Forwarded from Anthony (on Colombia)

[Louis Proyect <lnp3@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Hi Lou!

Here's a little note about Colombia, which you can post if you want.

First I want to say that I wish I had time to participate in your
discussion about the Nader campaign, and in the discussion about de la
Volpe,a nd in thte ongoing discussion about Latin America. But I don't. But
please continue, I am learning.

The government of Colombia is going through a controlled, and until now
well managed, political crisis. The entire cabinet of Andres Pastrana
resigned within the last week.

This is the product of the mounting corruption scandal within his
"anti-corruption" government, and the failure of his effort to solve the
crisis through a referendum which - if it had succeeded - would have
centralized power in the hands of a strong presidency. Pastrana withdrew
the referndum campaign dure to strong opposition within his own
Conservative Party (currently the Congress has a great deal of power in the
pork barrel sense of the word.)

This parliamentary crisis is taking palce at a moment when the right wing
is on the offensive againt the FARC - on the FARC's weakest flank. The FARC
claims only to tax property owners, and to arrest those who do not pay. but
the FARc in fact arrests children and other family members of those who do
not pay. In other words the FARC commits what is otherwise known as
kidnapping and extortion. The FARC has - as planned by the US embassy and
the pentagon - slowly centralized its operations in the demilitarized zone.
This includes the jailings of those it has arrested, or kidnapped. Now the
Cathoilic church, and the usual set of suspects, ahd launched a PR blitz
against fARc kidnappings - especially of children - and their jailing int
he demilitarized zone.

Simultanesouly parliament is trying to open the doors to a peace deal witht
he FARC. El "Mono Jojo" one of the most importannt military leaders of the
FARC, and the one with the reputation of being the most ruthless, least
political, and most contemptuous of hte peace process, has been declare
innnocent of being the intelllctual author of an important massacre
commited by the FARC eight years ago. This, despite that fact that he was
the military commander of the unit involved.

At the same time the fiscal, equivalent of the attonrey general int he USA,
has indicted the most important leader of the paramilitaries - Carlos
Castana - of being the intellectual author of the assasination of the
country's most beloved humourist Jaime Garzon.

Conclusion. Either the peace process results in a deal soon - or all hell
breaks loose. The IMF, the World Bank, et. al. want a deal. But they won't
mind war.

Anthony


Louis Proyect

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