Los Caídos (The Fallen): Character Profiles

This character is based on The Misak "People of the water", also known as Guambianos. They are an indigenous ethnic group of Colombians settled in the department of Cauca. This ethnic group was a crucial player in the National Strikes of Colombia, leading the toppling of colonial monuments, revindicating colonial struggles and claiming ownership of the stolen territories. The Misak people conceive time as a snail or a spiral in three dimensions. Time is like a wheel, a kind of ring that always rotates on itself, in the same way as the Sun marks the periods on the earth according to its route. The Misaks believe that the future is behind us and that what we have in front of us is the legacy of our ancestors. Thus, in a spiral of time, they never lose sight of the origin. On the other hand, the linear vision of history loses the perspective of the starting point, leading us to believe that we are moving towards a better and always new life.

The Misak warrior has on her back the shell of a snail that serves as protection against the attacks of the police forces but at the same time reminds us of the relationship of the Misaks with time. Her costume resembles the skin of a fire snail with colours similar to those used by Misak women. The weapon of power used by the warrior is bomb onions since this is the product that the Misak cultivate the most in their territory.

This character is based on a member of THE PRIMERA LÍNEA. This group was created by civilians during the national strikes to repel the attacks and violence by the Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (Esmad) in late 2019 against the protesters and protect them. The name Primera Línea – ‘front line’ – reflects the fact that they are the closest to the Esmad when they launch stun bombs or tear gas against protesters. These types of groups also emerged in the demonstrations in Chile or Hong Kong in previous years, they used homemade protection such as barrels and helmets, sticks and stones, to confront the police. During the National Strikes several members of this group were captured and now face terrorism charges and up to 14 years in jail.

El Capitán Colombia was one of the most mediatic members of the Primera Línea due to his physical appearance. Captain Colombia's weapon is a protective shield, this shield has wings and a dove's beak, which represents the perception of the members of the Primera Línea by civil society since they were branded as plague-like doves.

This squad was created in 1999 by the General Director of the Police during the government of Andrés Pastrana. The institution is a source of constant controversy between detractors and defenders, with a marked division in the perception and interpretation of its work and actual operation. Their opponents (with a strong presence among human rights defenders) accuse them of making illegitimate and abusive use of force. They have been denounced for torture, impalement, rape, use of conventional and non-conventional firearms (such as disperser or shod grenades reloaded with blunt or sharp objects). The squad has a special protective suit (body protector), tonfa stick, riot shield (polycarbonate or metal), sometimes tear gas weapons, marker balls and stun bombs and the support of tank-type vehicles that shoot pressurized water. The squad has the power to make temporary detentions of citizens who exceed their authority. Their presence is most noticeable during student protests at universities, social mobilizations, evictions, police operations and professional soccer matches. Many squad members have received legal charges for murder and abuse of power. This character can be found everywhere in the video game. They have protective armour and shield suits that feature the meta symbol – referring to the new order of digital surveillance. They have goat legs, blurred faces and different weapons made to hunt doves. At points in the game, this character is transformed into a dancer or a farmer as a way to resignify the role of the Police during the national strikes.

This character is inspired by the wealthy, right-wing civilian population that does not support the strikes and social uprisings. This part of the Colombian population usually goes out to the marches dressed in white and believes that it is okay to use firearms to protect themselves from the protesters. During the national strike there was a highly publicised case of a businessman who fired at the protesters. He was exposed on social media with a weapon in hand while civilians and police fired on protesters. According to the businessman’s statements, he and other citizens were supporting the police so that the protesters would not reach the Immediate Attention Centre (CAI), which they presumably intended to burn, making them ‘illegitimate’ protesters. In his video, the individual states: "We have created a group for the benefit of our entire commune 22, we went out to defend ourselves". This led to the formation of a paramilitary group, as he confessed they act to help the police. The term paramilitary varies depending on the context in which it is presented. For example, in the case of the conflict in Northern Ireland, it refers to any armed group while, in the context of the armed conflict in Colombia, a paramilitary organisation is an illegally weaponised group of the far right – also called " autodefensas" – raised in arms during the Colombian conflict.