Two U'wa children reportedly died in a river as their mothers fled the confrontation. May. As Occidental began moving heavy equipment and materials to its Gibralter I drilling site near the village of Cede o, the U'wa and local mestizo peasants again blocked area roads. While they permitted other traffic to pass, they lay their bodies in front of Occidental trucks. Despite the repression, the U'wa remain determined to block Occidental's plans. From the land we were born.
Petroleum is like blood, running everywhere throughout the body of the earth.
We are organized and demand that the government respect our culture and our sacred land. We demand respect. The U'wa people have a culture that goes far back, and land was always what produced life for us. Without land, there is no life. Without land, there is no life for us.