Archive for 2008

If Not Colombia, Then Where is the Cocaine Coming From?

Colombia’s National Police Chief Oscar Naranjo recently announced that his country’s production of cocaine has dropped by more than half and that it is now responsible for only 54 percent of global production. Speaking at an anti-drug summit in Cartagena, Naranjo’s comments not only constitute the latest misinformation being distributed by the government of President Alvaro Uribe, but they are also ludicrous. Naranjo claims that Colombia was responsible for 90 percent of the world’s cocaine production when President Uribe came to office in 2002. This is a figure that analysts have regularly referred to with regard to the distribution of cocaine production. But if Naranjo’s claim that Colombia is now only responsible for 54 percent of production is true, then it begs the question: Where is the rest of the cocaine being produced? Read more»

Is the Colombian Government Guilty of War Crimes?

Immediately following the Colombian military’s July 2 rescue of 15 hostages, President Alvaro Uribe, Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos, armed forces chief General Freddy Padilla and army chief General Mario Montoya all categorically stated that no emblems of genuine humanitarian organizations had been used in the rescue. But then, video and photo evidence emerged showing that at least one of the four Colombian intelligence agents posing as humanitarian aid workers wore a bib bearing the logo of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Uribe quickly apologized for the misuse of the Red Cross emblem, claiming it was not intentional but resulted from a nervous agent who decided at the last minute to don the bib. However, reports from other sources contradict Uribe’s explanation. The new evidence suggests that the use of the emblem was in fact planned and as such could constitute the commission of a war crime under the Geneva Conventions. Read more»

Wall Street Journal a “Front” for State Terrorism in Colombia

The title of this article might startle many readers, but it is no more shocking than the contents of a recent Wall Street Journal column written by Mary Anastasia O’Grady that brazenly supports Colombian President Alvaro Uribe’s accusations that human rights organizations in Colombia are “fronts” for terrorists. O’Grady goes so far as to claim that the tactics used by the Colombian military in its recent rescue of 15 hostages prove President Uribe’s accusations. Clearly, the title of this article spoofs O’Grady’s absurd claims by suggesting that her public endorsement of Uribe’s accusations make the Wall Street Journal a front for state terrorism, particularly in light of the fact that the Colombian military is responsible for the majority of the country’s human rights violations. In all seriousness though, O’Grady’s claims are not only irresponsible because they endanger the lives of human rights workers in Colombia, they also illustrate just how ignorant the author is of how the FARC operates in that country’s rural conflict zones. Read more»

A More Plausible Scenario for Colombia Hostage Saga

In recent days, more plausible explanations for how the 15 Colombian hostages were liberated on July 2 have appeared in several international media outlets. The Colombian government claims intelligence officers infiltrated the highest-levels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), allowing them to convince the guerrillas holding the hostages to hand the captives over to undercover soldiers pretending to work for a fictitious aid organization. The whole scenario appears farfetched and there have been suggestions that the Colombian government actually paid $20 million to the guerrilla in charge of guarding the hostages and then exploited a decision already reached by the FARC’s central command to release the hostages by staging the elaborate rescue mission. Read more»

Colombia Hostage Rescue Endangers Lives of Journalists and Aid Workers

Amidst all the joy and celebration resulting from the Colombian military’s successful rescue of 15 hostages last week, the fact that the tactics utilized in the mission will likely endanger the lives of journalists and aid workers in the future has been completely ignored. By having soldiers pose as journalists and aid workers in order to gain access to the hostages, the Colombian government has increased the already high risks faced by legitimate reporters and NGO workers. In a country that is already one of the most dangerous places in the world in which to work as a journalist or a defender of human rights, the armed actors will now be even more suspicious of anyone claiming to work in those fields. Read more»

The Ramifications for Colombia of a Split in the Polo Democrático

By the end of a meeting held last week by members of Colombia’s Polo Democrático Alternativo, it had become increasingly likely that the party was going to split into two separate entities at some point in the not too distant future, according to one party member. Many of the more moderate members, led by former Bogotá mayor Luis Eduardo ‘Lucho’ Garzón, appear to be leaning towards abandoning the Polo and establishing a new party. The remaining, more leftist, members, including current party president Carlos Gaviria, would likely continue under the banner of the Polo Democrático. Such a split, were it to occur, could have serious ramifications, not only for the 2010 presidential and congressional elections, but also for the prospects for achieving peace in Colombia. Read more»

Distorted Perceptions of Colombia’s Conflict

In a civil conflict such as the one in Colombia, propaganda is an important weapon. It is difficult for journalists and analysts to independently investigate the reality on the ground and so statistics and information are obtained from a variety of sources in order to draw conclusions. However, the mainstream media in the United States is often over-reliant on two sources: Colombian and US government officials. Not surprisingly then, it is the perspectives of the Colombian and US governments that inevitably dominate most news reports. By comparing conflict trends and human rights statistics with media coverage of Colombia’s violence, it is possible to understand why and how the public’s perception of the conflict has been distorted. Read more»