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DATE=10/03/2000

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

NUMBER=2-267427

TITLE=COLOMBIA MINES (L-only)

BYLINE=GREG FLAKUS

DATELINE=BOGOTA

CONTENT=

VOICED AT:

Intro: A report issued by the United Nations (UNICEF) indicates that civilians as well as military personnel in Colombia are threatened by a proliferation of land mines throughout that South American nation. As VOA's Greg Flakus reports from the Colombian capital of Bogota, many victims are noncombatants who find themselves caught in the middle of the conflict.

TEXT: /// Sound from Colombian TV report ///

Ambushes, bombings, kidnappings and military clashes are part of the regular fare every day on Colombian news reports. The war between the military and two major Marxist guerrilla groups provides much of the action, but there are also many rightwing paramilitary groups in the field fighting both the rebels and the government.

All of these armed groups have killed civilians in the course of their operations and all of these groups have also put civilians at risk by placing land mines in many parts of the countryside. The UNICEF report estimates there are 100 thousand anti-personnel mines planted in Colombia and that another 50 thousand are stored in government armories or in rebel hideouts.

Since 1991, there have been 732 Colombians injured or killed by land mines. There were 63 victims last year alone and 35 people were injured by mines in the first six months of this year. In most cases, the mines do not kill the victims, but do horrible damage to their bodies, especially when the victims are young children.

The Colombian government has assigned 400 million pesos, about 200 thousand dollars, from its national budget to help land mine victims, who need medical care, prosthetic limbs and rehabilitation therapy. The government also plans to open special rehabilitation centers around the country for mine victims. In some of Colombia's most conflictive zones, it is common to see people who have lost limbs to the mines. Since many of the accidents occur in rural areas, most victims suffer additional trauma while waiting for medical attention. The Red Cross reports that only 25 percent of land mine victims get adequate medical care in the first six hours after an accidenta time period considered critical for both saving lives and limbs.

According the the UNICEF report, the most dangerous mines are those placed by guerrilla groups and paramilitary organizations who often do not keep careful records of where the mines are. In addition, the report says, many of these explosive devices are homemade and not easy to detect. UNICEF estimates that these dangerous booby traps are increasing in number by about 20 percent a year in Colombia.

The Colombian government has pledged to reduce its stockpiles of mines and the military says it has mines only around bases and strategic installations. The military also keeps records and maps indicating where its mines have been placed. But people in some rural areas complain that the army's use of mines has prevented them from entering areas around such strategic points as hilltops where communications antennas are installed. Until Colombia's protracted guerrilla war comes to an end, however, it is unlikely that the threat of mines will be reduced. (Signed)

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