Florencia, 08/28/2020

• The Pato River – located in the department of Caquetá – will be the setting for the "Rowing for Peace Rafting Festival", an initiative of a group of ex-combatants of the Farc-Ep in the process of reincorporation.

Remando por la Paz – the "Rowing for Peace" Rafting Team made up of Farc-Ep ex-combatants partook in the last edition of the Rafting World Cup held in Australia. The members of this team have now promoted a rafting festival to be held in the municipality of San Vicente del Caguán; it is scheduled to commence this coming November and is planned to be held on a yearly basis.

The fifteen Municipal Councilors of San Vicente del Caguán unanimously approved the draft agreement that institutionalizes the annual celebration of the "Remando por la Paz Rafting Festival". Farit Quintero – Council Members of the municipality – stated that "the festival led by those who joined the peace process is important to show Colombia and the world that in we want peace in San Vicente, and we are working for it".

Remando por la Paz  - "Rowing for Peace" is a productive initiative led by individuals in the process of reincorporation living in Miravalle – San Vicente del Caguán who are developing an adventure tourism entrepreneurship initiative. Thanks to inter-institutional coordination, the team has received support to lead events such as the 2019 National Rafting Championship and the team's participation in the World Cup in Australia.

Andrés Felipe Stapper Segrera, Director General at the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization (ARN) stated thus: "The ARN is pleased to see projects like this becoming a reality as a result of the coordinated work carried out with different institutions. We provide constant support to consolidate the path towards legality for ex-combatants."

The Farc-Ep ex-combatants who lead the Rafting Festival initiative in Caquetá have been trained by the National Learning Service (SENA) and by "Ríos Tropicales" (a Costa Rica-based company). They are now recognized as rafting guides by the International Rafting Federation (IRF).

Frellin Noreña – in the process of reincorporation – is a member of the rafting team and was one of those in charge of pitching the project at the Municipal Council. "The festival means that we can take a great step towards cultural, tourist and environmental development, taking advantage of all the diversity we have and to be able to bring our message of peace; this is one of our most important purposes." Said Noreña about this entrepreneurship initiative.

Adventure tourism in Caquetá is one of the business lines with the greatest projection for Farc-Ep ex-combatants in the reincorporation process in this area of the country.

 Data of interest

• San Vicente del Caguán hosted more than 20 national and international rafting teams in 'Remando por la Paz' National Rafting Championship held in November, 2019.
• 68 Farc-Ep ex-combatants are currently carrying out their reintegration process in Miravalle, San Vicente del Caguán.