Colombian paramilitary disarmament

[Janus]

So it seems that 22,000 Colombian paramilitaries have disarmed so far and are in the process of rejoining regular society. However, I believe that this policy isn't very effectual since it has allowed murderers walk off free and the large landowners and drug kingpins can easily gain new fighters.

Source: BBC News

Ramon Isaza, thought to be at least 65 and accused of rights abuses and drug smuggling, demobilised along with nearly 1,000 paramilitaries.

The disarmament of Mr Isaza and his faction - the Magdalena Medio Bloc - brings the number of demobilised paramilitaries to more than 22,000.

Many paramilitary groups were founded in the 80s to fight Marxist guerrillas.

Civil police

During the ceremony in the town of Puerto Triunfo, in Antioquia province, the militias handed over hundreds of weapons in the presence of Colombian officials and international observers.

Known as "the Old Guy", Mr Isaza was a rancher before founding his faction in the late 1970s to combat Marxist rebels.

He said he recruited fellow farmers armed with guns to ambush rebels who had been stealing their chickens, pigs and cows, and were threatening to kill him.

His Magdalena Medio Bloc belongs to Colombia's biggest paramilitary group, the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC).

Under the controversial peace process, those who have committed crimes and agree to disarm face reduced prison terms.

Most of the rank-and-file paramilitaries are expected to be pardoned and can be eligible for job-training programmes and a monthly government stipend for two years.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has also announced that thousands of them could join a civil police force that already has more than 500 men.

Human rights groups are concerned that fighters who have committed atrocities will go unpunished.



Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has also announced that thousands of them could join a civil police force that already has more than 500 men.
I found this part particularly distressing. The Colombian government is going to allow former murderers into the police force?

Anyways, do you think that this will have an effect on the situation in Colombia? If you would like, discuss the situation there in general.

[FULL METAL JACKET]

From what I read, the leaders in paticular will go to jail but will be given less time. So I don't know about walking out free.

[Janus]

I've heard that a lot of the leaders have rejected any type of prison sentences, particularly extradition to the US. I'm pretty sure that it's only the regular soldiers that will walk out completely free.

[chebol]

The key word is "civil". A "'civil' police force".

Just like the resurrection of Los Pepes, the AUC, the Convivirs, this new 'civil police force' is nothing more than the legalising of the paramilitaries- again. Another of Uribe's old tricks.

For example: http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?con...4&articleId=505 (http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=viewArticle&code=FER20050624&articleId=505)
"Narco-president

The current president of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe Velez, has ties to these groups stretching back decades. Uribe was mayor of Medellin in 1982, a city at the heart of the drug trade, and was an associate of the notorious drug lord Pablo Escobar. From 1995 to 1997, Uribe was governor of the state of Antioquia, of which Medellin is the capital. Escobar poured millions into Uribe's civil projects, and in 1991 the US Defense Intelligence Agency concluded that Uribe himself was one of the top 100 drug traffickers. Throughout this time, the paramilitaries, "Convivirs", were the loyal supporters of both Uribe and the drug barons.

In 1997, the Colombian government stripped the Convivirs of their legitimacy, but most simply took their weapons and joined the ranks of AUC. Despite being added to Washington's list of terrorist organisations, the AUC remains Uribe's most loyal support base. Uribe recently initiated an amnesty, yet to be passed as law, encouraging the paramilitaries to disarm and face charges for human rights abuses, a development welcomed by many observers of strife-torn Colombia.

This amnesty, however, enables most paramilitaries to escape justice, as charges must be laid within 24 hours, investigations concluded in 30 days, there is no mechanism for confiscating illegal wealth and sentences are capped at eight years. On June 14, the 400 followers of paramilitary leader Diego Murillo "laid down" their weapons, but many of them will likely soon end up in the Peasant Soldier Program, a government initiative to arm rural "civilians" in support of the security forces. In effect, the process means nothing more than the re-legalisation of the paramilitaries. The bill is likely to be passed soon, not least because it is believed that the AUC has influence over 35% of the Colombian Congress.

The development has been accompanied by a fairly sudden turn by Washington to condemning the paramilitaries' role in the drug trade. In an August 2 article on Colombia Online, Gary Leech argued, however, that the US is trying to derail the amnesty, by pressuring the Colombian government not to appear to be dealing with drug runners. In reality, Leech argues, the US is worried that without the armed paramilitaries, the FARC will make rapid military ground. "

[Nothing Human Is Alien]

Here's a look at how they'll be treating these 'great patriots':

Colombia won't extradite paramilitary warlord (http://freepeoplesmovement.org/fp15b.html)

[Janus]

Very interesting article, chebol. The entire Colombian government is pretty much corrupt so I don't really expect their president to be uneffected by it.
I also didn't know that Colombia was a major oil exporter. Well, that pretty much explains the US's huge imvolvement in it. Only the idealists could really think that the US is seriously interested in restoring peace.


On June 14, the 400 followers of paramilitary leader Diego Murillo "laid down" their weapons, but many of them will likely soon end up in the Peasant Soldier Program, a government initiative to arm rural "civilians" in support of the security forces. In effect, the process means nothing more than the re-legalisation of the paramilitaries. The bill is likely to be passed soon, not least because it is believed that the AUC has influence over 35% of the Colombian Congress.
Yeah, I had pretty much suspected that. It is very doubtful that the government will simply cast off their strongest military allies.

[YSR]

The key word is "civil". A "'civil' police force".

Just like the resurrection of Los Pepes, the AUC, the Convivirs, this new 'civil police force' is nothing more than the legalising of the paramilitaries- again. Another of Uribe's old tricks.

I know very little about Columbian recent history unfortunately, but I think this is a very perceptive comment. When you turn reactionary militias into the police, you just get reactionary police. The same, only this time legitimized. Terrifying.

[travisdandy2000]

Oh well, when the FARC-EP takes over I'm sure these patriots will get what's coming to them.