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TechnoratiBOGOTA - "I will march against the members of the security forces who have betrayed the honour of the military and the police, and have betrayed their fatherland, by selling themselves out to paramilitaries and drug traffickers to serve their interests," said Colombian Senator Juan Manuel Galán in a speech given at the spot where his father was assassinated in 1989.
He was addressing hundreds of protesters on their way to take part in Thursday's demonstration that paid "homage to the victims of paramilitarism, parapolitics and crimes of the state" in more than 20 Colombian cities and another 100 around the world.
The peaceful nationwide demonstration took place without incident. But it basically went unreported by the mainstream media, by contrast with the heavy international coverage of the global Feb. 4 march against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas.
People displaced by Colombia's four-decade civil war paid tribute Wednesday to former Liberal Party presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán in the main square of Soacha, a poor suburb south of the capital where he was killed in 1989.
Soacha was one stop along their march, which began Tuesday in the fishing village of Flandes, 150 km southwest of the capital. On Thursday morning they continued on to the Plaza de BolÃÂvar in central Bogotá, where they joined people affected by the war and by the U.S.-financed Plan Colombia counterinsurgency and anti-drug strategy in remote rural regions of the country.
Between 1982 and 2005, nearly four million people were forcibly displaced and lost their land, and at least 15,000 people fell victim to forced disappearance, according to a local human rights group, Justice and Peace.
Inspector general Edgardo Maya led the group of public employees who joined the march even though their participation was criticised by presidential adviser José Obdulio Gaviria.
"We are taking part in this peaceful march in homage to all of the victims of the conflict, and especially the victims of paramilitarism," Maya told IPS.
The far-right paramilitary militias, which in the 1980s joined the security forces in their fight against the leftist rebel groups that emerged in 1964, have been blamed by the United Nations for the lion's share of the human rights crimes committed in the armed conflict.
In the last few years, the paramilitaries have taken part in a controversial partial demobilisation process negotiated with the rightwing government of ÃÂlvaro Uribe, in exchange for lenient sentences and a promise by the government not to extradite them to the United States, where many of them are wanted on drug trafficking charges.
Accompanying the public employees were 200 international observers, as well as former senator Luis Eladio Pérez, one of the four hostages released on Feb. 27 by the FARC. He was held in the jungle by the guerrillas for more than six years.
Also participating was "peace walker" Gustavo Moncayo, a high school teacher who has become a well-known activist calling for the release of his son, army corporal Pablo Emilio, who was captured by the FARC in December 1997, and the rest of the hostages.
Thousands of other Colombians took part in the march, many of them carrying signs with photos of their loved ones, victims of murder or forced disappearance.
"This is the first time that I have come out to protest in 15 years," 47-year-old MarÃÂa RodrÃÂguez told IPS. "I always get this horrible feeling when I remember the men in camouflage who came to the farm and threatened me and killed my two nephews."
Of the 15,000 victims of forced disappearance reported between 1982 and 2005, at least 3,000 were buried in common graves, some of which have begun to be exhumed. It is impossible to know how many were thrown into rivers, a common paramilitary practice.
"Disappearance is a monstrous crime," former Bogotá mayor Antanas Mockus told IPS. "That is why...we started this march at the Magdalena river," he said, after accompanying hundreds of mainly indigenous and black people displaced by the war on the three-day march from Flandes.
"We were inspired by an audiovisual testimony by the artist Clemencia Echeverri, who recently showed, in a sophisticated Bogotá art gallery, a night-time recording taken from the two shores of the Cauca river" in the northwestern province of Antioquia, said Mockus. (Antioquia is a paramilitary stronghold.)
"On the recording, you hear the sound of the water flowing, and above that you hear the screams of peasant farmers and chainsaws running, and you can see people with sticks, fishing pieces of clothing out of the river," he added.
According to testimony from numerous survivors and members of paramilitary groups, the latter frequently used chainsaws to cut their victims up alive.
Jusice and Peace also reported that 1,700 indigenous people, 2,550 trade unionists and 5,000 members of the now-defunct leftist political party Patriotic Union were murdered between 1982 and 2005.
"The paramilitaries have perpetrated more than 3,500 massacres and stolen more than six million hectares of land, and since their demobilisation they have killed 600 people a year. They also achieved control over 35 percent of the seats in Congress," said the Movement of Victims of Crimes of the State (MOVICE), which organised Thursday's nationwide march.
Guillermo Cano, director of the El Espectador newspaper, was murdered in 1986 after denouncing, in his column, the activities of "paramilitarism and drug trafficking carried out under the complicit silence of the government."
Human rights defender Héctor Abad Gómez was killed in 1987, as related by his son, journalist Héctor Abad Faciolince, in his book "El olvido que seremos" (The Oblivion We Shall Be).
Leftist politician José Antequera was murdered in 1989. His son José remembers that at the age of five he could not understand why his father was killed. And "today I can't either," he said in a vigil Sunday in the Plaza de BolÃÂvar in which victims and survivors of the war gave their personal accounts of their suffering.
Leftist presidential candidates Bernardo Jaramillo and Carlos Pizarro were assassinated in 1990, and in 1994 Patriotic Union Senator Manuel Cepeda was killed.
Stories that repeat themselves over and over again, at all levels of Colombian society.
"Nicolás was 15 years old on May 1, 2005. He was marching calmly with students and other people when the army began to fire tear gas, for no reason, because there were no disturbances," read out one woman in the vigil.
"Nicolás, who had asthma, was unable to move because of the tear gas and was beaten by eight members of ESMAD (the anti-riot police). He died a few days later in a health clinic. And his father, who is here with us, has faced constant threats by the police, and survived an attempt on his life," she said.
Liberal Party Senator Juan Manuel Galán told the demonstrators in Soacha: "I will march against former army lieutenant Carlos Flores, (retired) general Miguel Maza Márquez, then director of the Administrative Security Department (the DAS intelligence agency), and general Oscar Peláez of the national police, who participated in the plot that ended my father's life."
On Thursday, the columns of protesters reached the Plaza de BolÃÂvar and slowly filed out to make room for other groups, in a climate free of tension but charged with emotion.
Marc Chernick, a professor from Georgetown University in Washington, DC who took part in the march, told IPS that "I feel relieved and happy to see that there are still people who want to make themselves heard, even though there was so much pressure to keep them from coming out on the streets." He said the demonstration helped open a door to democracy.
The head of MOVICE, Iván Cepeda, the son of the murdered senator, told the crowd: "Thank you Colombia. This is the start, not the end, of our struggle."
With additional reporting by Constanza Vieira.
© 2008 Inter Press Service
27 Comments so far
Show AllIt is sad to learn the absence of knowledge the citizens of the USA have regarding Latinamerican issues. I say this because of the different opinions shown here and in many other instances. The bottom line here is the Colombian Army backed by the USA/Bush Administration crossed over a border violating international laws going into Ecuador's territory to kill 22 people who were sleeping and negotiating the freedom of Ingrid Betancourt, who, if liberated, will be a contender to Mr. Uribe, and that would be his downfall, for he is not popular regardless of what the USA press says.
Furthermore, nothing is mentioned about the rejection Uribe has received from the other LA countries, nor is mentioned regarding the Summit of Rio held in the DR where its President, Leonel Fernandez was able to mediate and lower the heat among the three Presidents who at the time were attending this Summit. Every single dignatary of LA rejected this incursion into other country's territory regardless of the situation. They left in friendlier terms, and called Santo Domingo the Country of Peace. FARC is not a threat to the USA, never has been. This is a national Colombian issue. By the way, Mr. Raul Reyes was the diplomat, the negotiator awaiting the next day to meet with France's president to coordinate release of most prisoners, something that was "inconvenient" for Uribe and Bush, just because it would give credit to Hugo Chavez. At this Summit, Evo Morales informed the world about the activities by the USA Embassy to topple his government so that Bolivia can continue being a "slave" of the Empire. Nicaragua informed about Colombia's threat on St. Andres Island. The USA will never forgive Chavez for taking away the oil from them and making it Venezuelan. Irak is a good example of what the Empire is capable of doing. And watch Iran, the plan is to take over their oil, no matter what Mr. Lier and its quintet of murderers say. We shall see.
One more thing you ignorant amerikans. WAIT did I do some wrong. YES you say as you shake you head. Well the country of C O L O M B I A is spell like this, not repeat not like this
C O L U M B I A. And did I mention Rome is falling
One more thing, Colombians already have natural gas for cars. The gas station have them the pumps. Got to get out of the car to get the thing filled up ,but hey find that in this country where they been saying since when, the 70's we will have, wait nevermind. ha can't for another what 15 years before there that here. Did I mention Rome is falling.
I spent a month in Colombia. Walk back to my friend place in the middle of the night more then one time. No problems. Yes there was someone who got shot two blocks away in the daytime, like thats the only place in the world where that happens. I recommend you go and see for your self. One more thing Rome is already falling.
NRA,
Who needs a gun to destroy the likes of you? I figured I'd just give you enough rope, and you'd hang yourself. People here saw you for what you are; an ill-informed, uneducated wretch.
Uribe, democratically elected? So was bushco. What's your point? The fact that governments are installed by seemingly democratic means does not make them democratic. Chavez has and continues to fight off the machines of corporate empire. You've demonstrated in your posts that you're one of the reasons why corporate facists can keep the ignorant masses placated by arousing the emotions, passions, and prejudices of the people. You need to start reading some books and turn off your TV and AM demagogue radio. We will do our best to educate you here, but you need to meet us halfway, admit you've made a mistake, and start listening and letting others ask the questions for a change.
Hugo hates the USA so much he allows Citgo to provide cheap fuel oil for the poor in this country while the Saudis believe in whipping rape victims and in Dubai they build shopping malls with indoor ski slopes; hmmmmm what's wrong with this picture?
NRA: yes, your questions are bogus and the reasoning poor. Chavez is an ally of Correa and wants to get in Bush's face. The US interferes in the region, and FARC is something you don't know about. Uribe is a criminal and so is Bush. To my knowledge, Chavez is not. If not, tell me what his crime is.
NRA Freedom,
Your questions are a piece of cake and not really a challenge.
1. Has the president of Columbia threatened war with Venezuela?
He does not have to. Columbia, under "Plan Columbia" has been spraying toxins and defoliants in Ecuador for years, killing and poisoning people, animals and food crops. They have also launched other paramilitary raids into Ecuador to threaten and murder people across the border.
2. Doesn't it seem rather clownish for a head of state to mobilize military units on live television? That kind of kills the element of surprise, doesn't it?
The answer to this question lies in your seventh question. The US does equip its genocidal allies very well. A very public display of resolve is part of what garnered international support of Ecuador and Venezuela's condemnation of Columbia.
3. What were the FARCs doing in Ecuador, and why did Ecuador permit their presence?
Ecuador does not "permit" Columbia to spray US made defoliants in Ecuador, nor does it "permit" the FARC across the border and in towns like Lago Agrio, but both do appear to happen despite the efforts of the government to contain such actions. It is not in the interests of Ecuador to allow either of these cross-border incursions to occur.
4. How many genuine "liberation movements" kidnap left wing presidential candidates like Ingrid Betancourt?
Only in a black-white world of people who lack historical context and understanding can someone pose such a intellectually vapid question. The real issue is not whether the FARC are truly "leftist," somehow implying that condemnation of the Uribe government is support for the FARC. The reality is that the Columbian government has not represented the interests of the majority of its population and has retained power through repression, intimidation and death squads. Under these conditions, resistance movements form that derive their support from the desperate circumstances of the oppressed. It is not an issue of choosing FARC by default because you condemn the Columbian government. The real issue is that the vast inequality and corruption that exists in Columbia needs to be overcome. While social movements must address this fundamental problem, it does not mean that people who act against the people who benefit from the misery of others should be free from criticism. While the FARC do provide an option to the Uribe repressive regime, we cannot absolve them from criticism (as your questions suggests critics of the Uribe government would do). I am critical of both Chavez and Correa, and having met a representative of the Correa government, many were disappointed that change is not occurring quickly enough. One criticism that came out of the meeting was that Correa would continue to honor the mineral rights contracts by corporations with previous corrupt regimes. Since that meeting, Correa has canceled many of these contracts when the corporations violated their terms of the agreement. Still other issues need attention, such as unannounced Ecuadorian military appearances in indigenous territory to harass the local peoples in the interests of corporate oil exploration.
5. Why is Hugo intervening in a bilateral dispute between Ecuador and Columbia?
Wow! This question drips with irony. Ok, why did the US intervene in a bilateral dispute between Kuwait and Iraq? Kuwait was slant drilling into Iraqi territory, and Iraq was merely defending its economic interests. Why would this be a concern of the US? Not justifying our war for oil and political-military presence in the region, but the lack of political-economic reality seems to be lost on some people. Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador and other nations within Latin America grew tired of the rapid growth of inequality and the hemorrhaging of their natural resources and wealth to nations to the North. Columbia is the pro-neoliberal foothold for the US and the rest of the wealthy nations of the world who wish to stem the tide of nations attempting to extract themselves from exploitative relations with multinational corporations and predator states like the US. It is in the regional interests of Venezuela and other nations seeking greater autonomy and justice to stick together.
6. have you ever heard of the "Galtieri affect"? Do you think it applies to Hugo?
It is a nice obscure reference that seems to mis-applied given that all parties have shaken hands and made nice. By the way, it is effect, not affect.
7. What do you think the result will be if Hugo's politicized, Russian equipped and relatively untrained army goes up against the American equipped and trained, combat experienced Columbian military? (If you like, perhaps you could find an ex Iraqi officer to discuss the relative merits of American vs Russian/Soviet equipment for you…)
I have to grant you this one. The US spares no expense when it comes to supporting brutal regimes that are willing to wage a path of death and destruction against those supporting the elimination of inequities and meeting the basic needs of its people. The US has a nearly flawless record of destroying budding democracies and movements for human liberation and justice. It is this support of terror by the US that creates movements like the FARC, Hamas and others that have limited options. Recall that Columbia used death squads to cut off any legitimate political route to social change. So, guerrilla resistance is what you get when you deprive people of legitimate address of their grievances. But, perhaps the US is too tired of getting its butt kicked in multiple theater wars to start another unending guerrilla conflict.
NRAfreedom,
I see by your handle that all you really care about is that your afraid that some left winger is gonna take away your guns.
I want you to keep em OK?
Columbia invaded Ecuador, massacred a sleeping camp of rebels who were involved in a prisoner release by all the countries, but they are Imperial Bush cowards and retreated.
You think Columbia could kick every neighbors ass like Israel? You are pretty funny.
This war over killing Socialism everywhere by the US and puppets is over now.... The war is over now... all that is left to see is The US depression From the cost of the WARS.
USA, from economic need will be slowly giving up the criminal war profiteer bullies of the World role and joining the laws of Nations.
Oh yea I have respect for Chavez... he is strong and that is why he scares you. You can't bully him or me.... by the way what leader in the world do you admire?
Look at the country that is a huge human rights violator and drug capitol [Colombia]. Also notice the US heavy involvement. This place is the most screwed up country in South America. If they were smart they would cut most ties to the US government, which mostly support the elite over the poor.
Again our tax dollars are used to do stuff opposite of what our belief's are.
DiabloRojo,
Good points. It is important to frequently remind the Estadounese (USAns) that they are NOT the only Americans, or even a majority of Americans. But unfortunately we are dealing with people who think they own not only this hemisphere, but the whole world.
Dear commondreamers, keep in sight that the Empire is badly in need of destabilize Ecuador and get rid of President Correa, other way it will lose - this year - his biggest military base in South America. Colombian goverment is just performing its assigned duty; "plan Colombia" means that colombians armed forces are imperial armies.
Good that Correa didn't bite the bait, most american countries said aloud that colombian government was wrong and owed explanations - with Ecuador's closest friends adding emphasis- and Colombia became isolated at recent America's President's summit.
But I'm afraid we can expect for more trying, CIA is not exactly sophisticatedly imaginative, but they are pugnacious people.
To NRA "Freedom":
It's apparent to me that you're a hypocrite. First you scold ruthru for personal attacks against others, and then you ATTACK HER character (low self esteem, not as smart as her friends). (pot calling the kettle black)
Your questions are bogus; they're merely a ruse to entice ruthru into providing answers to what is really building your argument on undemonstrated claims against Chavez, Betancourt and all left winged candidates.
To homeworld-angel and safiyyah:
In re:
"...if only americans would be so active in voicing their disaproval" FYI: They're also americans
"Most Columbians are like Americans..." FYI: They're not like Americans, they ARE Americans!
Just to refresh both of your memories: Colombia is located on the continent of South AMERICA, the USA is located on the North AMERICAN continent.
According to Webster's New World College Dictionary 4th ed.
America is defined [in part] as:
North America, South America and the West Indies considered together.
Ameri-can: A person born or living in North or South America.
Both are broadbased descriptive terms.
A Cuban is an AMERICAN as much as a citizen of the USA, Colombia, Venezuela, Mehico or Aruba, for example, are Americans.
Just as I'd hoped. You came to the call, NRA. You're one of them, yes. It's funny how you call something by it's rightful name and they come a running, isn't it?
Tired of nods and assurances from your right-wing hate bloggers, you've come to spill some more of your filth here. Good. Get it all out. I'd hate for you to do something cowardly.
US needs Colombia for its cocaine. What would all the addicts do if the supply were to dry up?
To all the people who posted here not too long ago, bashing Chavez for his swift action to contain the Bush puppet, Uribe, is this another rally paid for and organized by Chavez himself or is it that you are all full of shit?
Many people in Colombia are fed up with both the FARC and the Paramilitaries and the biggest reason; neither one has an ideology more than how to enrich themselves at the expense of the people, there are no freedom fighters here, F-ck em' both.
CIA operatives involved in drug trafficking? Definitely credible! Read about the cocaine brought into South Central Los Angeles to raise $ for the contra terrorists in their attempt to overthrow the Nicaraguan government, in Dark Alliance by Gary Webb and Whiteout by Alexander Cockburn and Jeffrey St. Clair. They also report on the involvement of the Bush administration harbored terrorist, Posada Carriles.
"VIDEO: CIA Torture Jet crashed with 4 Tons of COCAINE",
YouTube, Feb 12 2008
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=8057
The title GR used is the same as what was posted at YT by danostamper714 on Dec. 11, 2007; in case GR's YT link becomes eventually "disappeared", in which case doing a Web search using the same title, and maybe username, might turn up newer or otherwise valid links for copies of the video.
It's a short video, but certainly sounds like authentic reporting to me; sounds true enough. As for believable? Definitely! CIA operatives involved in phony "drug war" drug-trafficking? CREDIBLE alright. Also having accidents once in a while? Why not? After all, many people have accidents, whether it be due to their own faults, others, or failed equipment, machinery, etc. Combine the two and what-d'ya-have? Likely CIA covert drug-smuggling accident, of course, i.e., obviously, unintentionally. After all, anyone smuggling even an ounce of cocaine doesn't want to accidentally "screw up", right! 4 tons is a LOT of ounces, and MOST people never even get an opportunity to taste this natural medicine.
No, I am not a consumer, but can still recognise the FACT that all medicines are derived from Nature, and cocaine is a plant substance that is both from Nature and medicinal; just gotta take it easy with whatever meds we consume, I figure. I've known more consumers who you'd need to be told are or were consumers, or else you wouldn't have a clue; it's not a debilitating drug at all from what I've gathered.
Crack is NOT cocaine, either! Crack is supposed to contain cocaine, but also contains other drugs and, surely, I guess anyway, non-drug ingredients; while the or one of the other principal drugs is crystal meth, which I learned during childhood is to BE WARY of, for it's [addictive], contrary to moderate, perhaps even heavy, consumtion of natural cocaine ("the rich man's drug", it was called).
www.narconews.com may be an excellent resource site for this above kind of ... very underreported information on the so-called "drug war". Based on what I read at NN, it [is] a good resource.
A question for Clinton supporters: have you checked her position on these issues? Did you see her statement on Columbia's illegal intrusion into Ecuador? How is it different from the Repubs? Geez, I sure miss Molly Ivins in these times. . . . After one of Hillary's more bellicose "I'll show them how tough I am on military issues" moments, Molly penned a column, run on Common Dreams, going on record opposing Hillary's already open presidential ambitions.
Good article, and I wish these Colombians [success] in their efforts for rights and LIFE.
" USAn March 7th, 2008 1:50 pm
An the people doing all this killing have nothing to do with FARC."
YES, NOTHING!
Based on what [little] I've read, but by people I believe to certainly be respectable on this topic, the FARC has committed wrongs, but not only, and is not killing and disappearing the indigenous Colombians; while the Colombian govt minimally is complicit in these crimes. I imagine that there're are probably good articles at http://www.narconews.com , while also at www.globalresearch.ca , onlinejournal.com , probably consortiumNews.com , and other sites. From what I've gathered, the Colombian govt is one of the most hellbent in the western hemisphere, with the U.S. strongly complicit, or worse; and believable that [is].
Any North American who "bitches" against govts "fingering" the Colombian govt has to be either mistaken or another liar. It's how I will usually treat any North American who criticises former Cuban president Fidel Castro and his govt, these people rarely, if ever, "fingering" the hellishly extreme worst case, the U.S. govt. Cuban-Americans have strongly spoken against the Cuban govt, yet it's much better than the U.S. govt, even if some improvement(s) would be beneficial.
Cuban-American "bitches" about the Cuban govt, Iranian-American "bitches" about the Iranian govt, ..., these people are NOT welcome in my native country, the USA; imo. They are complicit in the extreme, quasi-total corruption of my country's govt; they are therefore among the enemies of my native country. That is NOT welcome at all!
My view "boils down" to this: Come, welcome to my native country, but don't pretend that you're for human rights, ... when it's only for yourself, while not for others, so selfishly, for that is NEVER to be welcome, but opposed. It's one reason I don't care about Taiwan, for it's trying to use the most hellbent rogue state in the world to achieve whatever objectives are sought; and to do that is to pretend that that hellbent rogue state is not a hellbent rogue state, which is what it is, hellbent rogue (and state). Asking for help when it's needed, believed to be anyway, is fine, but who we ask for help is another question; and if we pretend that we're right and being wronged, then we should not seek help from the most rogue and threatening state or party that exists, imo.
Weakness can cause us to make such flawed choices, but it's a weakness that we can also overcome in order to be integral in or with respect to our principles, too. Truly goodwill can overcome such weaknesses; there is a direct relationship. The "trick" is to not be so [selfish] that we think only of ourselves, no one else's rights and lives being conscientiously valued.
There was an article posted here at CD maybe two to three years ago, perhaps even further back, while not by much; it spoke of the Vatican ordering Jesuit priests who were excellently enough human rights activists in Colombia and who had been imprisoned or concentration-camped when this was being done to some, if not many, indigenous Colombians; by Colombian paramilitary. These activist priests firmly rejected the Vatican order, which was a needed reaction, but while the point is that the story was proof that the indigenous were definitely being oppressed, etcetera. I believe that particular article also spoke of union leaders being assassinated, again NOT by the FARC; and if it wasn't this article, then others have said all of these types of crimes significantly occur, for many enough years now, and that the Colombian govt is associated to these crimes in very guilty terms.
I'm not sure, but believe to have gathered that Venezuelan president Chavez is particularly concerned because of the perpetual and extreme, total injustices committed by the Colombian govt, covertly and not, though I guess usually covert, "under the radar", against indigenous Colombians. Based on what I've read, he has a "soft spot" for the indigenous, and rightly so; including when putting aside that he's indigenous for heritage, being, if not whole, then part of his ancestral tree anyway. Combining the two just makes him having this particular "soft spot" all the more understandable; but we should always being [for] human rights and life, always.
Anyone who sides with denying the rights and lives of others is NO one to ever believe; the person is either a lying charlatan, on the "light" end too, or else far too ignorant.
Union leaders and activists, academic people who were and are activist, some if not relatively many investigative reporters who are essentially activist in their work, religious leaders, etc.; [all] targetted with oppression, repression, assassination, disappearance, brutal treatment, etc.
If it's not literally genocide, according to the official definition of this, that is, then it sure seems genocidal enough in nature to me.
Send this around to anyone you know, from Greg Palast. Simply amazing:
http://www.gregpalast.com/300-million-from-chavez-to-farc-a-fake/
Do you believe this?
This past weekend, Colombia invaded Ecuador, killed a guerrilla chief in the jungle, opened his laptop – and what did the Colombians find? A message to Hugo Chavez that he sent the FARC guerrillas $300 million – which they're using to obtain uranium to make a dirty bomb!
That's what George Bush tells us. And he got that from his buddy, the strange right-wing President of Colombia, Alvaro Uribe.
So: After the fact, Colombia justifies its attempt to provoke a border war as a way to stop the threat of WMDs! Uh, where have we heard that before?
The US press snorted up this line about Chavez' $300 million to "terrorists" quicker than the young Bush inhaling Colombia's powdered export.
What the US press did not do is look at the evidence, the email in the magic laptop. (Presumably, the FARC leader's last words were, "Listen, my password is ….")
I read them. (You can read them here) While you can read it all in español, here is, in translation, the one and only mention of the alleged $300 million from Chavez:
"… With relation to the 300, which from now on we will call "dossier," efforts are now going forward at the instructions of the boss to the cojo [slang term for 'cripple'], which I will explain in a separate note. Let's call the boss Ãngel, and the cripple Ernesto."
Got that? Where is Hugo? Where's 300 million? And 300 what? Indeed, in context, the note is all about the hostage exchange with the FARC that Chavez was working on at the time (December 23, 2007) at the request of the Colombian government.
Indeed, the entire remainder of the email is all about the mechanism of the hostage exchange. Here's the next line:
"To receive the three freed ones, Chavez proposes three options: Plan A. Do it to via of a 'humanitarian caravan'; one that will involve Venezuela, France, the Vatican[?], Switzerland, European Union, democrats [civil society], Argentina, Red Cross, etc."
As to the 300, I must note that the FARC's previous prisoner exchange involved 300 prisoners. Is that what the '300' refers to? ¿Quien sabe? Unlike Uribe, Bush and the US press, I won't guess or make up a phastasmogoric story about Chavez mailing checks to the jungle.
To bolster their case, the Colombians claim, with no evidence whatsoever, that the mysterious "Angel" is the code name for Chavez. But in the memo, Chavez goes by the code name … Chavez.
Of course not much coverage in the MSM. It is counter to the US government's support of the mess in Colombia. Colombia is our Israel in South America. We need a place to dump millions or billions of military munitions and technology under the guise of fighting the War on Drugs and to have a country "to save" if the leftists get to powerful and decide to return power to the people. Colombia is our excuse to intervene to "save democratic principles."
"Most Colombians are like Americans, which means that they try to remain pretty much apolitical and stay out of personal danger."
Yes, I always get the impression that Colombians, are very much a "cowed" people, like the Indonesians became under the violence of Suharto - and like USAns, albeit for very different reasons in their case - reasons I see around me every day that are quite disgusting, but are another topic.
It is very understandable in a country where merely attmpting to orgainze a labor union or membership in a peace and justice center can get you killed. An the people doing all this killing have nothing to do with FARC.
But it is good to see this demonstration - so much for the supposed monolithic popular support for Uribe the media feeds us.
The anti FARC demonstration was bigger because it was sponsored by a government that basically arms the Colombian death squads.
To show up at this anti death squad demonstration was certainly a lot braver personal act and a lot riskier. As a result, it was smaller.
Most Colombians are like Americans, which means that they try to remain pretty much apolitical and stay out of personal danger.
good for them! if only americans would be so active in voiceing their disapproval .