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Colombia

Para español haga clic aqui

For more than five decades, the people of Colombia have suffered the consequences of warfare between illegal armed groups. Landmines were laid throughout rural areas, devastating local towns and villages. Nearly 12,000 people have been killed or injured by mines or UXO since 1990—that’s a casualty rate second only to Afghanistan.

These, often crude explosive devices don’t just endanger lives, they destroy livelihoods. Families are too afraid to use their land to grow crops, natural resources are cut off and children cannot walk to school or play outside without fear of accidents. Eisenhower lives in the village of Canyon de las Hermosas and, like many other villages in Colombia, residents here are too frightened to cultivate their land.

"Until you see the effects of landmines every day and you have to live knowing they are out there, you can never really understand. We are afraid to enter certain parts of the finca (farm) because of the landmines. I have seen people have accidents; mutilated, without feet, and hands."
Eisenhower, Colombia

Our Work

Clearing landmines & explosives

Victim Assistance

Teaching people how to stay safe

HALO has been clearing landmines in Colombia since 2013, making land safe across Antioquia, Boyacá, Casanare, Cauca, Meta, Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Tolima and Valle del Cauca. We’ve removed landmines from coffee plantations, farms, veredas (villages) and indigenous reserves. Our survey teams have also reported nearly 1245 veredas as landmine free. This is equally important work as it restores confidence, so people feel safe to use their land again.

There are still vast swathes of land to be cleared, so we help children and local communities stay safe by teaching them about the risks and what to do if they come across a landmine or explosive device.

OUR IMPACT

‘HALO cleared my father’s land five years ago, then I saw an advert for a job and I thought, "maybe I can stop others having to go through what my dad went through." Also, I have a cousin that stepped on a mine and unfortunately, he lost an eye and a leg, that’s why I was really motivated to join HALO.’
Katerine Ramirez, HALO deminer

Landmine clearance is integral to achieving peace in Colombia, and the vital first step in rebuilding communities after so many years of suffering. The removal of mines and other explosives allows both governmental and non-governmental development projects to begin, providing conflict affected communities with the support they desperately need. The longer-term impact of HALO’s work will be seen in the years and decades to come, providing opportunity for improved livelihoods and a prosperous future for a new generation.

Stories From Latin America

Mines in the mountains
Mines in the mountains
Read more
The United States a key player in Humanitarian Demining in Colombia
The United States, a key player in Humanitarian Demining in Colombia
Read more
International Day of Education
International Day of Education
Read more
Restoring Confidence in Colombia
Restoring Confidence for Eisenhower in Colombia
Read more
Creating a Safer Future in El Salvador
Creating a Safer Future in El Salvador
Read more
Walking Our Land in Safety
Walking our land in safety
Read more

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Our Work in Colombia is Funded By:

The United States Government
The United States Government
Irish Aid
Irish Aid
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade of New Zealand
Norad
Norad

Meet Our Team in Colombia

Programme Manager
Oli is the Programme Manager for Colombia, where he began his HALO career as Programme Officer in March 2017. He has since held a number of positions including Monitoring and Evaluation Officer and Deputy Programme Manager. He has also spent time on the Somaliland, Afghanistan and Kosovo Programmes. Oli is a fluent Spanish speaker with an extensive knowledge of Colombian culture. He is a Graduate in Music and Philosophy from Leeds University.

Oliver Ford

Deputy Programme Manager
Fernando has been involved in the Colombia’s mine action sector since 2004. He began his career with HALO in 2015 as Operations Officer in Antioquia before serving as Location Manager for both Tolima and Meta, Project Manager in Guatemala, and Liaison Officer for Latin America supporting HALO’s expansion in the region. As Deputy Programme Manager for Colombia, his focus is on improving efficiency across all departments as well as supporting the Programme Manager.

Fernando Bejarano

Location Manager
In 2016 Carolina joined HALO as Location Administrator in the department of Tolima. When operations there finished, she took on the same role in Nariño / Putumayo. Within HALO, she became EORE facilitator; and in November 2021, she was promoted to Location Manager and successfully completed training as a deminer. Carolina is a professional in Business Administration and has a MA in Project Management and Direction from the University of La Rioja (Spain).

Carolina Díaz

Location Manager
Alex began his career in the organisation as Non-Technical Survey assistant and has held some other NTS positions as leader, supervisor, and senior supervisor. He has also been Operations Officer in locations throughout Colombia such as Meta, Nariño and Valle del Cauca, where he is currently Location Manager, working to coordinating the teams and their activities in an efficient and effective way.

Alex Palacio

Location Manager
Lina joined The HALO Trust in June 2014, working as a deminer for 7 months before becoming Team Leader, Supervisor and then Operations Officer in locations across Colombia including Antioquia, Tolima, Cauca, Valle del Cauca, and Meta. She has been Location Manager since October 2018 and was the first Colombian woman to have held this role. Lina has also visited the Somaliland Programme for EOD level III+ training.

Lina Delgado

Location Manager
John Carlos is one of the Colombia programme’s longest-serving staff, having joined in 2013. He started his HALO career as a Non-Technical Survey Assistant (NTS), before working as a Leader, Supervisor, and Operations Officer, as well as being a member of the Quality Management team. As of January 2019, he has been a Location Manager. John Carlos has accreditation in NTS, clearance, and primary medical intervention. He received EOD level III+ training in Somaliland.

John Carlos Gallego

Programme Analytics Manager
Tyler joined HALO in January 2023 as Programme Analytics Manager and is originally from Colorado, USA. He brings over seven years of experience in humanitarian work, two of which were with the Colombian Campaign Against Landmines (CCCM). His background provides the programme an opportunity to evaluate macro-level data, at a national and sectoral level. Tyler holds a BA in International Relations from Colorado University and a MA in International Affairs from The New School, New York.

Tyler Bird

Operations Technical Advisor
Amanda joined HALO as a Field Officer and completed her operations training and EOD level III in Cambodia in 2020. After a stint in Nagorno Karabakh as Non-Technical Survey Manager, Amanda became the Operations Technical Advisor for Colombia. She supports the operations team in improving efficiency and effectiveness, finding opportunities for innovation and adjustments to operating procedures. Amanda also has worked for NGOs in the environmental sector and in health and renewable energies.

Amanda Chapple

Donor and Partnerships Officer
Caterina, an Argentine national, arrived in Colombia in 2019. After working in the humanitarian sector for Warchild and DRC, she joined HALO in 2022 as the Donor and Partnerships Officer. Her role is to develop and maintain relationships with current and potential donors, and to seek out opportunities to partner with other organisations. Caterina holds a BA in Communications from the National University of Rosario and MSc in International Development Studies from the University of Amsterdam.

Caterina Weller

Mine Risk Education and Victim Assistance Officer
A psychologist with over ten years of experience working with vulnerable communities and reintegration projects for ex-combatants, Alexandra joined HALO in 2016 and is the programme’s Mine Risk Education (EORE) and Victim Assistance Officer. Her role is to ensure the deployment of teams to at-risk communities to teach them safe and life-saving behaviours. She is certified by the National Authority on EORE in both clearance and emergency situations.

Alexandra Guzmán

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The HALO Trust is a company limited by guarantee. Registered in England No. 2228587. Registered Charity No. 1001813 and (in Scotland) SC037870. Registered Office: One Bartholomew Close, Barts Square, London EC1A 7BL

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