New evidence linking Venezuela and Ecuador to mutual support with Colombia’s FARC rebels rekindled a year-long diplomatic feud, even as it provided Colombia’s President Uribe with a chance to turn the page on the public discussion regarding military abuse scandals and the shifting of U.S. anti-narcotics bases from Ecuador to Colombia. Despite denials from Ecuador’s President Rafael Correa and Hugo Chavez’s government, seized documents and videos suggests Correa’s 2006 campaign accepted FARC contributions, and Venezuela helped the FARC purchase Swedish rocket-propelled grenades.New evidence linking Venezuela and Ecuador to mutual support with Colombia’s FARC... more
With 1,300 indigenous Colombians having been killed in the last seven years as a result of the ongoing conflict, at the end of May, the country's indigenous leaders announced plans to form a 100,000-strong "national indigenous police force". This is aimed at combating what leaders describe as the "increasing trend towards genocide and extermination."
Colombia's 1.3 million indigenous people are consistently caught in the crossfire between warring parties as the protracted conflict continues to encroach on their territories. In the face of official indifference regarding their situation, they have now decided they need to take proactive measures to protect themselves.
Luis Fernando Arias, leader of the Colombian Indigenous Organization said that the situation equates to "an indigenous person being murdered every 72 hours in Colombia."
Indigenous leaders have assigned blame to all "armed parties" in Colombia which includes the army, paramilitary groups and the FARC and ELN guerrillas.
The impact of violence on Colombia's indigenous people has long been the concern of local and international human rights organizations. These include the United Nations and the Inter American Commission on Human Rights which, over the past decade have produced a number of reports condemning rights abuses against indigenous and afro-descendant populations in the country.
According to Colombia's Office of Human Rights and Displacement (Consultoria para los Derechos Humanos y el Desplazamiento) an estimated 1.3 million indigenous people make u 3.4 percent of the country's 44 million national population, yet represent a disproportional 16 percent of the nearly 3 million people who have been internally displaced by the war.
Colombia's indigenous populations are located mainly in the south-eastern part of the country, as well as in the southern region of the Amazon and in the northern Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. All of these areas now experience high levels of armed conflict and territorial dispossession.
The organization Cumbre Continental Indígena has proposed the demilitarization of indigenous territories as one way of removing indigenous Colombians from the ongoing conflict in their country.With 1,300 indigenous Colombians having been killed in the last seven years as a... more
A jailed paramilitary fundraiser tells how he squeezed money out of banana exporters to underwrite a murderous campaign against his countrymen.
ITAGU, Colombia -- For a guy who brags about killing hundreds of his countrymen, Raúl Hasbún lives high on the government's dime. He sits in a plush cell outside Medellín where he enjoys cable TV, raids his own fridge, can order out for fast food and has his cat to keep him company.
Hasbún, a former banana grower and paramilitary involved in Colombia's right-wing counterinsurgency, was able to score such a cushy arrangement because his words are in demand. Everyone wants to hear how he allegedly devised a method for putting the squeeze on international companies to raise the money to arm the death squads that carried out the gruesome massacres that kept Colombia in a constant state of turmoil.
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---------------------------------------------------------A jailed paramilitary fundraiser tells how he squeezed money out of banana exporters... more
Is there any company that isn't soiled by corruption and greed? We're talking about a BANANA company here. Knowingly and admittedly paying off terrorist organizations to maintain control of the area as the only banana growers? And then stating you aren't part of what they do? How is that possible? Unbelievable.Is there any company that isn't soiled by corruption and greed? We're talking about a... more
He dealt a major blow from within to Colombia's leftist rebels, killing a member of the FARC's ruling junta with a shot to the head and toting the man's severed hand out of the jungle as proof.
Nearly a year later, the guerrilla turncoat known as "Rojas" says the government has double-crossed him.
He's stewing in jail while prosecutors investigate him for terrorism, theft, and murder, and he may never see a penny of his $320,000 reward, which was frozen to offer eventual indemnity to victims of four kidnappings attributed to him.
I believe that the rebels that turn themselves in should not be rewarded with any type of money, but i do agree with a reduced sentence for coming forward and turning themselves in.He dealt a major blow from within to Colombia's leftist rebels, killing a member of... more
Marxist guerrillas in southwest Colombia are believed to have killed a second group of Indians the rebels accused of helping the government, a state governor said.
At least 10 Awa Indians were killed this week in Narino state, Gov. Navarro Wolff said late Wednesday. A day earlier, Wolff had reported that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, better known as FARC, had killed at least 17 Awa last week in another remote village.
"I don't have more information than what they gave us by cell [phone], but they gave us ... a list of names," Wolff said about the latest killings.
He said in an interview on CNN affiliate Caracol TV that villagers told him they cannot be certain that the FARC committed the killings because it was dark. But the governor and others say all indications point to the guerrillas.
The killings happened in two villages about a one- to two-day walk apart, he said.
Some Awa killed this week were fleeing the FARC because of last week's assassinations, said Luis Evelis Andrade of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia, known by its Spanish acronym ONIC.
The FARC have targeted the Awa because the Indians don't want to get involved in the armed struggle and refuse to reveal information on government troop actions, Andrade said on Caracol.Marxist guerrillas in southwest Colombia are believed to have killed a second group of... more
Guerillas with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia tortured and killed 17 native Awas because they believed the Awa were working with the government. "Guerillas with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia tortured and killed 17... more
Colombia's main leftist rebel group, the Farc, plans to release several high-profile hostages on Sunday, a prominent politician says.
The International Committee of the Red Cross and Brazil are both involved in co-ordinating future releases and picking up the hostages in the release predicted by Ms Cordoba.
She told reporters: "I already have the coordinates, the liberation is under way and the first release will take place on Sunday, and there will be three successive handovers."Colombia's main leftist rebel group, the Farc, plans to release several high-profile... more
"Members of Colombia's largest rebel group live openly on or near several Indian reservations in western Venezuela with at least the tacit approval of President Hugo Chavez, indigenous leaders here charge.
Although the border area has long absorbed Colombian refugees fleeing decades of war, members of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia have become visible as never before in the last two or three years, buying supplies, looking for medical assistance and forging relationships with indigenous women, said Venezuelan Congressman Arcadio Montiel, a Wayuu Indian.
Leaders of several Indian communities clustered around this town in a wild rain forest area that forms the border with Colombia told The Times over the weekend that the FARC's presence is harming their culture and youth.
'They have replaced the caciques, or chiefs, as authority figures and so who do the youths now want to emulate? The rebels,' said Javier Armato, a Yupa Indian who is a former Zulia state deputy and onetime Chavez supporter."
This bothers me, especially since I was born in this state. I would hate to see the beautiful culture and traditions of the different indigenous tribes being replaced by the corrupt and greedy ways of the FARC."Members of Colombia's largest rebel group live openly on or near several Indian... more
Le Farc hanno annunciato il rlascio di sei ostaggi, quattro agenti di polizia e due politici in segno di diponibilità al dialogo con il governo per le trattative sullo sxambio di prigionieri.Le Farc hanno annunciato il rlascio di sei ostaggi, quattro agenti di polizia e due... more
L'ex ostaggio delle Farc Ingrid Betancourt si è recata ieri, in una visita a sorpresa, in Colombia nella prima tappa di un viaggio in Sudamerica per dare il via ai colloqui con i guerriglieri per la liberazione degli ostaggi.
Si tratta del primo viaggio di Betancourt in Colombia da quando la donna lo scorso luglio è stata liberata da una prigionia durata circa sei anni, nelle mani dei guerriglieri delle Farc.
La politica franco-colombiana, rapita dai ribelli durante la sua campagna elettorale nel 2002, intende viaggiare in tutto il Sudamerica per accrescere la pressione internazionale sulle Farc affinché liberino le centinaia di ostaggi ancora nelle loro mani.L'ex ostaggio delle Farc Ingrid Betancourt si è recata ieri, in una visita a... more
A whole country tired of these terrorists. Colombia claim for peace. NO more kidnappings. NO more deaths. NO MORE FARCA whole country tired of these terrorists. Colombia claim for peace. NO more... more
On the surface, the historic northern city of Cartagena on Colombia's Caribbean coast is an up-market tourist destination, with cruise boat passengers strolling through the old, walled city's maze of narrow streets as sight-seers duck into air-conditioned boutiques and cafés to escape the tropical heat.On the surface, the historic northern city of Cartagena on Colombia's Caribbean coast... more
To survive his eight years in jungle captivity, Oscar Lizcano drank saltwater, ate mice and talked to trees, the Colombian ex-lawmaker revealed Thursday after a harrowing escape from FARC rebels.
Mr Lizcano recounted his extraordinary ordeal at a press conference, recalling that the poems of Uruguayan writer Mario Benedetti also helped maintain his sanity amid the overwhelming solitude before he escaped with the aid of one of his captors.
Mr Lizcano reached freedom Sunday after an arduous three day trek through thick jungle, accompanied by Wilson Bueno, alias "Isaza," to whom the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia had entrusted the hostage's safekeeping.
An army siege had put a choke hold on the FARC, preventing much-needed food from reaching guerrillas and hostages alike in the rebel camps located in the jungles of Choco department in Colombia's northwest.
The rebels moved from place to place to elude the encroaching army, Lizcano said.
"On these marches, we had saltwater for breakfast, lunch and dinner, which made me vomit," a gaunt-looking Mr Lizcano, a former member of the Lower House, said in Cali where he was recuperating in hospital.
"Some of the guerrillas... caught some mice, took off their heads and tails and ate them. There was one guerrilla who at night would put a cooked mouse in my boot and I would eat it."
Such deliveries of food were made in secret because rebels were prohibited from communicating with hostages, said the 63-year-old Mr Lizcano, who stressed that ever since gaining his freedom he has only wanted to "live minute by minute."
To keep his wits about him, and in the face of a ban against talking with his captors, Mr Lizcano managed to obtain a book of Benedetti poems and gave "lectures" to the trees, which he baptized with names as if they were students.
"It was the only thing that gave me breath, and helped me endure the solitude," a teary-eyed Mr Lizcano said, his voice cracking.
He thanked Isaza, stressing it was the insurgent who took the "unilateral" decision to escape with Mr Lizcano and end the hunger brought on by the army siege.
"Some 30 guerrillas chased us like bloodhounds," the ex-hostage said of their three-day escape, adding that Isaza carried him, exhausted and injured, on his back on the final day.
Their escape was conducted at night under a veil of darkness, and they hid and rested during the day, he said.
Colombia's Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said the army had been planning a rescue operation for five months in the region which borders Panama, and had the area cordoned off, when the rebel defector and Lizcano walked into view Sunday.
Mr Lizcano called on the Government not to abandon the remaining hostages, who he said were "rotting" in the jungle.
He was one of a group of 29 high-profile abductees (three politicians and 26 soldiers and police) whom the FARC have sought to swap for about 500 of their colleagues in arms who are behind bars.
The group also included French-Colombian Ingrid Betancourt, a former presidential candidate and Colombia's best-known captive, who was freed by the military nearly four months ago after six years in captivity.
President Alvaro Uribe said Sunday that Paris had agreed to his Government's request to grant asylum to Isaza, who would also receive a reward for laying down arms.
Mr Lizcano said he believed dialogue was the way to end the decades-old battle against the FARC, as "I don't believe there can be a total military defeat of the guerrillas." To survive his eight years in jungle captivity, Oscar Lizcano drank saltwater, ate... more
Mermadas, desmoralizadas y corrompidas por el narcotráfico, las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) ofrecieron el martes negociar una solución pacífica a la guerra, que libran hace más de 40 años, en respuesta a una propuesta de paz que les había enviado en septiembre pasado un grupo de políticos, juristas y líderes de opinión encabezados por la senadora opositora Piedad Córdoba.
"Esta carta'', dicen las FARC, "es ya el comienzo del intercambio epistolar que nos proponen para discutir en torno a la salida política del conflicto, el canje humanitario y la paz''.
En una entrevista con la radio local que coincidió con la respuesta de las FARC, el Presidente Alvaro Uribe aseguró que "el interés de este gobierno no es dar de baja guerrilleros. El interés del gobierno es la paz''.
Uribe ha ofrecido en diversas oportunidades disposición para negociar la paz con los grupos alzados en armas siempre que estos cesen el fuego, liberen secuestrados y detengan el accionar terrorista.Mermadas, desmoralizadas y corrompidas por el narcotráfico, las Fuerzas Armadas... more
Military operation frees former congressman from 'great suffering'
Soldiers on Sunday freed a Colombian lawmaker who'd been held by leftist guerrillas for eight years in the first such hostage rescue since the July liberation of Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors.
Oscar Tulio Lizcano, 62, was rescued in an early morning raid in the remote jungle of western province of Choco, said Henry Murillo, the No. 2 official in Caldas province, where the lawmaker was originally abducted.
Details of the rescue from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, Latin America's last remaining major rebel army, were promised in a news conference scheduled for later Sunday by Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos.
Military operation frees former congressman from 'great suffering'
Soldiers on... more
The second of 10 planned organic fertilizer plants, which will provide employment to 300 men and women demobilized from illegal armed groups, recently opened in the city of Medellín.
The plants raise earthworms to produce solid and liquid humus, a brown or black organic substance consisting of partially or wholly decayed vegetable or animal matter that provides nutrients for plants and increases the ability of soil to retain water.
The 2,500 square metre plant treats up to 3.5 tonnes of organic waste per day, which translates into a monthly production of 40 tonnes of solid humus and 3,000 liters of liquid humus, all of which will be purchased by Biprocol Company.
Biprocol Company is implementing the project under the coordination of Colombia's High Commission for Reintegration (ACR), with technical support from IOM, and funding from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Mayor's Office of Medellín.
The employees receive government assistance for education, health care and psychosocial support, while they are training to become technicians in earthworm raising.
At the plant's opening ceremony, Andrés Gonzalez, General Manager of Biprocol, said he is proud that the private sector, the government and international organizations have a chance to work together to create employment for Colombians who believe in contributing to a peaceful country.
The Presidential High Commissioner for Reintegration, Frank Pearl, added that these joint endeavours lead to the successful economic reintegration of demobilized persons who need support in order to fully reintegrate and become autonomous citizens.
From November 2003 to August 2006, more than 31,000 members of the illegal self-defense groups had demobilized as a result of a peace process with the Colombian government. IOM provides its support to the government of Colombia for the reintegration process of these men and women as they transition into civilian life.
The other plants are planned for the cities of Montería, Sincelejo, Valledupar, Cartagena and Pereira.
For more information visit www.oim.org.co and http://biprocol.com/ The second of 10 planned organic fertilizer plants, which will provide employment to... more
Venezuela's ruling party pledged Thursday to seek to reform the nation's constitution to let President Hugo Chavez seek indefinite re-election.
Proposed changes to end the two-term limit for presidents will be presented to Congress or the National Electoral Council and ultimately to voters after state and municipal elections now scheduled for November, said Freddy Bernal, a leader of Chavez's United Socialist Party.
"The purpose of this amendment is to ask the country if they want or don't want the re-election of President Hugo Chavez," Bernal said in a televised interview. "If we want peace, tranquility and development in the country, Hugo Chavez must continue being president."
Chavez, who was first elected in 1998, is barred from running again when his term expires in 2013. Venezuela's ruling party pledged Thursday to seek to reform the nation's constitution... more
Colombia misused the symbol of the Red Cross in this month's military rescue of politician Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other rebel-held hostages, it said on Wednesday, admitting a possible violation of the rules of war.
Falsely portraying military personnel as Red Cross members is against the Geneva Conventions as it could put humanitarian workers at risk when they are in war zones.
Rebel leaders were duped into handing over their most prized hostages in the operation, which highlighted the success of Uribe's U.S.-backed offensive against the guerrillas.
But the use of the Red Cross symbol takes some of the shine off the mission. Colombia misused the symbol of the Red Cross in this month's military rescue of... more
Colombian military intelligence used the Red Cross emblem in a rescue operation in which leftist guerrillas were duped into handing over 15 hostages, according to unpublished photographs and video viewed by CNN.
Photographs of the Colombian military intelligence-led team that spearheaded the rescue, shown to CNN by a confidential military source, show one man wearing a bib with the Red Cross symbol. The military source said the three photos were taken moments before the mission took off to persuade the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia rebels to release the hostages to a supposed international aid group for transport to another rebel area.
Such a use of the Red Cross emblem could constitute a "war crime" under the Geneva Conventions and international humanitarian law and could endanger humanitarian workers in the future, according to international legal expert Mark Ellis, executive director of the International Bar Association.
"It is clear that the conventions are very strict regarding use of the symbol because of what it represents: impartiality, neutrality. The fear is that any misuse of the symbol would weaken that neutrality and would weaken the [Red Cross]," Ellis said.
"If you use the emblem in a deceitful way, generally the conventions say it would be a breach. [Based on the information as explained to me,] the way that the images show the Red Cross emblem being used could be distinguished as a war crime, " he added.
The unpublished video and photos of the mission, hailed internationally as a daring success, were shown to CNN by a military source looking to sell the material. CNN declined to buy the material at the price being asked; it was therefore unable to verify the authenticity of the images.
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and his top generals have categorically denied that international humanitarian symbols were used in the July 2 rescue mission that freed the prized hostages, who included former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, three U.S. military contractors and 11 Colombian police and soldiers.
The hostages had endured years of harsh captivity and deprivation in jungle camps since being captured or kidnapped. Some were held for as long as 10 years.
The rescue ruse also included bogus communications, sent electronically and by human couriers, to convince FARC rebels that superiors were ordering them to hand over hostages to the group posing as aid workers for transfer to another rebel camp.
On Monday, government and military spokesmen reiterated that all logos and emblems used in the operation had been invented and that no genuine symbols had been used.
Misuse of the Red Cross emblem is governed by articles 37, 38 and 85 of Additional Protocol One to the Geneva Conventions, the international rules of war. The articles prohibit "feigning of protected status by the use of ... emblems" of neutral parties and say that such misuses are considered breaches of international humanitarian law that qualify as a "war crime."
Colombia signed the Geneva Conventions in 1949.
That prohibition was put in place to protect the neutrality of the International Committee of the Red Cross and the United Nations in an armed conflict and to guarantee their access to all sides. Use of those emblems by one side of a conflict, for example, could endanger aid workers because those on another side might no longer trust that symbols they see really represent those humanitarian organizations.
An ICRC spokesman in Bogota said the organization had been in "an ongoing confidential dialogue" with the Colombian government about the report that the emblem may have been used in the operation.
Among the photos shown to CNN are some bearing a date stamp of July 2, taken at an unidentified landing site in the jungle alongside a farm house.Colombian military intelligence used the Red Cross emblem in a rescue operation in... more
