Declassified U.S. documents show that the CIA and former U.S. ambassadors were fully aware, as far back as 1990, that the military in Colombia – the third largest recipient of U.S. aid after Israel and Egypt – were committing extrajudicial killings as part of “death squad tactics.”
Showing all posts tagged Columbia
The Colombian danger
The recent release of hostages in Colombia, including famed political candidate Ingrid Betancourt, was an international story. But how much do we know about the case, what was the real role of the US-backed Colombian dictatorship and how willing was the Western media to be spun? Al Jazeera reports (and features my friend and colleague…
Some Latin American therapy
Australian writer Matthew Thompson – whose book My Colombian Death is a cracking read on the troubles in that country – today examines in the Sydney Morning Herald the political realities of the US-backed “democracy”: Perhaps President Uribe is the man to keep leading Colombia away from the failed-state status it flirted with in the…
My Colombian Death
A great new work is released in Australia today. My Colombian Death is the first book by former Sydney Morning Herald journalist Matthew Thompson (the launch was last night in Sydney, all photos here.) It tells the story of Thompson, a 30-something man with a wife and newly born child, who feels dissatisfied with the…
Abuser needs help
What to do as a US-backed dictatorship in Latin America? Colombia has only one option: The Colombian government — which is dogged by controversy over its human rights record — is seeking help from British PR firms to help promote a “modern” image amongst journalists and politicians. Colombia’s deputy head of mission in the UK,…
How to define terrorism?
FARC, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia, recently released two hostages held for years in captivity (then promptly kidnapped tourists days later.) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has called for the group to be removed from the global terrorist list, but unsurprisingly the US isn’t biting. Paul Wolf is an an attorney based in Washington, DC.…