Peace Returns to La Frisolera
This Farmers’ Day, One Colombian Farmer’s Dream of Peace Becomes a Reality
This June 2, as Colombia honors El Día del Campesino—Farmers’ Day—we celebrate the resilience and leadership of Rodrigo Abad Agudelo. Don Rodrigo is a 75-year-old farmer from La Frisolera who has dedicated his life to cultivating not only crops, but hope and community in a region long scarred by conflict.
“In my old age, I dream to leave my kids and my grandkids a land full of peace and prosperity, where you can really enjoy peace and support their families. Where there is peace, there is tranquillity, and you can enjoy your land.”
A lifelong resident of La Frisolera, Don Rodrigo has always believed his purpose is to ensure the wellbeing of his neighbors. As president of the local community board, he brought electricity to this remote rural village, championed the construction of a soccer field, and continues to lead housing improvement efforts for the families who call this land home.
But for decades, Don Rodrigo’s dream of a peaceful and prosperous village was overshadowed by the remnants of war.
During Colombia’s armed conflict, La Frisolera found itself caught between Non-State Armed Groups and the military. The violence stigmatized the community, and the land, once alive with coffee, sugarcane, and banana crops, became feared and avoided. “One felt pressured, intimidated—between two swords,” Don Rodrigo recalls.
Colombian deminer Fray Martin Palomo conducting a complete excavation.
Years later, a chilling incident changed everything. Near an abandoned army site, one of Don Rodrigo’s animals was killed by unexploded ordnance. Fear gripped the community. More accidents followed, including the death of a young girl in a nearby village from an antipersonnel mine.
“We suffered many consequences from the conflict. We lost our own kids, our animals. It was painful... Fear took over and people stopped coming to these mountains.”
When HALO arrived in 2023, Rodrigo didn’t hesitate. He joined our non-technical survey team as a local guide, helping to map out the danger and connect with all 63 families in La Frisolera.
Together, Don Rodrigo and HALO survey team members informed the families about HALO´s work and its mission. This synergy ensured that program operations were sensitive to the community's needs and safety concerns and promoted trust in humanitarian demining activities as independent and impartial. By conducting non-technical surveys and EORE sessions in the community, HALO not only informed residents about the risks of landmines but also empowered them with the knowledge and support to stay safe while living amongst the threat of landmines. Only then can HALO's clearance work begin.
“We are calm because we saw HALO do the work, and where they were, it will be peaceful and we can work the land.”
With Don Rodrigo's help, and donor support, HALO teams successfully cleared the three minefields that had isolated the community for years, including one on Don Rodrigo’s own property.
During community survey visits, we meet with local residents, listen to their experiences, and gather critical information about the dangers they face.
Thanks to donor support, La Frisolera is now safe. With trust restored in the land, Don Rodrigo plans to raise cattle and grow coffee again. But his biggest hope is to leave behind something greater: he dreams of continuing his work as a board member, strengthening the social fabric of his community, and leaving his children and grandchildren a peaceful and prosperous territory where they can live in peace.
On this Día del Campesino, we honor farmers like Don Rodrigo—keepers of culture, land, and memory. Through their courage and vision, rural communities like La Frisolera are writing a new chapter: one rooted in peace.
