a pet dog waits outside the house of one of the ex-guerrillas

Photography Workshops with ex-FARC guerrillas, policemen and soldiers – with Pueblo Verdolaga a football fans grouping

I returned to the community of Llanogrande a year later, but this time to work voluntarily with Pueblo Verdolaga, an Atletico Nacional football supporters group, to give photography workshops over two days with villagers, ex-FARC guerrillas and families, policemen and soldiers. Then fans group also organised volunteers for painting and theatre workshops.

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