DATE=4/27/2000
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
TITLE=COLOMBIA/PEACE PROCESS
NUMBER=5-46215
BYLINE=BILL RODGERS
DATELINE=RIO DE JANEIRO
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Two developments this week in Colombia
underscore the ups and downs of a peace process to end
more than 35 years of fighting. V-O-A correspondent
Bill Rodgers, who was in Colombia recently, reports on
what's at stake in ending a complex conflict embroiling
the government, leftist guerrillas, rightwing
paramilitary groups, and the drug trade.
TEXT: Colombia's guerrilla conflict began in the early
1960's - in the midst of the Cold War - as the country
was emerging from a long period of political violence.
Various leftist groups - proclaiming themselves as the
agents of social change -- took up arms hoping to
emulate the successful uprising that brought about
Cuba's communist revolution.
Over the years, some insurgencies disappeared or made
peace with the government. But others - like the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, FARC -
continued their fight. The FARC today has some 17-
thousand fighters, while a second leftist rebel group
- known as the National Liberation Army, E-L-N - has
about five thousand combatants. Together, the two
insurgencies have a strong presence in some 40-percent
of Colombia's territory.
In addition, rightwing paramilitary groups roam the
countryside - massacring peasants suspected of having
ties with the leftist rebels. The paramilitaries, some
with links to the military, and the FARC and E-L-N --
all have ties to the drug trade, which help them
finance their operations. This deadly mix of drug
trafficking, leftist insurgencies, and rightwing
paramilitaries has embroiled Colombia in a cauldron of
violence, for which there seems to be no end.
President Andres Pastrana's government has been holding
peace talks with the FARC since early this year. The
talks began after government troops moved out of a huge
demilitarized zone created in southern Colombia so the
rebels could negotiate with greater security.
But despite the talks, clashes continue between the
FARC and government troops in areas outside the
demilitarized zone. A FARC commander, Simon Trinidad,
tells V-O-A fighting will continue - adding that the
movement is growing because many Colombians support the
FARC's goals for social change.
///TRINIDAD SPANISH ACT WITH ENGLISH VOICEOVER///
The history of the FARC is that it was born
small, it grew and developed, occupied territory
until one day it spread throughout the country.
How can you do you this without the support of
the people? The enemy says we don't have this,
that we don't have a political program, that
we're isolated from the people, that people don't
believe in us. But this is propaganda. //OPT//
We believe that since we are present throughout
the country we are in contact with the people,
not just with the peasantry, but we're in contact
with businessmen, industrialists, merchants, and
with professionals who support us. This is why
we can move throughout the country.//End OPT//
/// END ACT ///
But others disagree with Commander Trinidad, and say
the FARC has little support - that its political
program appeals to few Colombians. Political analyst
Alvaro Camacho says FARC leaders realize this - but
they see no other recourse but to continue fighting to
keep the government off balance.
///CAMACHO SPANISH ACT WITH ENGLISH VOICEOVER///
They understand that there is another world, and
they realize they are very obsolete - the
Colombian guerrilla movement is obsolete
historically-speaking. But the logic of war, the
military logic is inexorable, and it feeds upon
itself.
/// END ACT ///
The lack of a cease-fire has caused many Colombians to
lose whatever faith they had in the peace process as
negotiations between the government and the FARC
continue.
But in a hopeful development, President Pastrana
announced early this week a second demilitarized zone
will be created to provide a safe haven for the E-L-N
as part of an effort to end the conflict. //OPT//
Unlike the demilitarized zone for the FARC, Mr.
Pastrana made clear there will restrictions on the E-L-
N area to prevent the rebels from creating their own
government in the region. An international commission
will be created to monitor conditions in the zone to
ensure both the government and the rebels live up to
the agreement. //END OPT//
But peace still appears to be a long way off.
Colombian analyst Sergio Uribe believes economic
stability is key to achieving a long-lasting peace
accord.
/// URIBE ACT ///
It'll take many years to get peace, but economic
stability is a fundamental. One of the key
issues is that Colombia last year for the first
time in 70 years had a negative economic growth
rate. No other country in the world could show a
continuous growth rate of its economy for 70
consecutive years...and when you have a country
such as Colombia which has never known that, you
go into real panic and panic tends to self-
perpetuate... But I think this year the country
will be able to come out of its economic
recession...and I think peace will come. Somehow
in the next two years we'll have some sort of
outright agreement,(or at least) begin to
formulate agreements...One of the key issues here
is this absolute distrust, the Israelis and
(Yasser) Arafat hated each other once, yet today
they try to work things out and in much the same
way (here) somehow it's going to come.
/// END ACT ///
Colombian analyst Sergio Uribe.
The peace process took another turn late this week when
the government's top negotiator, Victor Ricardo,
resigned. It is unclear why - though his resignation
came just two days after the FARC announced a new,
harder-line position in declaring it would collect what
it called a "peace tax" from wealthy Colombians. The
rebels warned that those who refuse to pay will be
subject to kidnapping. The FARC announcement is being
viewed as a setback to the negotiations, and for Mr.
Ricardo, who was criticized by some sectors for
developing too close a relationship with FARC leaders
and accompanying them on a recent trip to study
economic models in Europe.
It remains to be seen how these latest developments
will affect the prospects for peace in Colombia -
though one thing remains clear: there is no immediate
end in sight to the continuing violence and bloodshed
in the troubled South American nation. (Signed)
NEB/WFR/ENE/gm
27-Apr-2000 17:28 PM EDT (27-Apr-2000 2128 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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