Don't ignore problems in Colombia (as submitted to Highestwire)

Submitted by Jonathan Sherman on Wednesday, June 01, 2005 at 10:12:35 AM EST.

"Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried, in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all wise. Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time."
-- Sir Winston Churchill on democracy in a speech at the House of Commons on Nov. 11, 1947.

The country of Colombia has the longest-serving democracy in South America. Unfortunately, a triumvirate of Marxist guerilla groups, Right-wing paramilitary death squads and drug traffickers are challenging the democratic government.

This seemingly distant political crisis has directly affected my family. My mother is from Colombia and large portions of my family, including my maternal grandparents, still reside in Colombia. Therefore, I have great concern about the crisis there.

In May of 2004, the United Nations declared Colombia's decades-old guerilla/drug war as the worst humanitarian crisis in the Western hemisphere. More than two million people have been forced to leave their homes.

This tragic situation has also attracted the attention of the United States government. Since 2000, the United States has given Colombia billions of dollars in aid annually, aimed at coca eradication and military assistance. Colombia now ranks as the third highest recipient of U.S. foreign aid. The U.S. military assistance has taken the form of equipment, supplies, and helicopter training. The helicopters are used both as escorts for the coca spraying planes and to ferry troops to fight the guerillas.

Unfortunately, this aid does not address the causes of the guerilla and drug conflict.

The crisis in Colombia runs much deeper than is globally perceived. Guerilla groups have become part of life in Colombia and in turn have successfully infiltrated modern-day society.

The largest guerilla group is known by the acronym "FARC," which in English stands for the "Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia." The other main guerilla group is known by the acronym "ELN," which in English stands for "The National Liberation Army."

In an attempt to co-opt these groups, the government permitted the guerillas to control and govern a "Switzerland size" area of land in the southwest Amazon basin of the country. In doing so, the government attempted to turn revolutionaries into governing bureaucrats, with the hope of reintegrating them into the democratic system as political parties or movements.

Unfortunately, the guerillas have used their "mini-state" as a safe haven for a continuation of kidnappings, bombings and murders.

Tragically, Colombia ranks first in the world in kidnapping, with nearly 3,000 people abducted each year.

-- In March of 1999, FARC members kidnapped and murdered three U.S. citizens, who were Indian rights' activists in Venezuela.
-- In October of 2001, a former Colombian Minister of Culture was kidnapped and murdered.
-- In February of 2002, Ingrid Betancourt, a presidential candidate, was kidnapped and is now believed to be dead.
-- Between June 2001 and February 2002, four Colombian congressmen were kidnapped.
-- On February 20, 2002, FARC hijacked a domestic airliner and kidnapped its fifth Colombian congressman, Senator Jorge Gechem Turbay.
-- In September of 2003, eight tourists were kidnapped.

The list goes on and on yet still nothing has been made of the humanitarian crisis that is taking place is my mother’s homeland.

Colombia exports the majority of the world's cocaine, as well as most of the heroin consumed in the United States. Many of the drug traffickers, primarily based in the cities of Cali and Medellin, utilize the protection services of the guerilla groups in exchange for a "tax" on the drug profits. The guerilla groups use these "tax" revenues to buy weapons. There are whole areas of the country where cocaine is used as the basis of currency.

This has spawned Right-wing paramilitary death squads fighting to thwart a communist takeover and seeking to maintain their current privileges and way of life.

There have also been reports that these groups are involved in protecting drug traffickers.

This state of affairs has placed many of the villagers and rural inhabitants in the middle of a horrible situation. They are being forced to support and provide assistance to one or more of these groups at the same time, which then results in reprisals by the non-supported group.

This situation is quite reminiscent of Vietnam.
After decades of conflict, the parties have essentially fought to a stalemate; and since there is no end in sight to the violence, an International Conference should be held in an attempt to mediate a resolution between the Colombian government and the guerilla groups.

The maintenance of democracy should be the goal of the government. The institution of significant social reforms, along with international assistance, should be the motivation used by the government to attract the guerilla groups to discontinue the fighting.

The money used to fight the war on drugs in the U.S. and Europe would be better spent by educating, subsidizing, and raising the standard of living for millions of subsistence farmers who cultivate the narcotics. The United States, Latin American countries (including Cuba) and the highly trusted European countries should participate as the mediators.

My personal connection and vested interest in the country of Colombia are unwavering. Indeed as Winston Churchill said, “No one pretends that democracy is perfect and all wise.” There are many problems in any human form of government but nothing has proven to work better than a democracy.

If the United States and other nations around the world do not act quickly, we are almost certain to loose a country of long-standing democracy to chaos and communism.

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