Breakdown Plan Colombia for me

[R_P_A_S]

Recently some Colombians got into a heated argument with me because I voiced my dislike for Colombian president Alvaro Uribe and support for Hugo Chavez's remarks about him.

But lets not get it twisted people. these Colombians have not been back to their country in over 10 years. They are pretty Americanized and are not into politics nor really care about it. It's not that they support Uribe, But like many people who are far away from their homeland living in America and who lack political knowledge they are hostile towards anyone saying anything bad about their beloved Colombia. which is the case here.

Here are some issues I would like to research and I hope some of you could help me....


1. There has been talk on how The Uribe Government and his Paramilitaries have killed farmers and Union Activist.


Why exactly did they do this?
Was this once? Are they still doing it?
Is there any proof?


2. Chavez talks on how Uribe and the U.S. don't want peace for Colombia. I find that hard to believe, Literally they must want peace right? However Plan Colombias methods are wrong, which would not lead to peace.


What benefits does the Colombian State and the U.S. get from not having peace in Colombia?

Does the U.S. benefit more from an unstable Colombia to maintain military and diplomatic presense in the region to counter left wing movements in South America?

[R_P_A_S]

bump!

[R_P_A_S]

sorry but.. more BUMP

[R_P_A_S]

no one?

[dksu]

Since no one else has answered I'll throw in what little I know about the situation...

A few months ago it was exposed that quite a few members of Uribe's government had links to some right-wing paramilitaries. These groups flourish because of their links to military and former-military officials. Some commentators have spoken of Colombia's military as a basically privatized outfit - that is, for the work that's too dirty for the state forces to carry out, they contract it to special forces, basically, privatized death squads. The United States provides Colombia with massive amounts of military aid (3rd behind Israel and Egypt... Turkey might have overtaken Colombia in recent years though) under the pretext of stopping 'narcotrafficking', though it's quite clear that the money goes to hiring mercenaries to kill off supporters of the peasantry, and the peasants themselves. In fact, many of the hard-right paramilitaries are deeply involved in the drug trade. Not to mention that multinationals rely of the 'clearing' of peasant land to enter into the lucrative Colombian coffee business.

I think we can expect heightened tension throughout Latin America as Left gains ground. The Venezuelan border could be a hotspot, if not a re-ignition of the FARC itself (though I think that this is unlikely, unless they can remodel themselves). Anyways, I'm not exactly an expert, but this has been my impression of some of the events going on in Colombia that I've picked up from various assorted sources ;o.

[R_P_A_S]

i wished more people will take part on this thread. thanks!

[Herman]

2. Chavez talks on how Uribe and the U.S. don't want peace for Colombia. I find that hard to believe, Literally they must want peace right? However Plan Colombias methods are wrong, which would not lead to peace.

I'm sure Uribe and the US want peace... peace at any costs, even if it means butchering the whole of the FARC or anyone related to them.

[R_P_A_S]

I'm sure Uribe and the US want peace... peace at any costs, even if it means butchering the whole of the FARC or anyone related to them.

Plus Uribe's dad was killed by the Farc... so he might not be thinking all that well.

[R_P_A_S]

There is plenty of info on Uribe, his ties to drug lords and rightist hit squads in these links:

Colombian gov’t arrests reporter on sham "terrorism" charges (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/fpm/page.php?230)
Colombian military sets deadly car bomb, blames FARC revolutionaries (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/fpm/page.php?177)
Colombia Won't Extradite Paramilitary Warlord (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/fpm/page.php?85)
Forensic investigation shows Colombian soldiers massacred an entire family (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/fpm/page.php?54)
Free Ricardo Palmera! U.S. hands off Colombia! (http://www.freepeoplesmovement.org/fpm/page.php?217)

finally thank you! what took you so long?

[BIG BROTHER]

Well, even though I Chavez isn't exactly my favorite guy, I'm pretty sure that 90% of what he says about Uribe acurate.

Polititians know each other very well.

[OrientalHado]

Since its ridiculously early I can't be assed to reply with my own two cents..But I can recommend two books I used, as I did this topic as a case study.

Nazih Richani - Systems of Violence : The political economy of war and peace in colombia.
- That is really good for explaining all the factors contributing to the protracted war, and why peace is so difficult to obtain.. Be it U.S propping up regime through military aid, emergence of right-wing paras etc..

Geoff Simmons - Colombia- A brutal history
Not as academic and less detailed. But it is good for examining the U.S role in Colombia and its funding of right-wing Paramilities. Plus it is extensive on Plan Colombia and its nasty sides they don't tell u about, such as agent green and propping up a very shady government, with heavy links to the right-wing paras.

hope that help.....damn im so tired..