Conflict in Colombia

Death squads and disappearances caused mental anguish to so many citizens of countries plagued with war all over Latin America, just like Lupe and her family. Gabriel Garcia Marquez poses the question, “why could social justice not be a goal for Latin America?” Countries in Latin America like Nicaragua, Guatemala, EL Salvador, Argentina, and Chile were striving for social justice. Some even had democratic elections and were on the right path but the fear of communism that plagued the United States since the beginning of the Cold War halted any of the progress Latin American countries could have even made. Any sort of progress, whether it was farmers and peasants like José forming unions and organizations fighting for human rights, or democratically elected presidents like Arbenz or Allende that fought for agrarian reform and nationalization of resources was completely shut down either directly or indirectly by the United States. Social justice was definitely a goal for Latin America. The region is not filled with savages that can’t grasp democracy; even Marquez “rejected the idea that ‘violence and pain’ was the natural condition of the region.” The United States halted and set aside any progress for social justice in Latin America because it feared losing its powerful influence in the

As Charles Bergquist observes, "Crises in Colombia tend to generate cycles of violence instead of mutations in the political regime." The reason is simple: regime changes in Colombia tend to produce very little change in anything other than nominal rule. Since Colombia's independence from Spain in the early 19th century, Colombia has seen a series of civil wars and secessions (Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama the last coming rather conveniently at a time when the U.S. was prepared to pay millions for a canal through its nation preparation that later resulted in a multi-million dollar redress to Columbia). Colombia's political history, therefore, has been colored by outside influences pulling on the two dominant liberal and conservative parties, with violent exchanges, and long periods of instability being the consequences. While regime changes have occurred, they have not produced significant improvements. Rather, Colombia in the 20th century has become a nesting ground for paramilitary forces and drug traffickers, with U.S. Central Intelligence operatives contributing heavily to the violent conflict that has risen between regimes. This paper will examine the regime types that preceded the Rojas Pinilla regime in mid-20th century Colombia, analyze their similarities and differences, and discuss the extent to which Rojas Pinilla reached his goals and objectives.

The articles provide a brief but clear history on the origin of the Colombian Conflict between the government and FARC. Each article mentions the decade of violence before the founding of FARC, and the initial aims of the militant group.

Although there is a lack of organizations involved in this fight, the United States was involved to stop this group because they don’t want Las FARC to overthrow the government and spread communist ideas. The involvement of the United States in the war on las FARC has been tremendous. The United States has sent troops and money to the Colombian government because they don’t the rebels to win; plus the United States and Colombia have really peaceful relations. Also the country of Colombia itself has attempted to to support rural redevelopment in Colombia, and that could potentially cost at least 45 million dollars over ten years (CFR). A lot of Colombia’s budget has been used to stop and have peace with Las FARC; many damages and also military debt had to be paid because of the fighting with them. Also the victims have also been given reparations from the suffering that they had in FARC prisons, people would starve to death or just get shot. One of the biggest issues of this topic though is that not many Americans know about this issue that has been going on in Colombia for the past fifty years. The richest rebel group in the world is not known by many Americans. One thing Americans should is mention this problem in literature because people need to know about this issue. If Communism ever gets spread again it

Under the government of the President James Monroe in 1822, U.S opened up relations with Colombia; with a strategical interest for both nations. The agreements were based in expanding commercial relations and strengthen amity. However, U.S relations with Colombia took a different turn as a result of a new era Colombia’s civil war and drug trafficking . The interest of improve the foreign policy and the security of both countries; In order to maintain the U.S relations with Colombia, an analysis of the conflict in Colombia has to be made to protect the U.S national interest.

In Armario Christine’s article about Colombian politics she explains what is happening with the former rebels of that nation. He starts out by talking about the basics, the former rebels are forming a new political party associated with FARC, but then he moves on into the big issue in Colombia, should they let a new party be formed especially with their criminal record. She uses a quote to show that this is an issue in Colombia, it was said by the former peace commissioner Camilo “The fact that a war criminal could become president of Colombia makes no sense”. Mr. Armario uses a very informative tone to get the point and inform America on what is happening in Colombia, he also integrates some informal language to help Americans to understand

In the late l980s, throughout Latin America, dictatorships fell one after the other. The story behind it much darker just like any nonviolent uprising, there were tortures and deaths. That did not stop the determination of unarmed people – students, mothers, workers, religious groups – persisting in their witness against oppression and injustice. (Deats)

The nation of Colombia is just beginning to wrap up a civil war between the

Though most media outlets claim that the Colombian civil war began 52 years ago, the reality is that Colombia has remained in a state of constant war and violent outbursts for the past 500 years- since gaining its independence from Spain. Because violence has been a constant in the Colombian territories, and therefore, in the daily lives of many of its citizens, it is complex set of circumstances to begin analyzing, and even more difficult to identify a moment in which it all began, as well as to imagine and identify measures that will allow for lasting justice and peace.

Colombians have been struggling because of the issues earlier mentioned. Therefore, as a person who has indirectly witnessed a half-century war that is the product of ideology political

Colombia is facing an internal armed conflict for more than six decades. The causes for the Colombian armed conflict can be more than one which include the conflict over land ownership, the existence of marked economic differences, the pursuit of civilians because of their political orientation. It also highlights the persistence of guerrillas with communist orientation and the existence of drug traffickers that have involved their corruption to all levels of the Colombian sociaty. The narco guerrillas and drug traffickers have given the idea to make a lot of money easy and fast. So culturally in Colombia many people believe in this concept for that reason there is a lot of corruption in Colombia, people porsuit this idea. The corruption in Colombia is much seen in the misuse or abuse of public power for private or personal gains, meaning that this phenomenon is not limited to civil servants, it is also defined as the set of attitudes and activities through which a person violates commitments made himself, using the privileges granted, those agreements made with the aim of obtaining a extra benefits. Usually there are bandits looking for weak people, who are easy to persuade to with the idea to make extra money, or they infiltrate state institutions military units focusing on public contracting where subornment and corruption transcends from national entities to military units, consolidating often interpreted in a weak, inefficient legal system according to

Perhaps looking to Colombian peace communities can help further explore this answer. For example, the San Jose Peace Community in Uraba, Colombia, is a community embodying exactly what its titular name stands for – building peace. Even amongst militia and government forces attempting to displace the people, the San Jose Peace Community has built itself upon commemorating generations of fallen victims rather than generations of violence. By utilizing “spatial embodied” practices – such as honoring and mourning the fallen through painting stones with victims’ names, or partaking in pilgrimages – the peace community have been able to construct their identities quite differently than individuals trapped within urban poor communities, albeit both

Since 2012, the Colombian government has been engaged in peace talks with the country’s largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, amidst an armed conflict that has dragged on for over 50 years and has displaced more than six million people. The negotiating parties have reached agreements on rural development, drug substitution, political participation, transitional justice and reparations for victims. The remaining points on the agenda are a deal on how the guerrillas will discharge and disarm, and how to execute the peace accords.

One of the most important causes of armed conflict in Colombia is based on the political structure of this country, which is the political exclusion. To understand why, we must take into account the history of the two political parties in Colombia that are Liberals and Conservatives, which were develop and take shape in the middle of the XIX century formed by landowners, merchants, and warlords. Since the beginning, the Liberal and Conservative parties counted with their own political programs. Moreover, each one had their own vision of how the state and society have to be role, as well as various answers to the hardships faced by the country at that time which make violent fights with each other in the way each one wants to have

The author’s understanding of violence is extended beyond the text and into the political history of Latin America, full of neo-colonial repression, racial discrimination and struggles.