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The War of a Thousand Days was fought between the Liberal and Conservative parties to determine the amount of power that the central government should have After a short span of peace, a radical Liberal president was elected who passed reforms that angered the conservatives This new time of war was called La Violencia ws/southamerica/colombia/ /Mass- desertions-from-FARC-as-Colombia- government-seeks-to-end-conflict.html
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By Nas & Steph
Colombia: Drug Wars
History (6) Since Colombia gained its (1)
independence from Spain in 1819, the country has been plagued by (2) economic inequality and weak governments
(3) Civil war has mainly been fought between the Guerillas and the Paramilitaries, which are unofficial armies
The armies have used the growth, processing, and distribution of the coca leaf (cocaine) to gain more wealth and membership starting in the 1980’s
http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.southamr.colombia.php
Origins (6) The War of a Thousand Days
was fought between the Liberal and Conservative parties to determine the amount of power that the central government should have
After a short span of peace, a radical Liberal president was elected who passed reforms that angered the conservatives
This new time of war was called La Violencia
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/colombia/3537081/Mass-desertions-from-FARC-as-Colombia-government-seeks-to-end-conflict.html
La Violencia (6) During this time, peasants united
in order to fight powerful landowners These peasants fought in guerilla-
style warfare The Colombian army
overpowered these peasants, leading them to flee their homes and form (4) independent republics
Plan LASO (Latin American Security Operation) was used to try and crush the peasant groups
These groups became dedicated to attacking the government and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) was formed
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/colombia/4582404/Indigenous-Colombians-massacred-in-cocaine-region-by-Farc.html
Drugs & The FARC (5) The illegal drug trade has
strengthened the FARC The FARC protects the drug
lords in order to gain wealth and advanced military equipment
The MAS (Muerte a Secuestadores a.k.a. “Death to Kidnappers”) was formed in order to protect the drug lords and their families from kidnapping
http://www.zmescience.com/medicine/mind-and-brain/cocaine-rat-study-1002201/
Drugs & The Economy (4) Today, Colombia produces 80%
of the world’s cocaine and 60% of the United States’ heroin
Drug earnings remain a source of income for very few citizens
The economy and (5) infrastructure is constantly challenged by illegal drug trading and violence
The (6) unemployment rate is around 11% and (7) poverty remains a serious issue
The FARC considers themselves (8) Marxisthttp://actioncenter.crs.org/site/
MessageViewer?em_id=13001.0&autologin=true&AddInterest=1101
Obstacles (6) The FARC has stated that they
will cease their violence if the government addresses their grievances
If the government fumigates the cropland for drugs, nothing will be able to grow and Colombia’s agriculture will be ruined
Due to the FARC’s relationship with the drug lords, the group has better artillery and more money than the government, allowing them to continue fighting
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/2100051/Venezuelas-Hugo-Chavez-ends-support-of-Farc-rebels.html
Recent Developments (2)(3) Within the past month, the
FARC leader Oliver Solarte was killed during an attack on rebel positions near the Colombia/Ecuador border Colombian President Santos
said the death was an “important blow” to the group
Hugo Chavez has also publically announced that Venezuela’s support of the FARC has ended
In recent years, the FARC has lost about half its fighters and many of its top commanders (1)
http://wmaracaibo.com/?p=21534
Regional Implications (6) Because the FARC is so
unpredictable, many civilians have been hurt or killed
Even if not physically attacked, Colombians are suffering due to damage inflicted on schools, roads, and sewage systems
Coca farming is illegal, so the farmers use a “slash and burn” technique which pollutes the air
Drug processing labs dump waste into the rivers and streams which people use for drinking water
http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/shawnsmith/southamerica-05/1127519220/dscn0887.jpg/tpod.html
Global Implications (6) Coca farming and the
destruction of these farms has ruined many rainforests, which contributes to global warming
The independent armies in Colombia have formed ties with many international terrorist groups
Many international citizens depend on Colombia for its drug production, making it extremely difficult for the government to stop the FARC
http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0508-01.htm
Possible Solutions At this point, there does not
appear to be a certain solution to the problems in Colombia
Without the drug trade, Colombia’s economy and infrastructure would likely collapse
The only foreseeable solution would be for the Colombian government to kill or arrest all FARC troops– a feat that may prove to be impossible
The government needs strengthening in order to overpower the drug lords
http://www.france24.com/en/20081212-colombia-extradites-drug-boss-us-
Correlation to AP Geo This is a conflict that affects
the growth and decline of the Colombian population
It involves human decision-making in the face of regional and global conflicts
This conflict heavily impacts the land and physical environment while also shaping the cultural environment
The FARC conflict also impacts the government and the standard of living in Colombia
http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=50&contentid=5173
1. BBC. (2011, February 11). Colombia's FARC rebels release two more hostages. Retrieved April 9, 2011, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ world-latin-america-12437860
2. BBC. (2011, March 15). Colombia FARC 'drug boss' Oliver Solarte killed. Retrieved April 8, 2011, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/ world-latin-america-12754846
3. CNN. (2011, March 16). Colombia military kills FARC leader. Retrieved April 8, 2011, from http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-16/world/ colombia.farc_1_farc-leader-rebel-leader-drug-trafficking?_s=PM:WORLD
4. CultureGrams. (2011). Colombia. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://online.culturegrams.com/world/ world_country.php?contid=7&wmn=South_America&cid=35&cn=Colombia
5. GlobalSecurity.org. (2011). Revolutionary armed forces of Colombia. Retrieved April 9, 2011, from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/ farc.htm
6. World Conflicts Today. (n.d.). World Conflicts Today: Colombia. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from http://www.worldconflictstoday.com/ index.php?page_id=231&menu_id=231&page=landing
References