Into the Jungle
My Life as a Guerrilla in Colombia
$39.95
- Paperback
336 pages
- Release Date
2 January 2027
Summary
At just 24 years old, Tanja Nijmeijer left the Netherlands to join the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a decision that stunned the world. Ever since, her story has been written and rewritten by others—journalists, critics, and pundits eager to pass judgment but uninterested in the complexities that shaped her choices.
In this powerful and unflinching memoir, Nijmeijer tells her story for the first time in her own words. From a quiet Dutch town to a decade living, teachi…
Book Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780745349046 |
|---|---|
| ISBN-10: | 0745349048 |
| Author: | Tanja Nijmeijer, Elizabeth Manton, Mariela Kohon |
| Publisher: | Pluto Press |
| Imprint: | Pluto Press |
| Format: | Paperback |
| Number of Pages: | 336 |
| Release Date: | 2 January 2027 |
| Dimensions: | 24mm x 140mm x 216mm |
Critics Review
‘Nijmeijer’s book is bathed in the resplendent hope of building a better world somewhere on this planet, if not in her native Netherlands, then in Colombia. It takes courage to do what she did and as much courage to tell that story in the honest way that she does’
– Vijay Prashad, Director of Tricontinental Institute for Social Research‘Tanja’s story, with her doubts, fears and reflections, gives a unique insight into what motivated a young Dutch woman to be part of an armed insurgent organization in Colombia. This personal journey is part of Colombia’s national history, and both are beautifully intertwined in this book’
– Moritz Tenthoff, Pacto Ecosocial del Sur‘This book achieves one of the most elusive feats in talking about conflict: engaging deeply with complexity. Tanja’s narrative creates space for understanding both her own intentions in joining the guerrilla and the effects of the conflict on victims, offering a nuanced picture of Colombia’s armed struggle that complicates dominant framings of what is ‘justified’ in war’
– Emma Murphy, Keough School of Global Affairs, University of Notre DameTanja Nijmeijer
Tanja Nijmeijer is a former member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and participated in peace negotiations in Cuba, which resulted in a peace settlement. She later founded the cooperative De Mano en Mano, run by ex-combatants, and established a ‘House of Peace’ in Cali, Colombia. She currently resides near Cali with her husband, also an ex-combatant, their adopted son, and their animals.
Mariela Kohon is the former Director and current Vice Chair of Justice for Colombia. She advised the peace process between the Colombian government and the FARC that led to the 2016 Peace Agreement. Kohon has since worked on subsequent peace processes in Colombia, advising the Colombian Government, the UN Verification Mission in Colombia, the Norwegian Embassy in Bogotá, and the Geneva-based Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue.
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