<nettime> Colombia: horror and sadness

[Bill Spornitz <spornitz@pangea.ca>]

Recently, a Colombian family member (a 23 year old photojournalist) 
was abducted and disemboweled by paramilitaries. Disemboweling is 
popular because of the ease with which the victims' bodies can be 
thrown in the sea and evidence destroyed. Our family has been 
shattered by this crime.

For us, these sad events underscore the ever-present horror and 
brutality that hangs like a hellish fog over life in Colombia. There 
is no question: the attitudes and behavior of the Americans are not 
helping.

American involvement in Colombia is a national shame. No responsible, 
feeling person can turn away.





from:
http://www.janes.com/security/international_security/news/fr/fr010329_1_n.shtml

Secrecy in Colombia

US military aid to Colombia may be on a large scale but the US government
insists that it is not launching another Vietnam as American troops in the
country are forbidden to engage in combat with the country's guerrillas.
However, private American companies, paid for by the State and Defence
Departments and staffed by ex-servicemen from the Special Forces and by
pilots, suffer no such restrictions.

Last month the world's largest aerial eradication programme, funded by the
United States to destroy drug crops in Colombia, ran into a spot of bother.
Guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) fired on a
crop-dusting aircraft and supporting helicopters.  The pilot of an
American-supplied Huey helicopter was hit in the barrage of small arms
fire, but managed to land his stricken chopper.  Two other helicopter
gunships circled the grounded chopper pouring fire on the Marxist
guerrillas, while a third helicopter rescued the crew.  Then it transpired
that the pilots of two of the choppers in the daring rescue were Americans
contracted by the United States State Department...

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