Forgotten world (33): Colombia
Think of Colombia and most people think of drug barons and Marxist insurgents. There are still plenty of both in the country – but it is changing.
The hardline stance of President Alvaro Uribe against leftist rebels and the demobilisation of more than 30,000 rightwing paramilitary fighters have seen kidnappings drop 73% and murders fall 37% since Mr Uribe first took office in 2002. Locals are now trying to revive a tourist industry for the country – a remarkable turnaround.
Colombia is the fourth largest country in South America and one of the continent’s most populous nations. While most of the countries in the region are going Left politically, Colombia is a conservative country that has just re-elected Uribe who is George Bush’s closest ally in the region.
Despite an unprecedented economic boom in the past four years, half the population of 44 million lives in poverty.
October 5th, 2006 at 1:06 pm
Roger
As you know I was in Colombia in 2005 and I’ve kept up to date with developments in the country since then. I think your posting is too optimistic I’m afraid. Recent discussions with Colombian trade unionists force me to the conclusion that it will be a long time before the people of Colombia will be able to sing “Things can only get better”.
A recent report by a group of UK lawyers who visited Colombia in May this year catalogues a litany of human rights abuses. This is an extract from their report “Peasant farmers are forced from their land. Opponents of Government and business interests and human rights defenders are murdered, “disappeared”, arbitrarily detained and often tortured. They, and journalists who tell the truth about the country receive death threats by phone and letter……..” and so the report goes on and this is just part of the introduction!
I would urge everyone to read the report available from Justice for Colombia http://www.justiceforcolombia.com