A court of Bangkok rejected this weekend the dossier that Colombia presented to favor the extradition of the presumed Russian drug and arms dealer Viktor Bout to the United States. The Thai judge alleged that the request was out of term, but included in the American appeal a complaint of Bout, known as the Merchant of Death. (more…)
On 2009/06/28, In Conflict, By Albeiro Rodas
The article by WSJ’s journalist Mary Anastasia O’Grady, “The FARC’s Ecuadorean Friends” published on June 22, attracted the attention and wrath of Ecuadorean president Rafeal Correa. The reason is understandable: O’Grady takes the Colombian position that the Correa government is friendly with the Farc because of evidence allegedly found on the late Reyes’ computer. President Correa reacted strongly against this claim to the media and The Wall Street Journal. He accused the American newspaper of a campaign of disinformation orchestrated by Colombia against Ecuador. (more…)
On 2009/02/26, In Conflict, By Albeiro Rodas
The Organization of the American States condemned the mass killing of indigenous of the Awa people in Colombia under the action of the Farc guerrilla this month. OAS asked also to Farc the devolution of the corps in a tragic event that began when a group of that guerrilla executed several persons at the beginning stating that they were “informants of the army.” The international organization of the Western-hemisphere nations asked also investigations and actions to punish this crime against human rights.
The OAS Colombian ambassador, Camilo Ospina, thanked the firm act of condemnation of what he called a mad action in the mass killing of the Awa people, an indigenous group that lives at the southwest of Colombia, in a jungle and undeveloped zone of the Nariño State and at the west of San Juan de Pasto.
Last 18th February, the General Secretary of OAS, the Chilean José Miguel Insulza, expressed his condemnation against the action of the Farc guerrillas against a group of Awa indigenous. After the killing, Farc expressed that they were “executed” because they were helping the army. But the Colombian government concluded that the action was a way to “clean” the jungle territory as a “path” to move cocaine. (more…)
On 2009/02/23, In Conflict, By Albeiro Rodas
Awa children - Photo ONIC
Indigenous authorities of Colombia and Ecuador gave an ultimatum to Farc
A new strong condemnation to Farc rose this month after the communist guerrilla declared that some indigenous persons of the Awa communities have been executed because “they were spies of the army“.
Awa is the name of an ancestral people of the southwest of Colombia, near the boarder with Ecuador, in Nariño State. To know the level of development of the Awa people is easy: it is enough to know that this month they were victims of an authentic mass killing. The authorities and the army, willing to reach the place of the events, had to wait, because roads were in bad conditions and the guerrillas planted mines in the area. Short after Farc announced that the executions was done “not because they were indigenous, but because they were collaborators of the army” and, thus, “actors in the conflict.”
The announcement was, of course, an excellent element in the campaign of propaganda against Farc guerrillas, although it was forgotten very quickly that, for example, troops of the army killed last December Edwin Legarda, the husband of Aida Quilcue Vivas, top leader of the Indigenous Regional Council of Cauca (CRIC). (more…)
On 2009/02/09, In Culture, By Albeiro Rodas
Juanes, Grammy best pop album "La vida es un ratico", dedicated to the hostages of the Farc guerrillas.
“La vida es un ratico” (The Life is Just a Moment), was the Juanes´ song to be awarded with the best pop album Grammy. The Colombian composer and singer dedicated it to the hostages of the Farc guerrilla. The Argentinian producer Gustavo Santaolalla received the Grammy in the name of Juanes. Santaolalla was the producer of the album and said in the event that Juanes inspired people as an artists and as a person.
Juanes could not be present at the ceremony, but he thanked through his official website. He manifested that he wanted to dedicate the recognition to all those persons who are in the forest far from freedom and the hope of all Colombians for their release.
The Mexican Jaguares got also the Grammy for the album “45″ of 45 minutes and he dedicated also the prize to the million of Mexicans who live in extreme poverty. (more…)
Alan Hara, former governor of the State of Meta, released after seven years kidnapped by Farc. The only way for peace is negotiation, he said. Photo caracol.com
Former governor of Meta released
Farc is not defeated, said Hara
Negotiated solution, only way, said Hara
The former governor of the State of Meta, Alan Jara, was released by Farc, according to the promise of that guerrilla. Jara was kidnapped by Farc on 15th July 2001 when he was inaugurating a bridge in Lejanias town, Meta. He was with some members of the United Nations. He said that he had to cross for days the then demilitarized area of Caguán. Then, he was interviewed by Jorge Briceño Suárez, known as Mono Jojoy, who told him that he was in the list of politicians to be interchange with the government. Jara said in his first press conference that it is urgent to follow a humanitarian interchange in order to get the release of all hostages. (more…)
On 2009/01/31, In Conflict, By Albeiro Rodas
Ingrid Betancourt by Haro
Medellín | ColPass. Colombians wait that this coming Sunday the Farc guerrillas will release six of the hostages according to their promise on 21rst of December. “We wait to know that six of those persons hold by the guerrilla, are free. It is like they belong to our own family“, said a mother of family in Medellín.
At the same time, the government of president Álvaro Uribe announced in Switzerland that if Farc demobilizes, free all the hostages and enter into civil life, they will have guaranteed on freedom and recompense. (more…)
The promise of the Farc guerrillas to free some of the hostages at the beginning of January, met a month already. The guerrillas communicated on 21rst of December that they would release some of the hostages as a proof of their willing of a dialogue of peace and a humanitarian interchange. They said also that the release will be done through a group of Colombian intellectuals leaded by Senator Piedad Córdoba. But this month of waiting has been only of debates. (more…)
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