“Svijet je bio tako nov, mnoge stvari još nisu imale ime i, da bi se spomenule, trebalo ih je pokazati prstom. Svake godine u ožujku jedna obitelj odrpanih Cigana postavila bi svoju čergu blizu sela i, uz treštanje zurli i bubnjeva, prikazivala nove izume. Prvo su donijeli magnet. Krupni Ciganin, kudrave brade i vrapčijih ruku, koji se predstavio kao Melquíades, priredio je javnu mađioničarsku predstavu, nazivajući je osmim čudom mudrih alkemičara iz Makedonije”.

Sto godina samoće, Gabriel García Márquez

Ovaj  citat iz poznatog Márquezovog romana pokazuje obrasce migracija i marginalnosti koji su stoljećima bili tipični za romske zajednice. Kao Kolumbijac, Márquez je dobro znao da je to vrijedilo i za Rome u njegovoj zemlji i pozivao se na to u svom stvaralaštvu. Obilježavanje Međunarodnog dana migranata pruža dobru priliku da se malo istraži povijesni proces romske migracije u Kolumbiju i njegova povezanost s trenutnom situacijom u kojoj se nalazi romska zajednica u Kolumbiji.

Dolazak Roma na američki kontinent počinje u 15. stoljeću i poklapa s ekspedicijama Kristofora Kolumba koje su imale za cilj otkrivanje “Novog svijeta“. Tokom Kolumbovog trećeg putovanju u Ameriku 1598. godine s njim su krenula četvorica Roma po imenu Antón, Macías, Catalina i María iz Egipta. Moguće je da su u početku Romi koji su bili osuđeni na trajno progonstvo u Europi odnosno koji su odbili prihvatiti presudu, bili za kaznu prisilno upućivani na novi kontinent. Drugi Romi su dobili ublažavanje kazne u zamjenu za odlazak i rad u novim kolonijama. Nakon porasta progona Roma i pokušaja asimilacije, mnogi Romi su udlučili pobjeći iz Europe i okušati svoju sreću na američkim kontinentima.

Informacije o dolasku Roma u Kolumbiju i njihovom naseljavanju ove zemlje tokom 16. stoljeća se temelje gotovo isključivo na usmenoj predaji. Prema toj usmenoj predaji, veliki broj Roma je prvo došao u Srednju Ameriku, a zatim je krenuo na jug prema Kolumbiji. Drugi Romi su došli kroz luke Barranquilla i Cartagena s Kajmanskih otoka. S ovih lokacija su se Romi raširili po cijeloj zemlji, mada to nije prošlo bez poteškoća, s obzirom na stupanje na snagu novog zakona osmišljenog kako bi se izbjegla migracija Roma. Krajem 16. stoljeća španjolski kralj Filip II je donio nekoliko uredbi kojima je tražio povratak Roma pronađenih na kolonijalnim područjima i zabranjivao je odlazak španjolskih Roma u Kolumbiju.

Ovi zakoni, koji su bili na snazi ​​više od 200 godina, nisu uspjeli spriječi migracije Roma u Kolumbiju. Korištenje lažnih imena i dokumenata ili pretvaranje da putuju pod zaštitom pripadnika plemstva su bile uobičajene strategije koje su Romima omogućile nastavak preseljavanja u Kolumbiju. Niz Roma se također prijavljivao kao lažni mornari, na takav način zaobilazeći birokratsku kontrolu s obzirom na veliku potražnju za članovima posade na brodovima koji su išli u Ameriku.

Nakon dolaska u Kolumbiju, mnogi Romi su se pridružili tako zvanim “rochelas“. To su bile raznovrsne skupine ljudi koje se nisu uspjeli uklopiti u kolonijalno društvo i težili su stvoriti alternativne modele postojanja. U “rochelas“ su često spadali afrički robovi, autohtono stanovništvo te drugi bjegunci i dezerteri bijele i miješane rase. Mnogi pripadnici “rochelas“ su birali nomadski način života i putovali zemljom. Na to su se često pozivale kolonijalne vlasti kao na opravdanje njihovog izbjegavanja uhićivanja Roma.

Prema stručnjakinji za romska pitanja Gómez Baos (1999. godina), izvorno heterogena priroda “rochelas” se tokom vremena transformirala, “ustupajući mjesto kulturno povezanim skupinama koje su u svom nezakonitom postojanju pronašle prostor za nastavak života kao etnički diferencirane zajednice“. To je omogućilo ovim skupinama izgraditi “alternativne, neovisne načine života koji se temelje na uzajamnoj pomoći i komuntarizmu“. To se zapravo dogodilo s kolumbijskim Romima, koji su u svojoj marginalnosti i nevidljivosti pronašli način za preživljavanje, suprotstavljajući se kolonijalnoj moći.

Takva situacija se nastavljala sve do proglašenja neovisnosti Kolumbije 1810. godine i oslobodilačkog rata koji je uslijedio. Između 1821. i 1851. godine u Kolumbiji je usvojeno nekoliko uredbi o ukidanju ropstva koje su rezultirale značajnom imigracijom iz istočne Europe, u kojoj je porobljavanje Roma još uvijek bilo dozvoljeno u to vrijeme. Važan dio usmene tradicije sadašnjih kolumbijskih Roma se često osvrće na ovo razdoblje kao početak njihove prisutnosti u zemlji.

Tokom 20. stoljeća pokušaji asimilacije koji su uslijedili nakon uspona apsolutističkih režima u Europi, a kasnije i genocida koje su provodili nacisti i njihovi saveznici tokom Drugog svjetskog rata, rezultirali su novim migracijskim valom Roma u Kolumbiju. Najčešća mjesta ulaska su bila luka Barranquilla i granica s Venezuelom. Nakon tog razdoblja migracijski tokovi Roma u Latinsku Ameriku su uglavnom bili usmjereni prema Brazilu, Argentini i Meksiku. Građanski rat u Kolumbiji tokom 80-ih i 90-ih godina je natjerao mnoge Rome da napuste nomadski način života s obzirom naveliki rizik da budu napadnuti tokom putovanja.

Danas u Kolumbiji živi između 5.000 i 8.000 ljudi. Većina njih trenutno živi u regijama Santander, Atlántico, Tolima, Antioquia, Sucre i Bogota. Kolumbijska vlada je 1999. godine priznala Rome nacionalnom skupinom, a 2010. godine pravo Roma na ostvarivanje svog identiteta, tradicija i zakona je uključeno u kolumbijski Ustav. Unatoč ovim pravnim probitcima, mnogi Romi u Kolumbiji se i dalje suočavaju s marginalizacijom i diskriminacijom u stvarnom životu.

Podizanje svijesti o povijesnoj migraciji Roma u Kolumbiju može biti korisno s obzirom na povijesnu prisutnost Roma u zemlji i potrebu da se zaustavi nepravda s kojoj se suočava takva sustavno izopćavana zajednica kao što je romska. Brojni izazovi s kojima su se Romi suočavali tokom migracije iz Europe i unutar Kolumbije, govore o otpornosti i preživljavanju i podsjećaju na današnju situaciju s međunarodnim migrantima.

 

 

 

 

‘’The world was so recent that many things lacked names, and in order to indicate them it was necessary to point. Every year during the month of March a family of ragged gypsies would set up their tents near the village, and with a great uproar of pipes and kettledrums they would display new inventions. First they brought the magnet. A heavy gypsy with an untamed beard and sparrow hands, who introduced himself as Melquíades, put on a bold public demonstration of what he himself called the eighth wonder of the learned alchemists of Macedonia.’’

From One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel García Márquez

 

This extract from Márquez’s famous novel gives us an idea about the persistent patterns of migration and marginality that for centuries have been characteristic of Roma communities. Being Colombian, Márquez was well aware that this was also the case of Roma in his country and referred to it throughout his work. As we celebrate International Migrants Day, this is an opportunity to briefly look into the historical process of Roma migration to Colombia and explore a little bit about its link to Roma’s current reality there.

The arrival of Roma to the American continent dates back to the end of the 15th century, with the expeditions led by Christopher Colombus to discover the ‘New World’. On Colombus’ third trip to the Americas (1598), there were four Roma who embarked with him, named Antón, Macías, Catalina and María of Egypt. It seems likely that initially, Roma who refused to accept expulsion sentences in Europe were forcefully sent to the new continent as punishment. Other Roma were granted commutation of sentences in exchange for settlement and work in the new colonies. Following the rise of ethnic persecution and attempts towards assimilation, many Roma found it wise to flee Europe and try new luck in the Americas.

Their arrival to and settlement in Colombia throughout the 16th century relies almost exclusively on oral tradition. According to these oral accounts, some Roma headed towards Central America first and then made their way south towards Colombia. Others arrived through the ports of Barranquilla and Cartagena from the Cayman Islands. From these places Roma spread all over the country, not without difficulties however, considering the entry into force of new legislation designed to avoid Roma’s migration. Towards the end of the 16th century, Spain’s King Philip II passed several decrees demanding the return of Roma found in colonial territories and prohibition of Spanish Roma traveling there.

These laws, which remained in place for over 200 years, did not stop Roma from moving to Colombia. Using false names and documents, or pretending to be traveling under the protection of nobility members were common strategies that allowed Roma to continue their migration process. A number of Roma also enlisted themselves as clandestine sailors or grummets, often by-passing bureaucratic controls given the high demand for crew members in the ships heading to the Americas.

Upon arrival in Colombia, many Roma joined the rochelas. These were heterogenous groups of people who did not fit in colonial society and seeked to create alternative modes of existence. Rochelas often included African slaves, indigenous people and other white and mixed-race fugitives and deserters. Many of the arrochelados chose an itinerant form of life and moved around the country. This was often seen as an effective way to avoid arrest by colonial authorities.

According to Gómez Baos (1999), the initially heterogeneous nature of the rochelas transformed over time, ‘giving way to culturally-connected groups who found in their illegal existence the necessary space to continue living as ethnically differentiated communities’. This allowed groups to build ‘alternative, autonomous ways of life based on mutual aid, reciprocity and communitarism.’ And such was in fact the case of Roma in Colombia, who in their marginality and invisibility found a mechanism to survive while defying colonial power.

This situation was to continue until Colombia’s declaration of independence in 1810 and the subsequent war of liberation that followed. Between 1821 and 1851, several abolitionist decrees were passed in Colombia which attracted considerable immigration from Eastern Europe, where enslaving of Roma was still permitted at the time. Interestingly, an important part of the oral tradition of current Colombian Roma often refers to this period as the origin of their presence in the country.

During the 20th century, assimilation attempts that accompanied the rise of absolutist regimes in Europe, and later the genocidal processes led by Nazis and their allies during World War II, led to a renewed wave of Roma migration into Colombia. The preferred entry points were the port of Barranquilla and the border with Venezuela. After this period, most Roma migration into Latin America concentrated mostly towards Brazil, Argentina and Mexico. The upsurge of armed conflicts in Colombia during the 80s and 90s forced many Roma to abandon nomadism given the increased risk of being attacked while traveling.

Today, the Roma population in Colombia is believed to range between 5,000 and 8,000. Most are now settled in the regions of Santander, Atlántico, Tolima, Antioquia, Sucre and Bogotá. In 1999, the Colombian government recognised the Roma as an national ethnic group, and in 2010 Roma’s exercise of their identity, traditions and laws were included in the Colombian Constitution. Despite these legal gains, many Roma in Colombia continues to face marginalisation and discrimination in practice.

Greater awareness about the history of Roma migration to Colombia can be valuable, given Roma’s historical presence in the country and the need to end the injustices faced by a systematically ostracised community. The numerous challenges faced during their migrational processes, both from Europe and internally within Colombia, tell a story of resilience and survival that resembles that of many international migrants today.