Colombia This Week
23/01/2006
Fri 13 – FARC try to take control of Taraza; Ecuador and Colombia not to carry out joint actions
· The Governor of Antioquia department, Jorge Mejia Martinez, claims that the FARC are trying to expand their influence in territories under paramilitary control in Taraza, as the Mineros block of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) prepares to demobilise. According to the governor, this is made possible by a lack of military personnel in the area; he adds that guerrilla incursions have already led to the displacement of 27 families, El Colombiano reports. The High Commissioner for Peace, Luis Carlo Restrepo dismisses the claim and says that the process is going ahead according to plan, El Tiempo reports.
· Following a meeting with his Colombian counterpart, the Ecuadorean minister of defence Oswaldo Jarrin announces that his country will not carry out joint actions with the Colombian army against the guerrilla. However, he stresses that there will be close cooperation between the two governments, AFP reports. Ecuador will maintain a hard-line against rebels entering its territory, as the recent detention of four FARC members from the 48th Block shows, Caracol Radio reports.
· The Mayor of Vistahermosa (Meta department) German Gaona expresses his concern over the increase in displaced families following the announcement by President Uribe that manual eradication of coca crops in the Macarena National Park will begin shortly. In the last fortnight 20 families had to leave the area because of confrontations between the army and the FARC, Colprensa reports.
· A ruling from the Administrative Tribunal of Cundinamarca prohibits the Colombian government from signing the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the US, as some of its terms would violate collective rights of the population, ABN reports.
· The army kill at least six ELN members near the Ecuadorean border, even though the leaders of the armed group prepare for a second round of preliminary peace talks, Reuters reports.
Sat 14 – President returns Forestry Law to Congress; trade talks with US to start on January 27
· President Uribe decides not to sign the Forestry Law after it was approved by Congress in December. The President had a meeting with former environment ministers who had been the major critics of the law and accepted the objections they posed. Congress will now debate it again. The former ministers were satisfied that the provisions regarding mass exploitation of tropical forests had been removed, El Tiempo reports.
· The Agriculture Minister Felipe Arias says he is optimistic about the agricultural talks with the US that are due to start on January 27. However, he expressed concerns over the latest US proposals for the FTA between the two countries, which would restrict access to the US market for Colombian products and further open the Colombian market to US maize and wheat, Reuters reports.
· A health emergency is declared in San Marcos (Sucre department) following the poisoning of 5000 ducks by peasants. The animals were killed with a strong rat poison which, if passed on to consumers, could pose serious damage to health. The malodorous corpses of the birds also contaminated the nearby water basins, El Tiempo reports.
· The Army and the police intelligence service (DAS) find grenades and ammunition in a Bogota house. The authorities say the material was going to be used for a series of terrorist attacks in the capital during the electoral campaign, Caracol Radio reports.
Sun 15 – Paramilitary chief Cadena reported alive; 5% economic growth in 2005
· The former paramilitary commander Rodrigo Mercado alias Cadena is reported alive. The paramilitary chief, who demobilised in July 2005, had subsequently disappeared and rumours had spread about his assassination by local politicians. Cadena was notorious for the massacres of Chengue and Macayupo and for the killing of three officials from the Attorney General’s office, El Tiempo reports.
· The director of the National Planning Department, Santiago Montenegro, states that the Colombian economy grew by 5% in 2005. Montenegro also stated that the same is likely to happen in 2006 due to successful macroeconomic adjustment, increased security, and a drop in the homicide rates, Caracol Radio reports.
· Colombian police arrest a suspected agent of the FARC in Ecuador, who is wanted by the US for drug trafficking. Officials say Jaime Motta Vargas was in charge of finding contacts and routes for the export of cocaine to the US via Ecuador, EFE reports.
Mon 16 – President orders investigation of links with paramilitaries; two youths killed in Cauca
· President Uribe orders an investigation into allegations that paramilitary groups have infiltrated the electoral process with drug money. The President asked the Attorney General to open an inquiry after several parliamentarians and the Liberal Party leader Cesar Gaviria accused congressional candidates of having links with members of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), AP reports.
· The National Agricultural Trade Union Fensuagro-CUT denounces the killings of Hortensia Neyid Tunja Cuchumbe and Manuel Antonio Tao in Inza (Cauca department). The two youths were found dead on the road and when the relatives arrived on the spot the army denied them access and accused the victims of belonging to the guerrilla. The bodies were also moved and evidence was manipulated to show the dead were rebels, Fensuagro-CUT claims.
· The FARC burn eight vehicles between Orito and Puerto Asis (Putumayo department) and carry out another attack on the oil pipeline. Despite reassurances from the government that the situation is under control, an
armed strike is disrupting mobility and transportation. The archbishop of Mocoa, Luis Alberto Parra, expressed his concern and admitted he had to ask for the FARC permission in order to visit the region, El Tiempo reports.
· The Government meets with foreign diplomatic representatives to respond to their concerns over the decree regulating the Justice and Peace law. In a separate interview, the Interior Minister Sabas Pretelt defended the discretionary powers granted to the Attorney General’s office when investigating paramilitaries’ frontmen, El Tiempo and CM& Radio report.
Tues 17 – Colombia to stop fumigations near Ecuador ; 12 million lack access to safe water
· After a meeting in Bogota, Colombian President Uribe and his Ecuadorean counterpart Palacio agree to stand united in the negotiation for the FTA with the US, in particular in relation to issues of intellectual property. Uribe also agreed to stop coca fumigations along the border with Ecuador and replace them with a programme of manual eradication; however, he said Colombia might resort to fumigation in the future if the manual eradication does not prove successful, Colprensa and United Press International report.
· According to the Ombudsman’s office, 12 million Colombians- 28% of the entire population- do not have access to potable water. The report also warned that, if adequate measures are not adopted, in 25 years 70% of the population could be lacking drinking water, El Tiempo reports.
· A report called “Drugs and Anti-Drugs in Colombia” by the Institute of Security of the French Government (INHES) claims that Plan Colombia has failed in its aim to eradicate both the guerrilla and coca crops, Radio Caracol reports.
· William Rodriguez Abadia, son of former Cali cartel boss Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, gives himself up to US agents in Panama and is transferred to Miami. Rodriguez Abadia has been accused of running the drug business since his father and uncle were arrested in 1995, Reuters reports.
Weds 18 – Purges in pro-government parties; displaced population increases in Medellin
· The Colombian government asks the Organisation of American States (OAS) to oversee the electoral process, amid allegations that paramilitary groups are bribing candidates. The mutual accusations between candidates led to the expulsion of five congressmen from the U Party and Radical Change. The leaders of the two pro-Uribe parties expressed their wish to create a tribunal that could order the expulsion of members suspected of links with paramilitaries, RCN Radio and Reuters report.
· According to the Ombudsman for Medellin, there are 31% more displaced people in the capital of Antioquia in 2005 than the previous year. Most of the displaced population comes from North-eastern Antioquia, but also from the southern departments of the country where the conflict has recently deteriorated, El Colombiano reports.
· The Colombian stock market is reported to have been the best performer of the region in 2005. The improvement was attributed to restored security, a boom in the economy and the forthcoming FTA with the US, the Financial Times reports.
· The government will destine 90,000m pesos to the families of 7,000 victims of armed groups. The announcement was made during a presentation by the Commission of Reparation and Reconciliation, El Tiempo reports.
· The members of the Mineros block will participate in the manual eradication of coca crops, the director of the National Reinsertion Programme announces. However, the block’s commander alias Cuco, stated that they will refuse to take part in the programme, El Colombiano reports.
Thurs 19 – Displaced people at risk of hunger and disease; poverty index declined in 2005
· According to a study commissioned by the UN World Food Programme, the EU and the Pan-American Health Organisation, an estimated 1.3m displaced people are suffering from malnutrition and preventable diseases. The report also stressed that 93% of internal displaced are living below the poverty line, have the fewest employment opportunities and the greatest number of unmet basic needs. Families of five to ten people often survive on the equivalent of US$42 a month, El Colombiano reports.
· According to the National Planning Department, the poverty index in Colombia dropped from 52,7% to 49,2% in 2005. However, while the number of poor people significantly decreased in the cities, it rose in the countryside due to lack of employment and the eradication of coca crops. The report was criticised by Carlos Gonzalez, president of the Trade Union Confederation (CUT), who said its results do not represent reality, El Colombiano reports.
· The NGO Human Rights Watch criticises the decree that regulates the Justice and Peace Law, saying it will not help dismantle economic and political paramilitary networks. While presenting its 2005 annual report, the organisation also stated that the decree will make it possible for guerrilla members and common criminals to be released without serving their sentences, El Tiempo reports.
· 3,000 armed troops are deployed in the Macarena National Park for the start of the manual eradication programme. “Operation Macarena” is expected to last three months and, if successful, will be the largest eradication effort in the history of Colombia, with more than 11,000 acres of coca crops cleared. 900 peasants will take part in the programme, supported by police officers and UN observers, AP reports.
· The High Commissioner for Peace Restrepo admits that the reinsertion of demobilised paramilitaries has failed, due to a lack of governmental collaboration with the private sector. The government has just appointed Julia Gutierrez de Pińeres to improve the scheme, El Colombiano reports.
Colombia This Week is a news summary produced and distributed by ABColombia Group. Sources include daily Colombian, US, European and Latin American newspapers, and reports from non-governmental organisations and the UN System. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the ABColombia Group.
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