Colombia's Conflict

For some unknown reason I am fascinated by Colombia. Maybe is the combination of politics, human rights, guerrillas and Shakira. It’s hard to say, but I do like to keep up with the news coming out of the country.

The situation in Colombia right now is pretty grim. It’s currently listed as one of the most violent countries in the world, right up there with Iraq and Palestine.

The violence is primarily between paramilitary groups and the government, both vying for power. The paramilitiaries are based in the rural areas. There a quite a few different groups, ranging from the far right-wing to the far left. They not only fight the government but among themselves as well.

These guerrilla groups routinely recruit rural Colombians into their ranks, commonly through the use of force. The result of this violence has been the displacement of millions of people, kidnappings and murders. Narco-trafficking is also a massive problem in Colombia. Guerrilla groups use the land in rural areas to grow cocaine. They then process it and sell it for a huge profit. This income goes a long way in fueling their war on the government.

Up until recently the Colombian government has been fighting the guerrillas by burning their coca crops and chasing them off the land. While this works temporarily, it does nothing to address the actual problem. Guerrilla groups (such as the FARC) would not have been so successful in the first place if it wasn’t for the poverty and complete lack of infrastructure in the rural areas. The FARC provides education and medical facilities for Colombians in places where the government is completely absent.

Although Uribe seems to be taking a step in the right direction with his “Guns for Shovels” program, which gives guerrillas the opportunity to give up their guns in exchange for a job, he will need to directly address issues such as poverty. It seems to me that those millions of dollars being wasted could be better used by building schools, hospitals, roads and other facilities needed by poor Colombians. Because it is them in the end who bear the brunt of the violence.