The State of Columbia

international | miscellaneous | opinion/analysis Thursday July 03, 2003 15:02 by Yossarian

Increasing militarisation, repression and murder of union activists, privatisation. These appear to be the policies of the Colombian 'democratically elected' government according the the article below.

There have been many recent posts by somebody claiming to have on the ground experience of Colombia and who continually praises the Colombian government, including its leader, Uribe, for their actions.
The article at the link describes some recent iniatives from Uribe such as forcing union activists to be protected [from the state supported paramilitaries] by bodyguards appointed by the state. In the week following that decision, three union activists were murdered. Another initiative from the Colombian 'democratically elected' government is a tutoring programme for union activists, where they are removed from their place of work and refused permission to return. There is also the small matter of privatising the state telephone and oil companies and the repression of indigenous, afro-Colombians and peasants who are living on land earmarked for the development of natural resources [mining, oil drilling, etc] and "megaprojects" [dams, superhighways, I guess].
None of these repressive policies have anything to do with the FARC but the result is the same as their approach to the FARC rebels, terror and death.