InfoBrief – May 2, 2005
InfoBrief is a weekly news summary of events in the U.S. and Colombia produced and distributed by the U.S. Office on Colombia. Colombia This Week is reproduced with the kind permission of the ABColombia Group in London. Other sources include U.S. and Latin American newspapers, and reports from non-profit and grassroots groups. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. Office on Colombia. If you would like to receive InfoBrief please contact jess_hunter@usofficeoncolombia.org indicating why you would be interested in this weekly news service. Previous editions of the InfoBrief can be found at www.usofficeoncolombia.org
U.S. Current Affairs and Media
- Secretary Rice Praises Colombia, Promises Continued Aid Despite Setbacks During her visit to Colombia, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice defended U.S. assistance to Colombia despite disappointing results in the U.S.-backed drug eradication program and a resurgence of rebel activity in recent months. “You don't stop in midstream on something that has been very effective,” Rice said of U.S. policy in the region. “It took a long time to get this program started and it's going to take a little while to eliminate the problem.” The Colombian military has been taken off guard by brash rebel attacks in southwestern Colombia in recent weeks. The military’s inability to penetrate a rebel stronghold led the Colombia’s President Alvaro Uribe to fire four high-ranking Army generals last week. Despite these problems, Secretary Rice praised what she called Colombia’s progress in improving security, strengthening democracy, and government's commitment to protecting human rights. “Concrete improvements in security and rule of law are fostering a culture of lawfulness in Colombia and a sense of security for its citizens,” Rice said. Secretary Rice acknowledged the formal end of Plan Colombia, but said the U.S. would continue to provide similar levels of assistance to Colombia. “The formal Plan Colombia, that five-year plan, is coming to an end,” Rice said. “But our commitment to Colombia is not coming to an end, because we believe that the combination of military and police and justice assistance and economic assistance that we have been giving to Colombia has made it a place that is on a road to greater security.” Human rights organizations called on Secretary Rice to take a fresh look at U.S. policy. “She must recognize the many ways in which Plan Colombia has been a disappointment,” said Lisa Haugaard, director of the Latin America Working Group. “It is time to start thinking about alternatives.” Haugaard called on policymakers to take on recommendations outlined by human rights and humanitarian organizations in their Blueprint for a New Colombia Policy. Read the Blueprint for a New Colombia Policy at: http://www.usofficeoncolombia.org/documents/blueprint.pdf
- Amnesty International Suggests Paramilitary Peace Bill Will Lead to Impunity As the Colombian Congress continues to debate draft legislation which would provide a legal framework for the demobilization of right-wing paramilitary groups in ongoing negotiations with the government, Amnesty International warned that under the current version of the so-called Justice and Peace bill will lead to impunity for human rights violators. “The draft legislation fails to comply with international standards on victims’ right to truth, justice and reparation. It will exacerbate Colombia’s endemic problem of impunity, and risks demobilized paramilitaries being reintegrated into the armed conflict,” said Amnesty International. The recent versions of the controversial bill have caused paramilitary leaders to threaten to abandon peace talks with the government. “If we have to decide to head back to the mountains, the first ones to feel sorry about this decision will be us,” paramilitary leader Ernesto Baez said. In related news, Colombian Army Commander Reinaldo Castellanos admitted that one of the right-wing paramilitaries killed in a fire-fight with the Army late last month was in fact an Army sergeant secretly belonging to the illegal group. Human rights groups called this another example of on-going links between the outlaw paramilitaries and the Colombian Armed Forces. Castellanos said the government was investigating the case. Read the full Amnesty International statement:
http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news/press/16063.shtml
- Central Bank Director Says Peso Rally May Increase Drug Crop Production A director of Colombia’s central bank said the Colombian pesos two-year rally against the dollar could lead to an increase in coca and opium poppy production. “An acute and prolonged appreciation hurts the production of legal crops and strengthens the production of illegal crops,” Carlos Gustavo Cano, one of the bank's seven directors, said in an interview last week. Cano suggested the peso’s 27 percent gain against the dollar hurts farmers’ ability to compete against imports and to sell legal crops such as coffee and bananas in export markets and could lead some to farmers to move into higher profit drug crops. Others disputed this claim. “I don't see the exchange rate being a decisive factor that leads small farmers to start planting illegal crops,” Julian Cardenas, an economist at Corporacion Financiera del Valle in Bogotá, said. “Deciding what type of crop to farm is a long-term decision.” According to U.S. government officials, coca production remained “statistically unchanged” last year while poppy production dropped by more than 50 percent. Colombia's central bank took measures last year to weaken the local currency, buying more than $3 billion U.S. dollars.
- Human Rights Groups Expresses Concern Over Attacks Against Peace Communities Refugees International expressed concern on Friday that rural peace communities have come under renewed threat from armed actors in Colombia’s internal conflict. The human rights groups said the past two months have been characterized by increased threats by both right wing paramilitary groups and left wing guerilla groups against members of peace communities and the human rights advocates who defend them. The group specifically expressed concern over the February attacks against the San Jose de Apartado peace community and called on the U.S. Secretary of State to withhold certification for Plan Colombia funds until a full and impartial investigation determines if the Colombian army played a role in those attacks. Refugees International also called on the U.S. Congress to “adopt a new policy which emphasizes a negotiated end to the armed conflict in the country, greater protection for civilians, and a reallocation of resources towards humanitarian assistance, peace building and demobilization programs.” The group also expressed concern over paramilitary incursions into the Cacarica River Basin and guerrilla abductions of human rights leaders in the region. Read the full Refugees International article: http://www.refugeesinternational.org/content/article/detail/5685
- IMF Approves New Loan for Colombia The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Friday approved a $613 million loan for Colombia which the lender said it hopes will allow the country to gradually “exit from fund financial support.” As part of the deal, Colombia will attempt to reduce public debt to 50 percent of gross domestic product by the end of 2006, the IMF said. The IMF praised Colombia for its pursuit of a constitutional amendment to modify its pension system, and government plans to sell its state-owned bank Granahorrar and privatize some small electricity firms. The IMF forecast Colombia's grow rate at 4 percent for 2005 and 2006, a level similar to its 2004 growth rate.
Upcoming Events and Seminars in the U.S.
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Colombia This Week is reproduced with the kind permission of the ABColombia Group in London
Colombia This Week editing date 05/03/05
Fri 23 – UN says authorities did not respond to Toribio alert; HRW condemns attacks in Toribio.
- The UN Office for Human Rights in Colombia reports on a recent visit to the town of Toribio, noting that the Colombian military authorities did not respond to the warning system of the Colombian Ombudsman’s office days before the attacks. They also condemned the FARC for using non-conventional arms and for using the village as a battle field, urging the Secretariat of this armed group to guarantee that all the members respect the humanitarian principles of limitation, distinction, proportionality and protection of the civil population. The report also urges the Defence Minister to guarantee the protection of civilians from army operations, El Tiempo reports.
- Colombia's FARC group must immediately cease its use of gas cylinder bombs and other indiscriminate weapons, insists US based Human Rights Watch. In an attack using these weapons in Toribio, the FARC-EP killed a 10-year old boy and injured more than 20 civilians. Many members of the communities have been forced to leave as a result of the attacks, and there is a serious risk that they may become permanently displaced. As much as 90 percent of the population of Toribio and Jambalo belongs to the Nasa indigenous group, which has received national and international awards for its peace and development initiatives, HRW notes.
- US based oil exploration company ‘Llanos Oil Exploration’ is suing the Colombian government and Ecopetrol for cancelling an oil exploration contract in the department of Cesar. Among the people named in the legal complaint is President Uribe Velez and presidential adviser Fabio Echeverri. They are accused of interceding illegally in the process and giving preferences to favour another US-based multinational, Drummond, which finally won the contract, Colprensa reports.
Sat 24- Church: Colombia’s culture of death; study denies fumigation effects on humans.
- Colombia has been deemed the most dangerous place on earth for Catholic priests by the Vatican. Around 41 clerics have been murdered and dozens kidnapped in the last 17 years. Kidnapping generates publicity for rebel groups and is also a tactic for advancing their political agenda and church leaders are often killed for their outspoken views on the violence that plagues the country. The Catholic Church is now also facing a different challenge in Latin America with the rise of evangelicism: the Church needs to revamp its image and build stronger links with the population to hold on to believers, Catholic Herald reports.
- The largest scientific investigation yet into the health effects of spraying illegal coca crops has concluded that the chemicals used do not harm either humans or the environment. The results of the study announced by the Organisation of American States contradict claims by environmental groups and affected peasants that the chemicals used in the US-backed drug crop spraying programme made people ill. "The way they are used in Colombia's eradication programme, they do not present a significant risk for human health," said the study by the Inter-American Drug Abuse Control Commission, which is an agency of the OAS. Critics of the use of glyphosate point out that the report has come out just when the Colombian government is reviving the idea of fumigating the national parks, El Tiempo reports.
Sun 25 – UNHCR: conflict could wipe out indigenous groups; disruption continues in Cauca.
- Indigenous groups in Colombia are in danger of disappearing amid the country's continuing conflict, warned the UN refugee agency as it joined a mission to assess the situation of thousands of indigenous people displaced by fighting in the south-west of Colombia. This week clashes between the Colombian Army and guerrillas from the FARC displaced an estimated 3,500 indigenous Nasa people from the area around the village of Toribio in the province of Cauca. The number could swell to 5,000 if the fighting continues, UNHCR warns.
- Thousands of children in Cauca begin a third week without school amid the most intense fighting between the Army and the FARC group in years. It is the first time in years that the FARC has fought pitched battles against government forces instead of simply carrying out hit-and-run attacks. The rebels said their assault on Toribio was a message to the government that they will not accept the presence of police or military forces in town centres. Two years ago, a large police bunker was built near Toribio's main square, CNN reports.
- A UK- business delegation visiting Colombia finishes its mission commemorating 180 years of commercial relationship between both countries. According to the British- Colombian Chamber of Commerce, the United Kingdom has been a major investor in this country since 1825, El Espectador reports.
- Colombian retired general Farouk Yanine rejects accusations of involvement with an exploration oil company named ‘ Llanos Oil Exploration’ . The Attorney General’s office has accused this company of laundering paramilitary money. Other top generals involved in this company registered in the European fiscal haven of the Isle of Man are: General Mora Rangel (now Ambassador in Korea) and Ramon Uscategui, El Tiempo reports.
Mon 26 – AI: justice and peace law guarantees impunity; fears as European official still missing.
- “If the Justice and Peace Bill is approved, victims of human rights abuses and their relatives may never know the truth about the crimes committed against them or see the perpetrators of these abuses brought to justice”, Amnesty International reports today as the Colombian Congress debates the draft Justice and Peace legislation, designed to provide a legal framework for the demobilization of illegal armed groups. "The draft legislation fails to comply with international standards on victims’ right to truth, justice and reparation. It will exacerbate Colombia’s endemic problem of impunity, and risks demobilized paramilitaries being reintegrated into the armed conflict," said Amnesty International. Under the proposed legislation, combatants who demobilize will receive benefits including reduced prison sentences of five to eight years even if they are implicated in serious human rights abuses, such as war crimes and crimes against humanity.
- A Spanish citizen working in Colombia for the mission of the European Union, Carlos Ayala, has not been heard from since April 15 when he arrived in the city of Cucuta, (Norte de Santander), police chief Col. Jose Henao said. "It's a rather delicate situation," European Union spokeswoman Francoise Le Bail said, “we have some indications, but we have to be careful about what we say." Ayala has been based in Bogota since 2003 working on social development issues, Le Bail said. Colombia is the kidnapping capital of the world, with some 1,500 people abducted last year. In a statement, the European Commission said it was deeply concerned by Ayala's disappearance and urged authorities to do everything possible to ensure his safe return, AFP reports.
- As the army troops retake control in Toribio analysts in Colombia report that last week’s offensive has been a blow to the Uribe government’s claims it has the rebels on the run. "Without doubt, it has been the biggest challenge to President Uribe's democratic security policy," said defence analyst Alfredo Rangel. Uribe's successes against the FARC are the main reason for an approval rating of about 70 percent, which the President's supporters hope will propel him to a second consecutive election victory next year if the Constitutional Court approves it, Reuters reports.
- The Inter-Church Commission of Justice and Peace (CIJP) strongly criticises the Colombian government for not being in compliance with its commitments signed with the Inter-American Court in Costa Rica in which they agreed to suspend a massive agro-industrial project in the Choco area. The communities denounced in 2001 that their ancestral territories were used by irregular armed groups for agro-industrial projects after they were forcibly displaced from the area by military operatives.
Tues 27 – Defence Minister on the hook for new comments on Venezuela’s arms dispute.
- According to a secret memo sent to the Colombian Congress by Defence Minister Jorge Alberto Uribe, Venezuela's arms build-up “is unjustified and will deepen the military imbalance of the Andean region”. The memo continues adding that “at this time there is no clear justification for acquiring strategic weapons in a region that has agreed the limitation in military spending for external defence". The memo has been leaked to the media a day before Condoleezza Rice is to meet in Bogota with President Uribe, Colprensa reports.
- Authorities report a policeman was killed in a FARC attack on a police patrol in Guaviare. The policeman was part of an anti narcotics patrol that was in the process of manually eradicating a coca crop plantation when the FARC attacked them, El Nuevo Siglo reports.
Weds 28 - Crisis in Armed Forces as Uribe sacks four Generals; AUC retain indigenous leader.
- President Uribe Velez sacks four top army Generals for reportedly disagreeing with reforms within the military. The Generals were all critics of plans to improve co-operation between the different branches of the armed forces. The move comes as the FARC have stepped up their attacks in the south-west of the country. The dismissal of the generals was announced in a statement by Colombia's defence ministry that gave no explanation. Those fired were: Gen Roberto Pizarro, second-in-command of the army; chief of operations Gen Luis Fabio Garcia; personnel chief Maj Gen Hernan Cadavid; inspector-general Maj Gen Jairo Duban Pineda. They all objected to the plans to establish regional joint commands by putting officers from the air force or navy in charge of army units, Reuters reports.
- The National Organisation of Colombian Indigenous People (ONIC) reports the retention-disappearance of Milciades Bailarin, leader of the Embera-Katio community in Chontadural, near Mutata (Antioquia), reportedly by members of a paramilitary group from the AUC.
- Days after the US multinational Philip Morris acquired Colombian company Coltabaco the value of the shares has dropped more than 10% in the international market. Analysts suggest the reason why the US Company bought Coltabaco was the result of weak health legislation against this product, El Tiempo reports.
Thurs 29 - Rice announces end of Plan Colombia but promises aid; suspected ELN captured.
- US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice tells Colombia that Washington will go on supporting its fight against drug traffickers and the left-wing insurgency. Ms Rice made the comments as she visited Colombia as part of a five-day tour of the region. Ms Rice said that the US supported the demobilisation of the paramilitary AUC group but noted that crimes could not go unpunished - perhaps a reference to the fact that several paramilitary leaders have US extradition warrants pending, Associated Press reports.
- Authorities report the detention of Jose Borda Torres, reportedly a member of the international structure of the National Liberation Army (ELN). He was detained in the city of Medellin, El Colombiano reports.
- Members of the FARC kill Douglas Hernan Bautista, former mayor of the town of Hobo (Huila). Two police officers were also killed when they tried to react against the aggressors. Authorities blame the Teofilo Forero column for these crimes. The attack happened when all the mayors from the Huila department were meeting with Police Commanders in the region, El Espectador reports.
- Bogota-based NGO Humanidad Vigente reports the killing of a 19 month old baby in the settlement of Cerro Azul (Bolivar) in combats between the ELN and paramilitaries from the Central Bolivar bloc. According to the reports the minor was killed while at home with his father who was also injured.
- Five more bodies have been found in a new mass grave discovered in the town of San Onofre (Sucre). According to reports, the authorities have found more than 40 illegal cemeteries belonging to paramilitaries that were disputing control of the area with guerrilla groups in the last few years, Colprensa reports.
Colombia This Week is a news summary produced and distributed by ABColombia Group. Sources include daily Colombian, US, European and Latin American newspapers, and reports from non-governmental organisations and the UN System. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the ABColombia Group.
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