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4 episodes with revolutionary armed forces
3 episodes with revolutionary armed forces
3 episodes with revolutionary armed forces
2 episodes with revolutionary armed forces
2 episodes with revolutionary armed forces
2 episodes with revolutionary armed forces
2 episodes with revolutionary armed forces
2 episodes with revolutionary armed forces
4 episodes with revolutionary armed forces
Marc Gonsalves is an American who was held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) from February 13th, 2003 to July 2nd, 2008. A former imagery analyst in the U.S. Air Force, Marc was working as a civilian military contractor on a drug surveillance mission in Colombia when his single-engine plane crashed in the jungle. Upon being swiftly captured by the FARC, Marc would go on to live as an active hostage alongside fellow contractors Tom Howes and Keith Stansell for the next five years. In July 0f 2008, Marc, Tom, and Keith would be rescued in Operation Jaque by the Colombian Security Forces. For their ordeal, all three men were awarded the Secretary of Defense Medal for the Defense of Freedom on March 12th, 2009. Since then, Marc has co-written the book 'Out of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle' with Tom and Keith, detailing their experiences as hostages. ---------- Support Marc Gonsalves- Get Your Copy of Marc's Book 'Out of Captivity: Surviving 1,967 Days in the Colombian Jungle' at https://www.amazon.com/Out-Captivity-Surviving-Colombian-Jungle/dp/0061769533 The Reformed Mindset Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@ReformedMindset Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/marc.gonsalves Twitter / X - https://x.com/marc_gonsalves ---------- TEAM DOG FOOD, TREATS & SUPPLEMENTS Be Your Dog's Hero: Veteran-owned by a former Navy SEAL and Special Operations K9 Trainer, Team Dog provides a complete diet of science-backed premium dog food, treats, and supplements to optimize your dog's health, forged from rigorous standards and real-world expertise. https://www.teamdog.shop TEAM DOG ONLINE TRAINING Mike Ritland – a former Navy SEAL & Special Operations K9 trainer – shares his simple and effective dog training program to build trust and control with your dog. Based on Mike's bestselling book “Team Dog, Train the Navy SEAL Way”, join tens of thousands of families that successfully trained their way to a better dog. https://www.teamdog.pet SHOP ALL THE MIKE RITLAND BRANDS Get all your Mike Ritland branded gear - Mike Drop | Trikos | Team Dog https://shop.mikeritland.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nearly a decade has passed since the Colombian government signed a peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the Farc, the largest left-wing guerrilla group in Latin America. Thousands of Farc fighters came out of their jungle and mountain hideouts, handed in their weapons, and returned to civilian life. The state has helped them reintegrate into the workforce, find jobs, and start businesses, so how has that process gone? We talk to former members of the Farc who spent years in the guerrilla organisation and in jail, who are now doing jobs like beekeeping and selling beer. How have they found the transition? And we hear from a woman whose mother was kidnapped by the Farc, and who questions why the state is spending so much time and money on former members of a group that committed terrible atrocities. If you would like to get in touch with the show, please email: businessdaily@bbc.co.ukPresented and produced by Gideon Long(Picture: View of bottles of craft beer made by former Farc rebels. Credit: Getty Images)
In 2016, the Colombian government signed a historic peace agreement with guerilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, also known as FARC. The agreement brought an end to 52 years of war, but today, eight years after the agreement was ratified, Colombia is still not at peace. In this episode, Dr Nafees Hamid and Dr Andrés Casas discuss the motivations of guerilla group members in Colombia, public attitudes towards the 2016 peace agreement, and how behavioural science can facilitate peacebuilding efforts. This research is being undertaken as part of a project called XCEPT, which is funded by UK International Development from the UK government; however, the views expressed do not necessarily reflect the UK government's official policies. XCEPT aims to understand the drivers of violent and peaceful behaviour in conflict-affected populations – and to find solutions that support peace. Find out more about XCEPT at xcept-research.org.
Dive into the impact on women, girls, and children of Bukele's mass imprisonment. We are joined by Juanita Goebertus Estrada who is the Director of the American Division at Human Rights Watch. She tells us about:The corruption in El SalvadorThe history of El Salvador's politicians with the gangsHow human rights are currently being infringedHow the Supreme Court was overruledWhat Juanita's thoughts are on transnational justiceAnd much much more. Tune in now!Juanita Goebertus Estrada is the Director of the American Division at Human Rights Watch. Between 2018 and 2022, Juanita was a Congresswoman in Colombia, dedicating her term to the implementation of the Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Previously, she was head of the transitional justice group at the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace during the Havana Peace Talks, advisor to the National Security Advisor of Colombia, advisor to the Undersecretary of Defence of Colombia, and deputy director of the Institute for Integrated Transitions. Juanita holds BAs in Law and Political Science from the Universidad de Los Andes (Colombia) and an LLM from Harvard Law School.The International Risk Podcast is a weekly podcast for senior executives, board members, and risk advisors. In these podcasts, we speak with experts in a variety of fields to explore international relations. Our host is Dominic Bowen, Head of Strategic Advisory at one of Europe's leading risk consulting firms. Dominic is a regular public and corporate event speaker, and visiting lecturer at several universities. Having spent the last 20 years successfully establishing large and complex operations in the world's highest-risk areas and conflict zones, Dominic now joins you to speak with exciting guests around the world to discuss international risk.The International Risk Podcast – Reducing risk by increasing knowledge.Follow us on LinkedIn for all our great updates.Tell us what you liked!
"Plan Colombia" was a United States foreign aid and military assistance program that aimed to address various issues in Colombia, primarily focusing on countering drug trafficking, promoting economic development, and improving security. The plan was initiated in the late 1990s and continued into the early 2000s. Here is a summary of its key elements:Background: Plan Colombia emerged in response to Colombia's longstanding issues with drug production and trafficking, armed conflict involving guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and human rights abuses. The United States became concerned about the impact of drug trade on its own citizens and the stability of Colombia.Counter-Drug Efforts: A significant portion of Plan Colombia's funding was allocated to combat the production and distribution of illegal drugs, particularly cocaine and heroin. This involved eradicating coca and poppy crops, interdicting drug shipments, and supporting alternative livelihood programs for farmers involved in drug production.Security Assistance: The plan also provided military and law enforcement aid to the Colombian government to help them combat insurgent groups like the FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN). This assistance included training, equipment, and logistical support to strengthen the Colombian armed forces.Human Rights Concerns: Plan Colombia faced criticism for alleged human rights abuses by Colombian security forces, including extrajudicial killings and displacement of civilians. Some critics argued that U.S. military assistance indirectly supported these abuses.Economic and Social Development: A portion of the plan's funding was directed towards promoting economic and social development in Colombia. This included initiatives to strengthen democratic institutions, reduce poverty, and improve access to education and healthcare.Successes and Controversies: Plan Colombia achieved some successes in reducing coca cultivation and drug-related violence. However, it was also criticized for not fully addressing the root causes of conflict and for being overly focused on military solutions.Legacy: Plan Colombia had a lasting impact on Colombia's security and drug policy landscape. It evolved over time and influenced subsequent U.S. policies in the region. It also had implications for regional geopolitics and relations between the United States and Latin American countries.After all that money and all that blood, more cocaine is now being produced than ever before. In this episode, we dive in!(commercial at 10:41)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Colombian coca crops, used to make cocaine, at an all-time high last year, UN says | Fox News
More than 100 people have been killed and over 50,000 displaced in violence that has erupted in north-east Colombia, near its border with Venezuela. The scale and nature of the violence -- described by President Gustavo Petro as “war crimes” -- has prompted the government to declare “a state of internal commotion” and a “state of economic emergency”. Media reports indicate that the violence was due to rivalry between the guerrilla group National Liberation Army (or ELN), and remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (oo FARC), and the fight apparently was over control of coca plantations and the drug trade. UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres has called for “immediate cessation of acts of violence against the civilian population”. But the strife in Colombia is one of the longest civil wars in Latin America. What do the different parties in the conflict really want? Do they have political goals or are they fighting for control over the drugs trade? What are the options before President Petro, with regard to bringing lasting peace to his country? We speak with Santiago Rodriguez, a Bogota-based journalist with La Silla Vacia, a Colombian news website.
Interview with retired DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Dante SorianelloYears of Service: 1987-2022In 1987, Dante was hired by the DEA. After graduating from the DEA Academy, Dante was assigned to the San Diego office where he investigated clandestine methamphetamine laboratories, money laundering including the Green Ice initiative, and was assigned to the gang task force.Dante was deployed to South America where he served under Operation Snowcap destroying cocaine laboratories and clandestine airstrips.During his career, Dante was assigned Tuscon, AZ, Bogata, Colombia, Midland and San Antonio, Texas as well as DEA Headquarters. Dante was also part of the DEA Jungle Group where he focused on an investigation into the FARC also known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia fought a guerrilla war against Colombia's government - as well as against right wing militias and drug cartels - for over four decades before signing a peace treaty in 2016 and then dissolving in 2017, though splinter faction known as The Dissidents still prowls the jungles. As the FARC were coming up, another violent group in Colombia hellbent on taking over territory was also growing: the country's infamous drug cartels. In this episode, we're joined by longtime cartel correspondent and frequent guest, author Toby Muse to detail the history of the FARC and what exactly was their role in Colombia's cocaine trade. Toby is the author of Kilo: Life and Death Inside the Secret World of the Cocaine Cartels Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
"Plan Colombia" was a United States foreign aid and military assistance program that aimed to address various issues in Colombia, primarily focusing on countering drug trafficking, promoting economic development, and improving security. The plan was initiated in the late 1990s and continued into the early 2000s. Here is a summary of its key elements:Background: Plan Colombia emerged in response to Colombia's longstanding issues with drug production and trafficking, armed conflict involving guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and human rights abuses. The United States became concerned about the impact of drug trade on its own citizens and the stability of Colombia.Counter-Drug Efforts: A significant portion of Plan Colombia's funding was allocated to combat the production and distribution of illegal drugs, particularly cocaine and heroin. This involved eradicating coca and poppy crops, interdicting drug shipments, and supporting alternative livelihood programs for farmers involved in drug production.Security Assistance: The plan also provided military and law enforcement aid to the Colombian government to help them combat insurgent groups like the FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN). This assistance included training, equipment, and logistical support to strengthen the Colombian armed forces.Human Rights Concerns: Plan Colombia faced criticism for alleged human rights abuses by Colombian security forces, including extrajudicial killings and displacement of civilians. Some critics argued that U.S. military assistance indirectly supported these abuses.Economic and Social Development: A portion of the plan's funding was directed towards promoting economic and social development in Colombia. This included initiatives to strengthen democratic institutions, reduce poverty, and improve access to education and healthcare.Successes and Controversies: Plan Colombia achieved some successes in reducing coca cultivation and drug-related violence. However, it was also criticized for not fully addressing the root causes of conflict and for being overly focused on military solutions.Legacy: Plan Colombia had a lasting impact on Colombia's security and drug policy landscape. It evolved over time and influenced subsequent U.S. policies in the region. It also had implications for regional geopolitics and relations between the United States and Latin American countries.After all that money and all that blood, more cocaine is now being produced than ever before. In this episode, we dive in!to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Colombian coca crops, used to make cocaine, at an all-time high last year, UN says | Fox News
Fighters from dissident armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to glorify their lives as guerrillas and recruit youngsters. These armed groups did not like the terms of a peace treaty negotiated between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government in 2016, and they kept fighting against the Colombian government. Videos glorifying life inside the guerrilla: money, cars, guns, women, community and purpose, have struck a chord with teens, particularly in rural areas like the Cauca region in west Colombia. So how popular are these TikToks and what does it mean for Colombia?
Fighters from dissident armed groups in Colombia are using TikTok to glorify their lives as guerrillas and recruit youngsters.These armed groups didn't like the terms of a peace treaty negotiated between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the government in 2016, and they kept fighting against the Colombian government. These groups make their money from illegal businesses.Their videos have struck a chord with teens, particularly in rural areas like the Cauca region in west Colombia. Although not all the videos actively offer jobs, there are hundreds showing off what they portray as a slice of life inside the guerrilla: money, cars, guns, women, community and purpose. They do not emphasise the dangers associated with the lifestyle. So how popular are these TikToks and what does it mean for Colombia that there's tonnes of them, easily found by young people with smartphones across the country?Presenter: Laura Garcia and Rachelle Krygier Producer: Jonathan Griffin Studio Manager: Annie Gardiner Editor: Flora Carmichael Music: Bloque Occidental - Carlos Carrillo
How do stories give new perspectives to conflict and peace? In this episode, we speak with Juanita Vélez, a journalist and political scientist. She was the editor of La Silla Sur, a regional subsidiary of Colombian news website La Silla Vacía, focused on covering the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement in southern Colombia. She researches and writes journalistic stories on illegal armed groups, deforestation, and organized crime. She is also the author of A War Later, (Spanish: Una Guerra Después) a journalistic book that tells the stories of five Colombians impacted by the Peace Agreement made between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (the FARC). The book focuses not just on the former FARC combatants but also tells the stories of victims, military personnel, and government officials that weren't covered in the broader news at the time. We discuss the framework of the peace agreement, the impacts of implementation, and the how Vélez built trust within communities to facilitate her journalism.Watch the Pearson Institute's talk featuring Juanita Vélez on YouTube here.You can find more information on A War Later here.This podcast is produced in partnership with the Pearson Institute for the Study and Resolution of Global Conflicts. For more information, please visit their website at ThePearsonInstitute.orgAccess the transcript here.Podcast Production Credits:Interviewing: Paula Cadena Moreno and Hannah BalikciEditing: Nishita KarunProduction: Hannah Balikci
"Plan Colombia" was a United States foreign aid and military assistance program that aimed to address various issues in Colombia, primarily focusing on countering drug trafficking, promoting economic development, and improving security. The plan was initiated in the late 1990s and continued into the early 2000s. Here is a summary of its key elements:Background: Plan Colombia emerged in response to Colombia's longstanding issues with drug production and trafficking, armed conflict involving guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and human rights abuses. The United States became concerned about the impact of drug trade on its own citizens and the stability of Colombia.Counter-Drug Efforts: A significant portion of Plan Colombia's funding was allocated to combat the production and distribution of illegal drugs, particularly cocaine and heroin. This involved eradicating coca and poppy crops, interdicting drug shipments, and supporting alternative livelihood programs for farmers involved in drug production.Security Assistance: The plan also provided military and law enforcement aid to the Colombian government to help them combat insurgent groups like the FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN). This assistance included training, equipment, and logistical support to strengthen the Colombian armed forces.Human Rights Concerns: Plan Colombia faced criticism for alleged human rights abuses by Colombian security forces, including extrajudicial killings and displacement of civilians. Some critics argued that U.S. military assistance indirectly supported these abuses.Economic and Social Development: A portion of the plan's funding was directed towards promoting economic and social development in Colombia. This included initiatives to strengthen democratic institutions, reduce poverty, and improve access to education and healthcare.Successes and Controversies: Plan Colombia achieved some successes in reducing coca cultivation and drug-related violence. However, it was also criticized for not fully addressing the root causes of conflict and for being overly focused on military solutions.Legacy: Plan Colombia had a lasting impact on Colombia's security and drug policy landscape. It evolved over time and influenced subsequent U.S. policies in the region. It also had implications for regional geopolitics and relations between the United States and Latin American countries.After all that money and all that blood, more cocaine is now being produced than ever before. In this episode, we dive in!(commercial at 10:41)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Colombian coca crops, used to make cocaine, at an all-time high last year, UN says | Fox News
"Plan Colombia" was a United States foreign aid and military assistance program that aimed to address various issues in Colombia, primarily focusing on countering drug trafficking, promoting economic development, and improving security. The plan was initiated in the late 1990s and continued into the early 2000s. Here is a summary of its key elements:Background: Plan Colombia emerged in response to Colombia's longstanding issues with drug production and trafficking, armed conflict involving guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and human rights abuses. The United States became concerned about the impact of drug trade on its own citizens and the stability of Colombia.Counter-Drug Efforts: A significant portion of Plan Colombia's funding was allocated to combat the production and distribution of illegal drugs, particularly cocaine and heroin. This involved eradicating coca and poppy crops, interdicting drug shipments, and supporting alternative livelihood programs for farmers involved in drug production.Security Assistance: The plan also provided military and law enforcement aid to the Colombian government to help them combat insurgent groups like the FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN). This assistance included training, equipment, and logistical support to strengthen the Colombian armed forces.Human Rights Concerns: Plan Colombia faced criticism for alleged human rights abuses by Colombian security forces, including extrajudicial killings and displacement of civilians. Some critics argued that U.S. military assistance indirectly supported these abuses.Economic and Social Development: A portion of the plan's funding was directed towards promoting economic and social development in Colombia. This included initiatives to strengthen democratic institutions, reduce poverty, and improve access to education and healthcare.Successes and Controversies: Plan Colombia achieved some successes in reducing coca cultivation and drug-related violence. However, it was also criticized for not fully addressing the root causes of conflict and for being overly focused on military solutions.Legacy: Plan Colombia had a lasting impact on Colombia's security and drug policy landscape. It evolved over time and influenced subsequent U.S. policies in the region. It also had implications for regional geopolitics and relations between the United States and Latin American countries.After all that money and all that blood, more cocaine is now being produced than ever before. In this episode, we dive in!(commercial at 11:12)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Colombian coca crops, used to make cocaine, at an all-time high last year, UN says | Fox NewsBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.
It's 2008 and Columbian presidential hopeful Ingrid Betancourt and three US nationals have been held hostage by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) for over five years. They are considered “VIP hostages" by the militant organisation. With numerous rescue attempts of other hostages ending in disaster, the Columbia and US governments are reluctant to make a move. But then one young intelligence analyst has a radical idea. What if they devised a plan that relied not on guns and bullets, but on audacious deception instead? If they can pull it off, it will rank among the greatest hostage rescues in history. If they can't, no one will live to tell the tale. A Sony Music Entertainment production. Find more great podcasts from Sony Music Entertainment at sonymusic.com/podcasts and follow us @sonypodcasts To bring your brand to life in this podcast, email podcastadsales@sonymusic.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Paula Delgado-Kling takes us inside the drug trade in Colombia, where her brother was kidnapped for ransom in this episode of the Lean to the Left podcast.It's difficult for most of us to comprehend the cruelty of those who control the drug trade in Colombia and the unspeakable suffering often endured by young people who become ensnared in their illegal activities.In this episode, Delgado-Kling takes us to her homeland, where she examines the life of a young Colombian girl who became a child soldier in the guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, or the FARC.It's all in her new book, “Leonor, the Story of a Lost Childhood,” which she'll share with us in the episode ahead.Paula Delgado-Kling holds degrees in comparative literature/French civilizations, international affairs, and creative writing from Brown University, Columbia University, and The New School, respectively. Leonor, for which she received two grants from the Canadian Council for the Arts, is her first book.Born in Bogota, Colombia and raised in Toronto, Canada, Delgado-Kling now resides in New York City.For her book, Paula followed Leonor for 19 years, from just after she became an active FARC member forced into sexual slavery by a commander 34 years her senior, through her rehabilitation and struggle with booze and drugs, to her more recent days as the mother of two girls.“Leonor” will be published Jan. 23 and is available for pre-order now from Amazon and on her website, www.PaulaDelgadoKling.com.You can meet Paula and attend her readings both in New York City and Coral Gables, Florida. Her first appearance is Tuesday, Jan 23 - 6-7:30 pm at Shakespeare & Co - 2020 Broadway, Upper West Side, NYC. Then on Sunday, Jan. 28 Paula will be at Books & Books 265 Aragon Av, Coral Gables, Florida, starting at 4 p.m.Here are some key questions we discussed with Paula: You're from Colombia, what was your childhood like there?Why did you leave Colombia?How did personal experiences in Colombia inform your book about Leonor?How and when did you meet “Leonor?” She is a real person, right?What can be done to prevent children from joining guerilla groups in Colombia?How and why has Colombia failed children?Why should we in America care?What can be done to curtail the drug trade in Colombia and its influx into the U.S.?I've had guests on this podcast who have called for legalization of all drugs, from pot, to cocaine, to heroin, essentially saying it's virtually impossible to control and is resulting in unfair prison sentences and overcrowding of our prisons. How do you feel about that?What do you hope to achieve with your book?Tell people where they can find your book and how they can reach out to you as the author.
Paula Delgado-Kling takes us inside the drug trade in Colombia, where her brother was kidnapped for ransom in this episode of the Lean to the Left podcast.It's difficult for most of us to comprehend the cruelty of those who control the drug trade in Colombia and the unspeakable suffering often endured by young people who become ensnared in their illegal activities.In this episode, Delgado-Kling takes us to her homeland, where she examines the life of a young Colombian girl who became a child soldier in the guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, or the FARC.It's all in her new book, “Leonor, the Story of a Lost Childhood,” which she'll share with us in the episode ahead.Paula Delgado-Kling holds degrees in comparative literature/French civilizations, international affairs, and creative writing from Brown University, Columbia University, and The New School, respectively. Leonor, for which she received two grants from the Canadian Council for the Arts, is her first book.Born in Bogota, Colombia and raised in Toronto, Canada, Delgado-Kling now resides in New York City.For her book, Paula followed Leonor for 19 years, from just after she became an active FARC member forced into sexual slavery by a commander 34 years her senior, through her rehabilitation and struggle with booze and drugs, to her more recent days as the mother of two girls.“Leonor” will be published Jan. 23 and is available for pre-order now from Amazon and on her website, www.PaulaDelgadoKling.com.You can meet Paula and attend her readings both in New York City and Coral Gables, Florida. Her first appearance is Tuesday, Jan 23 - 6-7:30 pm at Shakespeare & Co - 2020 Broadway, Upper West Side, NYC. Then on Sunday, Jan. 28 Paula will be at Books & Books 265 Aragon Av, Coral Gables, Florida, starting at 4 p.m.Here are some key questions we discussed with Paula: You're from Colombia, what was your childhood like there?Why did you leave Colombia?How did personal experiences in Colombia inform your book about Leonor?How and when did you meet “Leonor?” She is a real person, right?What can be done to prevent children from joining guerilla groups in Colombia?How and why has Colombia failed children?Why should we in America care?What can be done to curtail the drug trade in Colombia and its influx into the U.S.?I've had guests on this podcast who have called for legalization of all drugs, from pot, to cocaine, to heroin, essentially saying it's virtually impossible to control and is resulting in unfair prison sentences and overcrowding of our prisons. How do you feel about that?What do you hope to achieve with your book?Tell people where they can find your book and how they can reach out to you as the author.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-lean-to-the-left-podcast--4719048/support.
"Plan Colombia" was a United States foreign aid and military assistance program that aimed to address various issues in Colombia, primarily focusing on countering drug trafficking, promoting economic development, and improving security. The plan was initiated in the late 1990s and continued into the early 2000s. Here is a summary of its key elements:Background: Plan Colombia emerged in response to Colombia's longstanding issues with drug production and trafficking, armed conflict involving guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and human rights abuses. The United States became concerned about the impact of drug trade on its own citizens and the stability of Colombia.Counter-Drug Efforts: A significant portion of Plan Colombia's funding was allocated to combat the production and distribution of illegal drugs, particularly cocaine and heroin. This involved eradicating coca and poppy crops, interdicting drug shipments, and supporting alternative livelihood programs for farmers involved in drug production.Security Assistance: The plan also provided military and law enforcement aid to the Colombian government to help them combat insurgent groups like the FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN). This assistance included training, equipment, and logistical support to strengthen the Colombian armed forces.Human Rights Concerns: Plan Colombia faced criticism for alleged human rights abuses by Colombian security forces, including extrajudicial killings and displacement of civilians. Some critics argued that U.S. military assistance indirectly supported these abuses.Economic and Social Development: A portion of the plan's funding was directed towards promoting economic and social development in Colombia. This included initiatives to strengthen democratic institutions, reduce poverty, and improve access to education and healthcare.Successes and Controversies: Plan Colombia achieved some successes in reducing coca cultivation and drug-related violence. However, it was also criticized for not fully addressing the root causes of conflict and for being overly focused on military solutions.Legacy: Plan Colombia had a lasting impact on Colombia's security and drug policy landscape. It evolved over time and influenced subsequent U.S. policies in the region. It also had implications for regional geopolitics and relations between the United States and Latin American countries.After all that money and all that blood, more cocaine is now being produced than ever before. In this episode, we dive in!(commercial at 10:41)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Colombian coca crops, used to make cocaine, at an all-time high last year, UN says | Fox NewsThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5003294/advertisement
"Plan Colombia" was a United States foreign aid and military assistance program that aimed to address various issues in Colombia, primarily focusing on countering drug trafficking, promoting economic development, and improving security. The plan was initiated in the late 1990s and continued into the early 2000s. Here is a summary of its key elements:Background: Plan Colombia emerged in response to Colombia's longstanding issues with drug production and trafficking, armed conflict involving guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and human rights abuses. The United States became concerned about the impact of drug trade on its own citizens and the stability of Colombia.Counter-Drug Efforts: A significant portion of Plan Colombia's funding was allocated to combat the production and distribution of illegal drugs, particularly cocaine and heroin. This involved eradicating coca and poppy crops, interdicting drug shipments, and supporting alternative livelihood programs for farmers involved in drug production.Security Assistance: The plan also provided military and law enforcement aid to the Colombian government to help them combat insurgent groups like the FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN). This assistance included training, equipment, and logistical support to strengthen the Colombian armed forces.Human Rights Concerns: Plan Colombia faced criticism for alleged human rights abuses by Colombian security forces, including extrajudicial killings and displacement of civilians. Some critics argued that U.S. military assistance indirectly supported these abuses.Economic and Social Development: A portion of the plan's funding was directed towards promoting economic and social development in Colombia. This included initiatives to strengthen democratic institutions, reduce poverty, and improve access to education and healthcare.Successes and Controversies: Plan Colombia achieved some successes in reducing coca cultivation and drug-related violence. However, it was also criticized for not fully addressing the root causes of conflict and for being overly focused on military solutions.Legacy: Plan Colombia had a lasting impact on Colombia's security and drug policy landscape. It evolved over time and influenced subsequent U.S. policies in the region. It also had implications for regional geopolitics and relations between the United States and Latin American countries.After all that money and all that blood, more cocaine is now being produced than ever before. In this episode, we dive in!(commercial at 10:41)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Colombian coca crops, used to make cocaine, at an all-time high last year, UN says | Fox NewsThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5080327/advertisement
"Plan Colombia" was a United States foreign aid and military assistance program that aimed to address various issues in Colombia, primarily focusing on countering drug trafficking, promoting economic development, and improving security. The plan was initiated in the late 1990s and continued into the early 2000s. Here is a summary of its key elements:Background: Plan Colombia emerged in response to Colombia's longstanding issues with drug production and trafficking, armed conflict involving guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and human rights abuses. The United States became concerned about the impact of drug trade on its own citizens and the stability of Colombia.Counter-Drug Efforts: A significant portion of Plan Colombia's funding was allocated to combat the production and distribution of illegal drugs, particularly cocaine and heroin. This involved eradicating coca and poppy crops, interdicting drug shipments, and supporting alternative livelihood programs for farmers involved in drug production.Security Assistance: The plan also provided military and law enforcement aid to the Colombian government to help them combat insurgent groups like the FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN). This assistance included training, equipment, and logistical support to strengthen the Colombian armed forces.Human Rights Concerns: Plan Colombia faced criticism for alleged human rights abuses by Colombian security forces, including extrajudicial killings and displacement of civilians. Some critics argued that U.S. military assistance indirectly supported these abuses.Economic and Social Development: A portion of the plan's funding was directed towards promoting economic and social development in Colombia. This included initiatives to strengthen democratic institutions, reduce poverty, and improve access to education and healthcare.Successes and Controversies: Plan Colombia achieved some successes in reducing coca cultivation and drug-related violence. However, it was also criticized for not fully addressing the root causes of conflict and for being overly focused on military solutions.Legacy: Plan Colombia had a lasting impact on Colombia's security and drug policy landscape. It evolved over time and influenced subsequent U.S. policies in the region. It also had implications for regional geopolitics and relations between the United States and Latin American countries.After all that money and all that blood, more cocaine is now being produced than ever before. In this episode, we dive in!(commercial at 10:41)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Colombian coca crops, used to make cocaine, at an all-time high last year, UN says | Fox NewsThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5080327/advertisement
"Plan Colombia" was a United States foreign aid and military assistance program that aimed to address various issues in Colombia, primarily focusing on countering drug trafficking, promoting economic development, and improving security. The plan was initiated in the late 1990s and continued into the early 2000s. Here is a summary of its key elements:Background: Plan Colombia emerged in response to Colombia's longstanding issues with drug production and trafficking, armed conflict involving guerrilla groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and human rights abuses. The United States became concerned about the impact of drug trade on its own citizens and the stability of Colombia.Counter-Drug Efforts: A significant portion of Plan Colombia's funding was allocated to combat the production and distribution of illegal drugs, particularly cocaine and heroin. This involved eradicating coca and poppy crops, interdicting drug shipments, and supporting alternative livelihood programs for farmers involved in drug production.Security Assistance: The plan also provided military and law enforcement aid to the Colombian government to help them combat insurgent groups like the FARC and the National Liberation Army (ELN). This assistance included training, equipment, and logistical support to strengthen the Colombian armed forces.Human Rights Concerns: Plan Colombia faced criticism for alleged human rights abuses by Colombian security forces, including extrajudicial killings and displacement of civilians. Some critics argued that U.S. military assistance indirectly supported these abuses.Economic and Social Development: A portion of the plan's funding was directed towards promoting economic and social development in Colombia. This included initiatives to strengthen democratic institutions, reduce poverty, and improve access to education and healthcare.Successes and Controversies: Plan Colombia achieved some successes in reducing coca cultivation and drug-related violence. However, it was also criticized for not fully addressing the root causes of conflict and for being overly focused on military solutions.Legacy: Plan Colombia had a lasting impact on Colombia's security and drug policy landscape. It evolved over time and influenced subsequent U.S. policies in the region. It also had implications for regional geopolitics and relations between the United States and Latin American countries.After all that money and all that blood, more cocaine is now being produced than ever before. In this episode, we dive in!to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:Colombian coca crops, used to make cocaine, at an all-time high last year, UN says | Fox NewsThis show is part of the Spreaker Prime Network, if you are interested in advertising on this podcast, contact us at https://www.spreaker.com/show/5003294/advertisement
As India welcomes the world's biggest economies for the G20 meeting this September, we look at the role that food might play in top level discussions. Food diplomacy is increasingly seen as a form of ‘soft power' that can help build bridges and find common ground. In this programme Devina Gupta speaks to chef Arun Sundaraj, who is leading the catering teams at the Taj Palace Hotel in Delhi which is hosting many of the G20 delegates. She visits the Colombian embassy in London to hear from the country's ambassador about the role food played during vital peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as FARC. Devina also travels to Glasgow in Scotland to share a plate of haggis with Scotland's national chef, Gary Maclean and Lauren Bernstein, founder and CEO of The Culinary Diplomacy Project in the United States, explains why governments are looking to hire culinary experts to aid in diplomacy. Presented by Devina Gupta. Produced by Rumella Dasgupta. (Image: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden raise two wine glasses in a toast. Credit: Getty Images/ The Washington Post/ BBC).
In 2016, Flaviu Georgescu was found guilty and sentenced of attempting to traffic weapons to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, an insurgent group on the U.S. terror list. But when he was arrested by Drug Enforcement Administration agents, he told the officials he was working for the CIA. This week on Intercepted, Trevor Aaronson, contributing writer with The Intercept, joins host Murtaza Hussain to discuss Georgescu's case. In the second season of Aaronson's podcast, "Alphabet Boys," Aaronson tells the story of the DEA operation against Georgescu and how he was targeted by a paid DEA informant. Georgescu, however, had reported the attempted arms trafficking to the CIA and believed he was collecting intelligence for the agency. Aaronson and Hussain discuss their reporting on the case and how the U.S. government may be manufacturing the very crimes they claim to stop. The second season of "Alphabet Boys" is out now.If you'd like to support our work, go to theintercept.com/join — your donation, no matter what the amount, makes a real difference.And if you haven't already, please subscribe to the show so you can hear it every week. And please go and leave us a rating or a review — it helps people find the show. If you want to give us feedback, email us at Podcasts@theintercept.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Estefanía Rebellón is the co-founder and Executive Director of Yes We Can World Foundation, a female-led nonprofit organization that believes every child has the right to education and safe spaces regardless of their location, current legal status or economic background. Yes We Can World Foundation created and operates the Yes We Can Mobile Schools program. The program is recognized as the first full-time bilingual education program for migrant children at the U.S.-Mexico border. This innovative program addresses the academic and emotional needs of refugees, migrants and children in transit. Since July 2019 the Yes We Can Mobile Schools program has directly impacted the lives of over 2,000 children. Rebellón was a refugee from Cali, Colombia whose life was changed forever at the age of ten when she and her family were forced to flee their home due to death threats by the Colombian rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Rebellón and her family moved to Miami, FL where they were granted asylum, later becoming permanent residents, then U.S. citizens after ten years. Rebellón moved to Los Angeles, CA to pursue her already budding career as an actress. Her work includes a role on the television show “Jane The Virgin,” hosting red carpet coverage for multiple Spanish media outlets and multiple features in national commercials and films. She starred in and co-directed the film “On The Other Side” which focuses on the story of Lupe and her migration journey to the United States. As an up- and-coming actress and humanitarian Rebellón is a champion and advocate for authentic Latin representation in the media and entertainment industry. In 2023 Rebellón was recognize as “Woman of the Year” by the Women's March LA Foundation. During the COVID-19 pandemic Rebellón was recognized as a “Hero of the Pandemic” by the Los Angeles Times for leading efforts at Yes We Can World Foundation to provide thousands of personal protective equipment kits for migrant children and their families. Rebellón has also been recognized as an “Unstoppable Woman” by Telemundo/NBC, a “Local Hero” by Zoomin and has been nominated for the "Alfonso Garcia Robles Humanitarian Award” by Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) for the defense, promotion, protection and guarantee of human rights for immigrant people who are in a condition of vulnerability. Rebellón's work has been featured in NPRs Morning Edition Show, Los Angeles Times, the New York Post, TIME for Kids and Global Citizen as well as in numerous ethnic media outlets.Instagram:@estefaniarebellon@yeswecanwf @thisisabouthumanity @immdef_lawcenterLINKS:https://www.yeswecan.world/https://filmfreeway.com/projects/1696197. www.thisisabouthumanity.com www.immdef.org www.citizensofsound.comwww.howcanihelppod.com www.mysaintmyhero.com DISCOUNT CODE: HOWIHELP
Journalist and author Antony Loewenstein joins the "Unauthorized Disclosure" podcast to discuss his new book, The Palestine Laboratory: How Israel Exports Exports the Technology of Occupation Around the World. The book from Verso Books will be published on May 23, and it comprehensively documents how Israel's military industrial complex uses the occupied Palestinian territories as a testing ground for the development of weapons and surveillance technology. In our interview, Antony describes the impact Israeli military support and weapons have had on populations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. He specifically highlights the alliance Colombia formed with the Israeli military in a brutal war against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or the FARC. Social media companies, as Antony details, do not like Palestinians. He tells us about some of the ways in which Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, etc, censor Palestinians.
This book carries out a multidisciplinary analysis of different aspects of the peace process between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army (FARC-EP), as well as the challenges of early implementation of the agreement reached in 2016. The authors of Excombatientes y acuerdo de paz en Colombia address practical issues regarding reintegration, implementation of peace agreements, and transition situations related to ex-combatants. They analyze the political reintegration process, the role of international cooperation and the private sector, the responses of groups such as youth, and also the institutional adjustments that this early stage has implied. Thanks to the thematic diversity, approaches, and methodologies, Dr. Erin McFee and Dr. Angelika Rettberg achieve a complementary and pertinent look at this incredible narrative in light of the challenges that the peace process implies for the formulation of public policies in Colombia. This work is aimed at academics and professionals in peacebuilding, reintegration, and transitional interventions and policies, but anyone interested in peace processes or Colombia will find this work both enlightening and inspiring. Connor Christensen is a graduate student at the University of Chicago, pursuing both an MPP at the Harris School of Public Policy and an MA at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Prior to his current studies he served five years in the US Navy and studied History at Saint Louis University's Madrid, Spain campus. His work focuses on the reintegration process of veterans of the military and non-state armed groups in contexts spanning the US, Colombia, Afghanistan, Somalia, and beyond. He is a staff writer for the Chicago Policy Review and a contributing researcher at Trust after Betrayal. He welcomes collaboration, so feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or at his email, ctchristensen@uchicago.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science
This book carries out a multidisciplinary analysis of different aspects of the peace process between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army (FARC-EP), as well as the challenges of early implementation of the agreement reached in 2016. The authors of Excombatientes y acuerdo de paz en Colombia address practical issues regarding reintegration, implementation of peace agreements, and transition situations related to ex-combatants. They analyze the political reintegration process, the role of international cooperation and the private sector, the responses of groups such as youth, and also the institutional adjustments that this early stage has implied. Thanks to the thematic diversity, approaches, and methodologies, Dr. Erin McFee and Dr. Angelika Rettberg achieve a complementary and pertinent look at this incredible narrative in light of the challenges that the peace process implies for the formulation of public policies in Colombia. This work is aimed at academics and professionals in peacebuilding, reintegration, and transitional interventions and policies, but anyone interested in peace processes or Colombia will find this work both enlightening and inspiring. Connor Christensen is a graduate student at the University of Chicago, pursuing both an MPP at the Harris School of Public Policy and an MA at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Prior to his current studies he served five years in the US Navy and studied History at Saint Louis University's Madrid, Spain campus. His work focuses on the reintegration process of veterans of the military and non-state armed groups in contexts spanning the US, Colombia, Afghanistan, Somalia, and beyond. He is a staff writer for the Chicago Policy Review and a contributing researcher at Trust after Betrayal. He welcomes collaboration, so feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or at his email, ctchristensen@uchicago.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
This book carries out a multidisciplinary analysis of different aspects of the peace process between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army (FARC-EP), as well as the challenges of early implementation of the agreement reached in 2016. The authors of Excombatientes y acuerdo de paz en Colombia address practical issues regarding reintegration, implementation of peace agreements, and transition situations related to ex-combatants. They analyze the political reintegration process, the role of international cooperation and the private sector, the responses of groups such as youth, and also the institutional adjustments that this early stage has implied. Thanks to the thematic diversity, approaches, and methodologies, Dr. Erin McFee and Dr. Angelika Rettberg achieve a complementary and pertinent look at this incredible narrative in light of the challenges that the peace process implies for the formulation of public policies in Colombia. This work is aimed at academics and professionals in peacebuilding, reintegration, and transitional interventions and policies, but anyone interested in peace processes or Colombia will find this work both enlightening and inspiring. Connor Christensen is a graduate student at the University of Chicago, pursuing both an MPP at the Harris School of Public Policy and an MA at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Prior to his current studies he served five years in the US Navy and studied History at Saint Louis University's Madrid, Spain campus. His work focuses on the reintegration process of veterans of the military and non-state armed groups in contexts spanning the US, Colombia, Afghanistan, Somalia, and beyond. He is a staff writer for the Chicago Policy Review and a contributing researcher at Trust after Betrayal. He welcomes collaboration, so feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or at his email, ctchristensen@uchicago.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/latin-american-studies
This book carries out a multidisciplinary analysis of different aspects of the peace process between the Colombian Government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - People's Army (FARC-EP), as well as the challenges of early implementation of the agreement reached in 2016. The authors of Excombatientes y acuerdo de paz en Colombia address practical issues regarding reintegration, implementation of peace agreements, and transition situations related to ex-combatants. They analyze the political reintegration process, the role of international cooperation and the private sector, the responses of groups such as youth, and also the institutional adjustments that this early stage has implied. Thanks to the thematic diversity, approaches, and methodologies, Dr. Erin McFee and Dr. Angelika Rettberg achieve a complementary and pertinent look at this incredible narrative in light of the challenges that the peace process implies for the formulation of public policies in Colombia. This work is aimed at academics and professionals in peacebuilding, reintegration, and transitional interventions and policies, but anyone interested in peace processes or Colombia will find this work both enlightening and inspiring. Connor Christensen is a graduate student at the University of Chicago, pursuing both an MPP at the Harris School of Public Policy and an MA at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies. Prior to his current studies he served five years in the US Navy and studied History at Saint Louis University's Madrid, Spain campus. His work focuses on the reintegration process of veterans of the military and non-state armed groups in contexts spanning the US, Colombia, Afghanistan, Somalia, and beyond. He is a staff writer for the Chicago Policy Review and a contributing researcher at Trust after Betrayal. He welcomes collaboration, so feel free to reach out on LinkedIn or at his email, ctchristensen@uchicago.edu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of The Bald Brad Show, Griner, who has a criminal record in the U.S. stemming from a domestic violence incident several years ago, was arrested in Russia back in February on drug charges, charges to which she pled guilty. In exchange for Griner, Biden released Bout, a Russian weapons trafficker who was convicted on terrorism charges back in 2011 for trying to sell tens of millions of dollars worth of missiles to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for the purpose of shooting down U.S. Military helicopters.
In late November 2022, fighting killed at least 18 in a rural area of the Putumayu province in South west Colombia, near to the borders with Ecuador and Peru. It involved two dissident groups of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC for short. It has reignited tensions in an internal armed conflict which has spanned six decades, despite the government and FARC signing a peace agreement back in 2016. Their origins go back to Cold War times, when there was high instability in the country. Even before that, there had been a bloody civil war between 1948 and 1953, which was known as La Violencia. It started when popular Liberal presidential candidate Jorge Eliecer Gaitan was assassinated in 1948. How did the FARC organisation start out? Why did they turn to violence? How did the peace process start? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions! To listen to the latest episodes, click here: Why is 'permacrisis' the new dictionary word of the year? Is it dangerous if I get heart palpitations? Why do we get great ideas in the shower? A Bababam Originals podcast, written and produced by Joseph Chance. In partnership with upday UK. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shamster, Paula Davidson, and Supreme Commander and Dear Leader of the People's Revolutionary Armed Forces of the Podregation Chase sit down to sign off for a while. JOIN THE DISCORD https://discord.gg/qwVrhzXH Shama: https://linktr.ee/shama4realz PD: http://bit.ly/pdbach Chase: https://linktr.ee/chasebridges --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/churchstories/message Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/churchstories/support
Five years ago, the government of Colombia signed a historic peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known as the FARC, putting an end to a fifty-year civil war. The agreement allowed FARC members to turn in their weapons and begin to live as civilians. The Colombian Truth Commission was established to shed light on decades of atrocities and human rights violations that were committed during the war. This summer the Truth Commission released its full report. Over 1,000 people worked on it, interviewing 24,000 Colombians. And in August, Gustavo Petro – a former guerilla combatant, and a vocal proponent of the peace agreement – took office as President. Our guest this episode, Daniel Salgar, served as editor for the first volume of the Truth Commission Report, which focuses on Colombia's history. Salgar is a journalist who's worked in national and international media in Colombia for the past ten years. He was a reporter and editor at the newspaper El Espectador, where he oversaw a project on peacebuilding called Colombia 2020. He was editor and director of the Spanish news service for Anadalou, a Turkish international news agency. He teaches Journalism, Conflicts, and Migration at Externado University in Bogota.Daniel counts himself among a generation of journalists who spent most of their careers covering peace efforts. With the Truth Commission report and the historic election, Daniel is optimistic about peace in Colombia, despite ongoing violence in the country. Follow Daniel Salgar on Twitter: @DanielSalgar1View the Colombia Truth Commission Report (in Spanish) Read Daniel Salgar's interview with former FARC leader Timochenco (in English)Read Daniel's analysis piece on drug policy in Colombia (in Spanish) Explore the peacebuilding journalism project Colombia 2020 (in Spanish)Watch the documentary “A Call for Peace” for an intimate look inside the process leading up to the 2016 Colombian peace accord between the government and the FARC: vimeo.com/305983614. Enter password peace2019.Listen to our podcast interview with the film's director, Juan Carlos Borrero, on the episode “A Filmmaker's Perspective on the Colombian Peace Process.” Special thanks to Juan Carlos for connecting us with Daniel! Making Peace Visible is a project of War Stories Peace Stories. Our mission is to bring journalists and peacebuilders together to re-imagine the way the news media covers peace and conflict, and to facilitate expanded coverage of global peace and reconciliation efforts. Join the conversation on Twitter: @warstoriespeace. Visit our website: warstoriespeacestories.orgMaking Peace Visible is hosted by Jamil Simon, and produced by Andrea Muraskin.Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions, Phil Larson, Meavy Boy, Podington Bear, and Pianobook
Colombian President Gustavo Petro introduced a new tax reform proposal to Congress that is expected to finance the ambitious programs and policies he hopes will transform the country. The move by the country's first leftist leader was the first step to fulfilling his promise to millions of Colombians. Maydany Salcedo, who advises the administration on drug policy, believes Petro can bring the much-awaited peace, expected from a 2016 treaty between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the government.
In Proscribing Peace: How Listing Armed Groups as Terrorists Hurts Negotiations (Manchester UP, 2021), Dr. Sophie Haspeslagh offers a systematic examination of the impact of proscription on peace negotiations. With rare access to actors during the Colombian negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia People's Army (FARC), Dr. Haspeslagh shows how proscription makes negotiations harder and more prolonged. By introducing the concept of 'linguistic ceasefire', Dr. Haspeslagh adds to our understanding of the timing and sequencing of peace processes in the context of proscription. Linguistic ceasefire has three main components: first, recognise the conflict; second, discard the 'terrorist' label, and third, uncouple the act and the actor. These measures remove the symbolic impact of proscription, even where de-listing is not possible ahead of negotiations. With relevance for more than half of the conflicts around the world in which an armed group is listed as a terrorist organisation, 'linguistic ceasefire' helps to explain why certain conflicts remain stuck in the 'terrorist' framing, while others emerge from it. International proscription regimes criminalise both the actor and the act of terrorism. The book calls for an end to the amalgamation between acts and actors. By focussing on the acts instead, Dr. Haspeslagh argues, international policy would be better able to consider the violent actions both of armed groups and those of the state. By separating the act and the actor, change - and thus peace - become possible. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network
In Proscribing Peace: How Listing Armed Groups as Terrorists Hurts Negotiations (Manchester UP, 2021), Dr. Sophie Haspeslagh offers a systematic examination of the impact of proscription on peace negotiations. With rare access to actors during the Colombian negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia People's Army (FARC), Dr. Haspeslagh shows how proscription makes negotiations harder and more prolonged. By introducing the concept of 'linguistic ceasefire', Dr. Haspeslagh adds to our understanding of the timing and sequencing of peace processes in the context of proscription. Linguistic ceasefire has three main components: first, recognise the conflict; second, discard the 'terrorist' label, and third, uncouple the act and the actor. These measures remove the symbolic impact of proscription, even where de-listing is not possible ahead of negotiations. With relevance for more than half of the conflicts around the world in which an armed group is listed as a terrorist organisation, 'linguistic ceasefire' helps to explain why certain conflicts remain stuck in the 'terrorist' framing, while others emerge from it. International proscription regimes criminalise both the actor and the act of terrorism. The book calls for an end to the amalgamation between acts and actors. By focussing on the acts instead, Dr. Haspeslagh argues, international policy would be better able to consider the violent actions both of armed groups and those of the state. By separating the act and the actor, change - and thus peace - become possible. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/latin-american-studies
In Proscribing Peace: How Listing Armed Groups as Terrorists Hurts Negotiations (Manchester UP, 2021), Dr. Sophie Haspeslagh offers a systematic examination of the impact of proscription on peace negotiations. With rare access to actors during the Colombian negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia People's Army (FARC), Dr. Haspeslagh shows how proscription makes negotiations harder and more prolonged. By introducing the concept of 'linguistic ceasefire', Dr. Haspeslagh adds to our understanding of the timing and sequencing of peace processes in the context of proscription. Linguistic ceasefire has three main components: first, recognise the conflict; second, discard the 'terrorist' label, and third, uncouple the act and the actor. These measures remove the symbolic impact of proscription, even where de-listing is not possible ahead of negotiations. With relevance for more than half of the conflicts around the world in which an armed group is listed as a terrorist organisation, 'linguistic ceasefire' helps to explain why certain conflicts remain stuck in the 'terrorist' framing, while others emerge from it. International proscription regimes criminalise both the actor and the act of terrorism. The book calls for an end to the amalgamation between acts and actors. By focussing on the acts instead, Dr. Haspeslagh argues, international policy would be better able to consider the violent actions both of armed groups and those of the state. By separating the act and the actor, change - and thus peace - become possible. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/military-history
In Proscribing Peace: How Listing Armed Groups as Terrorists Hurts Negotiations (Manchester UP, 2021), Dr. Sophie Haspeslagh offers a systematic examination of the impact of proscription on peace negotiations. With rare access to actors during the Colombian negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia People's Army (FARC), Dr. Haspeslagh shows how proscription makes negotiations harder and more prolonged. By introducing the concept of 'linguistic ceasefire', Dr. Haspeslagh adds to our understanding of the timing and sequencing of peace processes in the context of proscription. Linguistic ceasefire has three main components: first, recognise the conflict; second, discard the 'terrorist' label, and third, uncouple the act and the actor. These measures remove the symbolic impact of proscription, even where de-listing is not possible ahead of negotiations. With relevance for more than half of the conflicts around the world in which an armed group is listed as a terrorist organisation, 'linguistic ceasefire' helps to explain why certain conflicts remain stuck in the 'terrorist' framing, while others emerge from it. International proscription regimes criminalise both the actor and the act of terrorism. The book calls for an end to the amalgamation between acts and actors. By focussing on the acts instead, Dr. Haspeslagh argues, international policy would be better able to consider the violent actions both of armed groups and those of the state. By separating the act and the actor, change - and thus peace - become possible. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/political-science
In Proscribing Peace: How Listing Armed Groups as Terrorists Hurts Negotiations (Manchester UP, 2021), Dr. Sophie Haspeslagh offers a systematic examination of the impact of proscription on peace negotiations. With rare access to actors during the Colombian negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia People's Army (FARC), Dr. Haspeslagh shows how proscription makes negotiations harder and more prolonged. By introducing the concept of 'linguistic ceasefire', Dr. Haspeslagh adds to our understanding of the timing and sequencing of peace processes in the context of proscription. Linguistic ceasefire has three main components: first, recognise the conflict; second, discard the 'terrorist' label, and third, uncouple the act and the actor. These measures remove the symbolic impact of proscription, even where de-listing is not possible ahead of negotiations. With relevance for more than half of the conflicts around the world in which an armed group is listed as a terrorist organisation, 'linguistic ceasefire' helps to explain why certain conflicts remain stuck in the 'terrorist' framing, while others emerge from it. International proscription regimes criminalise both the actor and the act of terrorism. The book calls for an end to the amalgamation between acts and actors. By focussing on the acts instead, Dr. Haspeslagh argues, international policy would be better able to consider the violent actions both of armed groups and those of the state. By separating the act and the actor, change - and thus peace - become possible. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/national-security
In Proscribing Peace: How Listing Armed Groups as Terrorists Hurts Negotiations (Manchester UP, 2021), Dr. Sophie Haspeslagh offers a systematic examination of the impact of proscription on peace negotiations. With rare access to actors during the Colombian negotiations with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia People's Army (FARC), Dr. Haspeslagh shows how proscription makes negotiations harder and more prolonged. By introducing the concept of 'linguistic ceasefire', Dr. Haspeslagh adds to our understanding of the timing and sequencing of peace processes in the context of proscription. Linguistic ceasefire has three main components: first, recognise the conflict; second, discard the 'terrorist' label, and third, uncouple the act and the actor. These measures remove the symbolic impact of proscription, even where de-listing is not possible ahead of negotiations. With relevance for more than half of the conflicts around the world in which an armed group is listed as a terrorist organisation, 'linguistic ceasefire' helps to explain why certain conflicts remain stuck in the 'terrorist' framing, while others emerge from it. International proscription regimes criminalise both the actor and the act of terrorism. The book calls for an end to the amalgamation between acts and actors. By focussing on the acts instead, Dr. Haspeslagh argues, international policy would be better able to consider the violent actions both of armed groups and those of the state. By separating the act and the actor, change - and thus peace - become possible. This interview was conducted by Dr. Miranda Melcher whose doctoral work focused on post-conflict military integration, understanding treaty negotiation and implementation in civil war contexts, with qualitative analysis of the Angolan and Mozambican civil wars. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over the last fifteen years Colombia has moved from ostensibly failed state to emerging market and tourist destination, providing Nobel-endorsed evidence that peace and reconciliation are possible after decades of brutalization. But while Colombia may no longer be the country that former president Ernesto Samper described in 2002, where governing was like trying to pilot an airplane in a storm while the passengers were rioting, neither is it the wonderland depicted in official propaganda. Many Colombians live badly; many more, well into the nominal middle class, live precariously; and still more structure their lives around minimizing their chances of falling victim to crime—something the poorest are unable to do. Unhappiness about the present and pessimism about the future are rampant across the social scale, focused precisely on those themes the Juan Manuel Santos government (2010–2018) touted as successes: the peace process, “social inclusion,” and infrastructure and public services. Much can be blamed on the administration of President Ivan Duque and the continual spectre of uribismo in addition to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Colombia may be more governable than it used to be, but not because the passengers are happier with the pilot—with the qualified (and to many Colombians highly suspicious) exception of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Tune in for a profound historical and amusing anecdotal look at Colombia through the eyes and experience of an expert Latin Americanist. Dr. Richard Stoller is Coordinator of Academic Advising and International Programs, Schreyer Honors College, Pennsylvania State University. Colombia news brief from journalist Emily Hart.
Ep. No. 63 — Kidnapped and held hostage by drug kingpin Pablo Escobar revealed the best and worst of humanity / Francisco Santos Calderón, former Vice President of Colombia and former Colombian Ambassador to the United States. For months, Pablo Escobar, notorious head of the Medellín drug cartel and journalist Francisco Santos Calderon — one of his fiercest critics in the press, had been playing a dangerous cat and mouse game. Escobar was intent on kidnapping Santos — then the Editor-in-Chief of El Tiempo, Colombia's largest and most influential publication — and other journalists, as a bargaining chip to prevent extradition to the United States to stand trial for his murderous greed. Santos, tipped off to Escobar's intentions, had been changing his travel routes and work routines constantly to evade the cartel kingpin's henchmen. But on September 19, 1990, Santos was riding home from work in his bulletproof vehicle when the unthinkable happened. His car was surrounded by gunmen who killed his driver and kidnapped Santos who was one of 10 journalists and elites held hostage by Escobar that year. He was chained to a bed and held for eight months before being released. Santos was just 30 years old when Escobar snatched him off the streets. He was lucky to be alive. Between 1980 and 2000, nearly 180 journalists were killed for speaking up against the drug cartels. Santos would launch a highly successful campaign to reduce the epidemic of kidnappings in Colombia. He left the country for two years to avoid getting assassinated by the Marxist-Leninist guerilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), after getting tipped off by the CIA about FARC's intentions. He worked at El País the most prominent newspaper in Spain. Santos eventually was elected to serve two terms as Colombia's Vice President under President Álvaro Uribe. He subsequently also served as the Colombian Ambassador to the United States under President Donald J. Trump from 2018 - 2020. Santos is now wearing his journalist hat again. He's highlighting the precarious political situation in Venezuela, and speaking out about Russia, China, and Iran, which he views as the unholy trifecta threatening the stability of geopolitics today. In 1996, he and his nine kidnapped compatriots became the characters in “News of a Kidnapping,” the English-language non-fiction book by famed Colombian novelist and Nobel Prize for Literature winner, Gabriel García Márquez. The book was originally published in Spanish the year before as “Noticia de un Secuestro.'' Santos declined to co-author “News of a Kidnapping” with Márquez, which he now says was “a very stupid decision on his part” but he later relented and spoke with Márquez over several days for the book. Apart from Márquez and the journalists Santos spoke with after his release, in the nearly-32 years since his kidnapping, he has not shared his story at all in detail. Don't miss this riveting episode of “When It Mattered.” Thanks for Listening. If you liked this episode, please check out these other episodes: Ep. 61 - Heroism, activism, reconciliation with nature / Jerry White, Nobel laureate, landmine survivor Ep. 14 - Terrifying robbery and kidnapping reveals what truly matters in life / Stanley Alpert, Attorney Ep. 20 - Brought back to life, undertook new mission / Frank Shankwitz, Make-A-Wish Foundation
Friend of the podcast Zeyad el Nabolsy (@ZNabolsy) returns to guest host this episode with Ayesha Umaña Dajud (@AyeshaUmanaD) on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People's Army (FARC) and the prospects for peace in Colombia. A preview of the latest bonus episode. Get access to it and hours and hours of bonus content by signing up at the $5 level. *You're gonna be noticing more paywalled content going forward. As much as I want more people to listen for free, recent changes in my life require me to start pushing the Patreon more. Unfortunately, this means the occasional passive aggressive addenda like this one reminding you, dear listener, that I have been doing this show alone for almost 4 years and I get no sponsorships or outside help. I rely on normal people like you to keep going so if you can donate, please do! It will make a big difference for me and let me keep making this content.*
What were the "false positives or falsos positivos? Adriaan Alsema of Colombia Reports joins us on this "explainer" episode. This is the name given to the killings of young men - mainly from humble families - carried out by the Colombian army to inflate numbers of "neutralized" guerrilla combatants during the long-running conflict. The Colombian army's aim was to pass them off as left-wing rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) to boost its kill rate and give the impression it was winning the armed conflict against the group. This past week, several members of the Armed Forces guilty of this heinous crime stood before family members of those killed in a hearing hosted by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP, which was created as a result of the 2016 peace accords) in the town of Ocaña, Norte de Santander. The JEP is designed to pursue transitional and restorative justice and the military officials confirmed their participation in the practice known as false positives from luring out of work young men from Bogotá, Soacha, Bucaramanga and other regions of Colombia, to areas of conflict with the promise of work. This hearing, which was televised, has revealed just a tiny percentage of the crimes committed which has resulted in 6,402 confimed assassinations of civilians so far during the mid-2000s. Tune in to hear about the False Positives, the hearing and what may happen next.
On Sunday, March 13 Colombians voted for a new congress and also cast ballots in presidential primaries to choose party candidates for the May presidential contest.As opinion polls had indicated, leftist Senator. Gustavo Petro emerged as the current leader in the race for the presidency. With nearly all votes counted, he won the primary for the Historical Pact, a coalition of left-wing parties, with 80% of the more than 5.4 million votes cast in its primary.Team Colombia, a coalition of conservative groups, drew 3.9 million voters to its primary, which was won by Federico Gutierrez, a former mayor of Medellin who has criticized some aspects of the 2016 peace deal with Revolutionary Armed Forces of ColombiaA group of centrist parties known as the Hope Coalition got 2 million voters in its primary, which was won by mathematician and former Mayor of Medellin Sergio Fajardo, who also ran in the 2018 presidential election.Joining us today live from Colombia is physician, university professor, writer, humanitarian worker and journalist Victor Currea-LugoIn partnership with Friends of Latin America, Massachusetts Peace Action and Task Force on the Americas, original broadcasts of WTF is Going on in Latin America & the Caribbean can be viewed every Wednesday at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET on CODEPINK YouTube Live
SHOW NOTES Kit McCarty invites Deann Alford to tell the miraculous story of a former hostage who helped broker peace and bring freedom in the war-torn country of Colombia. SHOW QUOTES I'm called to write. My mandate is moving people to pray, give, go, take action, listen to God, and do what He says. Obeying God is a risk. I don't want to miss my destiny by holding back. I do not want to miss out on what He created me to do. We're not here to play it safe. If God tells you to do something, do it. I'm going to do whatever it is. What is Jesus calling you to do? It is something you won't be able to do without Him. It's scary. God is always asking HIs people to take a risk. Do it terrified. Trust him. Trust God with your very life. If peace can come to the world's darkest places, it can happen anywhere. Period. There is no place where Jesus can not go.”REFERENCES Victorious: The Impossible Path to Peace Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=victorious+alford&crid=ACHUMBLOS1DI&sprefix=victorious+alford%2Caps%2C110&ref=nb_sb_noss_1 Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/victorious-deann-alford/1140505677?ean=2940165080043 Open Door International: http://www.opendoorintl.com/ Ray Rising: https://www.amazon.com/Guerrilla-Hostage-Dramatic-Colombian-Captivity/dp/0800756932 Wycliffe Bible Translators https://www.wycliffe.org/ YWAM https://ywam.org Prison Fellowship https://prisonfellowship.org FARC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Armed_Forces_of_Colombia CONTACT INFO Facebook: https://facebook.com/deann.alford.16 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeannAlford Amazon: https://amzn.to/1jrs8DsProduction Now I See: https://linktr.ee/nowisee/ Headset Radio: https://linktr.ee/headsetradio
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (known as the FARC) were formed in 1964, and for over half a century they were locked in a gruelling, bloody struggle with Colombia's government. During this time, the Colombian authorities attempted to use the national football team as a means of unifying its citizens against the perceived threat of the FARC. In this episode, Peter Watson joins us to discuss how successive Colombian presidents presented the FARC as the significant Other threatening a sense of national unity - symbolising what he calls ‘Narco-lombia': the darker, notorious world of drug trafficking, violence, and criminality. For decades, the FARC was also associated with Communism; early on in the national football team's history, a draw with the Soviet Union in the 1962 World Cup was heralded as a triumph over Colombia's Communist foes, with one magazine describing the draw as ‘the most glorious page of Colombian sport in history'. In later years, Colombia's political and criminal feuds had a direct and sinister impact on events on the football pitch; Andrés Escobar, who scored an own goal during Colombia's World Cup campaign in 1994, was murdered by men with cartel links on his return to Colombia, a tragedy that rocked the footballing world. 20 years later, as a new national narrative was emerging during peace negotiations between the FARC and the government, President Juan Manuel Santos was using football as a bridge and means of conciliation to incorporate the FARC back into the idea of a national ‘us'. How did drug cartels infiltrate Colombian football? How did the Colombian government undermine the guerillas using football? How optimistic should we be about Colombia's future? ...all this and more in the 36th episode of the Football and Society podcast. *** If you like the podcast, please subscribe and give us a review via your platform of choice. Follow us on Twitter: www.twitter.com/footballsocpod *** Each week, Ash, Chris and Norman explore societal issues through the lens of the beautiful game. From the ethics of gambling sponsorship to what a stadium move means for fans, we'll be covering it all each week with expert guests from the worlds of sports journalism and sociology.
Mohammad Marandi, professor of English literature and Orientalism at the University of Tehran, joins us to talk about the ongoing negotiations in Vienna revolving around reviving the 2015 JCPOA nuclear deal with diplomats from Iran and the JCPOA countries of China, France, Germany, Russia, and the United Kingdom. We talk about the U.S. presence in the meeting, which is negotiating “indirectly,” what influence it could have with other actors in the negotiations, and how its refusal to return to the terms of the deal it signed and then reneged on is the main obstacle to overcoming this impasse. Angela Arias Zapata, educator, researcher, and PhD candidate in media, culture, and communication at New York University, joins us to talk about the news that the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia is being removed from the U.S. terror list after having signed a peace agreement years ago and becoming a political party. We talk about the difficulties in reintegrating its members into civic society after a right wing government rose to power, which has put roadblocks to the implementation of the peace deal, and how this move by the U.S. could signal better fortunes for their political party.Margaret Kimberley, editor and senior columnist at Black Agenda Report and author of the book "Prejudential: Black America and the Presidents," joins the Misfits to talk about the Pentagon once again going to investigate an airstrike in Syria in 2019 that killed dozens of women and children, whether anything will come out of it, reports of decreasing drone strikes in the region and whether this is a positive trend that will continue, as well as the Supreme Court hearing the Mississippi abortion case that could set a precedent for reproductive rights in the U.S. Femi Ayanbadejo, certified nutritionist, human performance expert, NASA technology transfer partner, and founder and CEO of HealthReel, talks to us about MLB using both juiced and de-juiced balls in the 2021 season, and a likely lockout after the collective bargaining agreement between the Major League Players Association and MLB expires today.
Germany has one of the lowest vaccination rates in Western Europe. The country is now edging closer to mandatory vaccines for the coronavirus with lawmakers set to vote on the issue before the end of the year. And, five years ago, Colombia's government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) signed a peace agreement. Since then, deforestation has been on the rise as cattle ranchers, loggers, miners, subsistence farmers and criminal groups move into areas formerly controlled by them. Plus, at midnight, Barbados removed Queen Elizabeth II as the head of state and installed Governor General Sandra Mason as its first president. We hear from Barbados's poet laureate Esther Phillips about the Caribbean nation's efforts to grapple with its brutal colonial past. Every day, the reporters and producers at The World are hard at work providing you with relevant, fact-based and human-centered news from across the globe. From the initial pitch, to the chase, to interviews, to writing, to production, to broadcast, every story from The World requires careful input and touches from many different members of our nonprofit newsroom. The story you just read is available to read for free because thousands of listeners and readers like you generously support our nonprofit newsroom. Become one of 515 donors to make your gift of $130, or pledge $11 monthly before Nov. 30, and you'll help us unlock a matching gift of $67,000. We need your help now more than ever — give today!
Today, Justin sits down solo to discuss Operation Jaque. This noteworthy mission took place in Columbia, where the local military managed to rescue 15 hostages from the extremist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). FARC was known for its ruthlessness, and past rescue missions had resulted in death or injury for all but one hostage. In this unique situation, strategy percolated from the bottom of the ranks to the top, and the hostages (two of whom were Americans and a third a former Columbian presidential candidate) were successfully recovered thanks to unique intelligence.Connect with Spycraft 101:IG: @spycraft101Patreon: Spycraft 101Buy the book: here on AmazonSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/spycraft101)
Welcome aboard Love Field Stories (formerly Lead With Love). We're doing things a little differently. Each episode will feature guests with incredible stories and experiences about Dallas Love Field Airport.This week, our guest is Miles Hargrove. Miles is a filmmaker in North Texas whose career began as a college student at TCU when his father was abducted by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. His documentary, Miracle Fishing, screened at the Dallas International Film Festival October 10, 2021. And he's here to tell us how the story ended with a landing at Dallas Love Field Airport.If you like our show, please subscribe, give us a 5-star rating, and leave a review about why you love the Love Field Stories podcast. And tap the share icon to send it to the people you love.And remember, you can see all of the dining and shopping options by visiting dallas-lovefield.com
Key Insights!:Hexapodia!Drop the embargo now!There is nothing that enables an authoritarian régime—or, indeed, pretty much any type of régime—hang together other than an implacable external enemy.For the Cuban military-bureaucratic junta-oligarchy, that implacable external enemy consists of the Cuban exiles in Miami and their descendantsReferences:Alexa van Sickle (2014): Viva la Revolución: Cuban Farmers Re-Gain Control Over Land: ‘As the state loosens its grip on food product… Damian Cave: Raúl Castro Thanks U.S., but Reaffirms Communist Rule in Cuba Marianne Ward and John Devereux (2010): The Road Not Taken: Pre-Revolutionary Cuban Living Standards in Comparative Perspective Brian Latell (2005): After Fidel: The Inside Story of Castro’s Régime and Cuba’s Next Leader New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2005 Carmelo Mesa-Lago (2019): There’s Only One Way Out for Cuba’s Dismal Economy Carlos Eire: Raúl Castro Leaving Power Won’t Bring Change to Cuba Anytime Soon Noah Smith: Why Cuba Is Having an Economic Crisis &, of course:Vernor Vinge: A Fire Upon the Deep Notes:Post-Fidel Timeline:2008 February - Raul Castro takes over as president, days after Fidel announces his retirement.2008 May - Bans on private ownership of mobile phones and computers lifted.2008 June - Plans are announced to abandon salary equality. The move is seen as a radical departure from the orthodox Marxist economic principles observed since the 1959 revolution. EU lifts diplomatic sanctions imposed on Cuba in 2003 over crackdown on dissidents.2008 July - In an effort to boost Cuba's lagging food production and reduce dependence on food imports, the government relaxes restrictions on the amount of land available to private farmers.2008 September - Hurricanes Gustav and Ike inflict worst storm damage in Cuba's recorded history, with 200,000 left homeless and their crops destroyed.2008 October - State oil company says estimated 20bn barrels in offshore fields, being double previous estimates.2008 November - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev visits. Two countries conclude new trade and economic accords in sign of strengthening relations. Raul Castro pays reciprocal visit to Russia in January 2009. Chinese President Hu Jintao visits to sign trade and investment accords, including agreements to continue buying Cuban nickel and sugar.2008 December - Russian warships visit Havana for first time since end of Cold War. Government says 2008 most difficult year for economy since collapse of Soviet Union. Growth nearly halved to 4.3%.2009 March - Two leading figures from Fidel era, Cabinet Secretary Carlos Lage and Foreign Minister Felipe Perez Roque, resign after admitting "errors". First government reshuffle since resignation of Fidel Castro. US Congress votes to lift Bush Administration restrictions on Cuban-Americans visiting Havana and sending back money.2009 April - US President Barack Obama says he wants a new beginning with Cuba.2009 May - Government unveils austerity programme to try to cut energy use and offset impact of global financial crisis.2009 June - Organisation of American States (OAS) votes to lift ban on Cuban membership imposed in 1962. Cuba welcomes decision, but says it has no plans to rejoin.2009 July - Cuba signs agreement with Russia allowing oil exploration in Cuban waters of Gulf of Mexico.2010 February - Political prisoner Orlando Zapata Tamayo dies after 85 days on hunger strike.2010 May - Wives and mothers of political prisoners are allowed to hold demonstration after archbishop of Havana, Jaime Ortega, intervenes on their behalf.2010 July - President Castro agrees to free 52 dissidents under a deal brokered by the Church and Spain. Several go into exile.2010 September - Radical plans for massive government job cuts to revive the economy. Analysts see proposals as biggest private sector shift since the 1959 revolution.2011 January - US President Barack Obama relaxes restrictions on travel to Cuba. Havana says the measures don't go far enough.2011 March - Last two political prisoners detained during 2003 crackdown are released.2011 April - Communist Party Congress says it will look into possibility of allowing Cuban citizens to travel abroad as tourists.2011 August - National Assembly approves economic reforms aimed at encouraging private enterprise and reducing state bureaucracy.2011 November - Cuba passes law allowing individuals to buy and sell private property for first time in 50 years.2011 December - The authorities release 2,500 prisoners, including some convicted of political crimes, as part of an amnesty ahead of a papal visit.2012 March - Pope Benedict visits, criticising the US trade embargo on Cuba and calling for greater rights on the island.2012 April - Cuba marks Good Friday with a public holiday for the first time since recognition of religious holidays stopped in 1959.2012 June - Cuba re-imposes customs duty on all food imports in effort to curb selling of food aid sent by Cubans abroad on the commercial market. Import duties had been liberalised in 2008 after series of hurricanes caused severe shortages.2012 October - Spanish politician Angel Carromero is jailed for manslaughter over the death of high-profile Catholic dissident Oswaldo Paya. Mr Carromero was driving the car when, according to the authorities, it crashed into a tree. Mr Paya's family say the car was rammed off the road after he had received death threats. The government abolishes the requirement for citizens to buy expensive exit permits when seeking to travel abroad. Highly-qualified professionals such as doctors, engineers and scientists will still require permission to travel, in order to prevent a brain drain.2012 November - President Raul Castro says the eastern province of Santiago was hard hit by Hurricane Sandy, with 11 people dead and more than 188,000 homes damaged. A United Nations report says Sandy destroyed almost 100,000 hectares of crops.2013 February - The National Assembly re-elects Raul Castro as president. He says he will stand down at the end of his second term in 2018, by which time he will be 86.2013 July - Five prominent veteran politicians, including Fidel Castro ally and former parliament leader Ricardo Alarcon, are removed from the Communist Party's Central Committee in what President Raul Castro calls a routine change of personnel.2014 January - First phase of a deepwater sea port is inaugurated by Brazil and Cuba at Mariel, a rare large foreign investment project on the island.2014 March - Cuba agrees to a European Union invitation to begin talks to restore relations and boost economic ties, on condition of progress on human rights. The EU suspended ties in 1996.2014 July - Russian President Vladimir Putin visits during a tour of Latin America, says Moscow will cancel billions of dollars of Cuban debt from Soviet times. Chinese President Xi Jinping visits, signs bilateral accords.2014 September/October - Cuba sends hundreds of frontline medical staff to West African countries hit by the Ebola epidemic.2014 December - In a surprise development, US President Barack Obama and Cuba's President Raul Castro announce moves to normalise diplomatic relations between the two countries, severed for more than 50 years.2015 January - Washington eases some travel and trade restrictions on Cuba.Two days of historic talks between the US and Cuba take place in Havana, with both sides agreeing to meet again. The discussions focus on restoring diplomatic relations but no date is set for the reopening of embassies in both countries. President Raul Castro calls on President Obama to use his executive powers to bypass Congress and lift the US economic embargo on Cuba.2015 February - Cuban and US diplomats say they have made progress in talks in Washington to restore full relations.2015 May - Cuba establishes banking ties with US, which drops country from list of states that sponsor terrorism.2015 July - Cuba and US reopen embassies and exchange charges d’affaires.2015 December - Cuban and US officials hold preliminary talks on mutual compensation.2016 January - US eases a number of trade restrictions with Cuba.2016 March - Cuba and the European Union agree to normalise relations. US President Barack Obama visits Cuba in the first US presidential visit there in 88 years.2016 May - Cuba takes steps to legalise small and medium-sized businesses as part of economic reforms.2016 November - Fidel Castro, former president and leader of the Cuban revolution, dies at the age of 90. Cuba declares nine days of national mourning.2017 January - Washington ends a long-standing policy which grants Cuban immigrants the right to remain in the US without a visa.2017 June - US President Donald Trump overturns some aspects of predecessor Barack Obama's policy on Cuba which brought about a thaw in relations between the two countries.2017 October - Diplomatic row over mysterious sonic attacks which are said to have affected the health of US and Canadian embassy staff in Havana.2018 April - Senior Communist Party stalwart Miguel Diaz-Canel becomes president, ending six decades of rule by the Castro family.2019 May - Cuba introduces food rationing.2020 March - Cuba closes its borders in an attempt to keep out the COVID-19 plague.2021 April - Raul Castro steps down as General Secretary of the Cuban Communist PartyAlexa van Sickle (2014): Viva la Revolución: Cuban Farmers Re-Gain Control Over Land: ‘As the state loosens its grip on food production, Cuban farmers and independent co-operatives will need support to help solve the country’s agriculture crisis: Last year, Cuba spent over $1.6bn (£1bn) on food imports… 60% of its domestic food requirement…. Since 2007, President Raul Castro, noting its connection with national security, has made food security a priority. State farms hold over 70% of Cuba’s agricultural land; about 6.7m hectares. In 2007, 45% of this land was sitting idle. In 2008 Castro allowed private farmers and co-operatives to lease unused land with decentralised decision-making, and loosened regulations on farmers selling directly to consumers. Since 2010, Cubans with small garden plots, and small farmers, have been allowed to sell produce directly to consumers. However, agriculture in Cuba remains in crisis. A government report issued in July 2013 showed that productivity had not increased…LINK: Marianne Ward and John Devereux (2010): The Road Not Taken: Pre-Revolutionary Cuban Living Standards in Comparative Perspective: ‘All indications are that Cuba was once a prosperous middle-income economy. On the eve of the revolution, we find that incomes were fifty to sixty percent of European levels. They were among the highest in Latin America at about thirty percent of the US. In relative terms, however, Cuba was richer earlier on. The crude income comparisons that are possible suggest that income per capita during the 1920’s was in striking distance of Western Europe and the Southern States of the US. After the revolution, Cuba has slipped down the world income distribution. As best we can tell, current levels of income per capita are below their pre-revolutionary peaks…LINK: Carlos Eire: Raúl Castro Leaving Power Won’t Bring Change to Cuba Anytime Soon: ‘Raúl Castro is relinquishing all power on the eve of his 90th birthday. It would be a mistake to think that this piece of kabuki theater will bring change to Cuba any time soon…. The Communist Party in Cuba, which has had total control of the island for over 60 years, is not about to relax its grip. And since this party is controlled by the Revolutionary Armed Forces, Cuba is really governed by an old-fashioned Latin American military junta. It is an unusual junta, full of former rebels, but it is a junta…. Raúl Castro is stepping down from the throne, so to speak, but he will keep casting a long shadow as long as he can. Moreover, plenty of generals and colonels remain, ranging in age from their 50s to 80s. A top member of that exclusive circle is Raúl’s son, Col. Alejandro Castro Espín, who is only 55 and runs the country’s dreaded secret police. Official posts outside of the armed forces have a cosmetic sheen to them. The prime example is President Miguel Díaz-Canel…. Raw power resides in men such as Alejandro Castro Espín and 60-year-old Gen. Luis Alberto Rodríguez López-Callejas, ex-husband of Raul’s daughter Deborah. A member of the Castro dynasty by marriage, he is one of the most powerful men in Cuba, totally in charge of the branch of the Revolutionary Armed Forces that runs most of Cuba’s tourist industry. Since tourism is the country’s main source of income, his clout is considerable. The two brothers-in-law are purported to be engaged in a fierce struggle behind the scenes for the throne vacated by Raúl…..A new constitution in 2019…. Many articles outlaw dissent, such as No. 4: “The socialist system that this Constitution supports is irrevocable. Citizens have the right to combat through any means, including armed combat… against any that intends to topple the political, social, and economic order established by this Constitution.”… Article 229 seeks to drive a nail in the coffin of hope: “In no case will the pronouncements be reformed regarding the irrevocability of the socialism system established in Article 4.”…What will happen next? Is it possible that among the younger Cuban communists a Gorbachev lurks?… Is it possible that the junta could be overthrown, somehow, in traditional Latin fashion? Theoretically, one must suppose, anything is possible…. Theoretical possibilities fall into the realm of faith rather than reason…LINK: Carmelo Mesa-Lago (2019): There’s Only One Way Out for Cuba’s Dismal Economy: ‘The island’s economy is neither efficient nor competitive. To move forward it must deepen and accelerate reforms. The market socialism model could provide a way….. For the past 60 years, Cuba has been unable to finance its imports with its own exports and generate appropriate, sustainable growth without substantial aid and subsidies from a foreign nation. This is the longstanding legacy of Cuba’s socialist economy…. Between 1960 and 1990, the Soviet Union gave Cuba $65 billion (triple the total amount of aid that President John Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress gave Latin America). At its peak in 2012, Venezuelan aid, subsidies and investment amounted to $14 billion, or close to 12 percent of the gross domestic product. And yet, despite the staggering foreign aid subsidies it has received, the economy’s performance has been dismal…. Industrial, mining and sugar production are well below 1989 levels, and the production of 11 out of 13 key agricultural and fishing products has declined. Cuba is now facing its worst economic crisis since the 1990s.Tourism has been a bright spot for Cuba. From 2007 to 2017, visitors to the island doubled, largely thanks to the arrival of more Americans, whose numbers grew considerably after President Barack Obama eased diplomatic relations in 2015. But Hurricane Irma and the tightening of travel restrictions by President Trump (like barring American tourists from using hotels and restaurants run by Cuba’s military) and the alert declared by the administration after the sonic attacks on United States diplomats in Havana led to a drop in tourism during the end of 2017 and the first half of 2018. Tourism rebounded in September, driven by a cruise industry that offers customers lodging, meals and tours. Those visitors spend about 14 percent of what those arriving by air spend….Cuba’s woes are a result of the inefficient economic model of centralized planning, state enterprises and agricultural collectivization its leaders have pursued despite the failure of these models worldwide. In his decade in power, President Raúl Castro tried to face his brother Fidel’s legacy of economic disaster head on by enacting a series of market-oriented economic structural reforms. He also opened the door to foreign investment, but so far, the amount materialized has been one-fifth of the goal set by the leadership for sustainable development…. The pace of reforms has been slow and subject to many restrictions, disincentives and taxes that have impeded the advance of the private economy and desperately needed growth. It is time to abandon this failed model and shift to a more successful one as in China and Vietnam….Poor agricultural production, the result of collectivized agriculture, causes the island to spend $1.5 billion a year on food imports. As part of his agrarian reform, Mr. Castro began leasing fallow state-owned land to farmers through 10-year contracts—now increased to 20 years—that may be canceled or renewed depending on the farms performance. Farmers must sell most of their crops to the government at prices set by the state, which are below market prices…. If reform is carried out and foreign investors are allowed to hire and pay a full salary directly to their employees, there will be a significant improvement in the economy and the government can undertake the desperately needed monetary unification that will attract more investment and eliminate the economic distortions that plague the economy.LINK: Cuba Employment Shares: Agriculture 25%, Industry 10%, Services 65%(Remember: You can subscribe to this… weblog-like newsletter… here: There’s a free email list. There’s a paid-subscription list with (at the moment, only a few) extras too.) Get full access to Brad DeLong's Grasping Reality at braddelong.substack.com/subscribe
Guerrilla Fighter to Environmental Peace Activist - Discover the story of Isabela, a young woman who fought with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) during the war and, after the peace agreement became an environmental activist. Also, learn about how WWF is contributing to peacebuilding through inclusive conservation.
Mother:The end result of this case unfolded live on television, watched the world over. The resulting investigation took a long time to get to the truth but it really is stranger than fiction and even today, many disbelieve the official reports.....This week we discuss: Murder, Bank Robbery, Conspiracy to Murder, Neck Bombs, South America, Death SquadsTheme Tune is published under license from: Tribe of Noise – Awkward Mystery https://prosearch.tribeofnoise.com/artists/show/29267/32277Sources:https://imgur.com/a/RK7aDE6https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Brian_Wellshttps://crimeola.com/brian-wells-wiki-hostage-conspirator-pizza-bomb-heist/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Revolutionary_Armed_Forces_of_Colombiahttp://www.latinamericanstudies.org/farc/elvia.htmhttps://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-may-19-mn-31761-story.htmlhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3036664.stmhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosman,_New_South_Waleshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosman_bomb_hoaxhttps://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/bomb-device-attached-to-mosman-schoolgirl-was-a-very-very-elaborate-hoax-20110804-1icbe.htmlhttps://www.couriermail.com.au/news/bomb-squad-authorities-cordon-off-mossman-street-amid-threat/news-story/fe8ee4c9afd3d4b8c4f9ff9aa6ebbdaehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allco_Finance_Grouphttps://www.mamamia.com.au/madeleine-pulver-collar-bomb/https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7632951/Sydney-collar-bomb-v
Over the past month, Venezuela's military has launched an offensive against irregular Colombian armed groups in the western state of Apure. About eight Venezuelan soldiers have died during the operations, which have caused over 5,000 people from the area to flee across the border into Colombia. These armed groups include dissident members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), a Marxist paramilitary insurgency operating in Colombia for decades until they signed a 2016 peace treaty with the Colombian government. These dissident groups rejected the peace treaty and have been operating in clandestine rebel units accommodated by the Venezuelan regime of Nicolas Maduro. In this episode, we're joined by Cody Weddle, an investigative freelance journalist based in Colombia who has been reporting for ABC affiliate WPLG Local 10 News from the Colombian border town of Arauquita, speaking with Venezuelans arriving in the area to escape the violence, and hearing firsthand the sounds of gunfire and explosions from across the Arauca River. Cody was first based out of Caracas until 2019 when a group of armed Venezuelan officers raided his apartment with a court arrest warrant for treason and espionage. After being detained for over 24 hours, he was released, put on a plane to Miami, and effectively deported from Venezuela. We discuss the escalating combat on the Colombia-Venezuela border, as well as the refugee crisis in Colombia, the special military unit created by Venezuela for the border region, and the harrowing stories about Venezuelan troops told by Venezuelans arriving from the makeshift war zone, including arbitrary detentions and murders of civilians. If you enjoy the show, please consider subscribing! Links: Cody Weddle: https://www.twitter.com/coweddle Cody Weddle's Story of Detainment in Venezuela: https://youtu.be/804ClXU9p_E WPLG Local 10 Story on the Venezuela-Colombia border crisis: https://youtu.be/OA5DDtIJ3RY Intro/Outro Song: tu+yo by Sad Lacra (https://youtu.be/Xaax2S74XhE)
In this deep-dive episode, your hosts Shibby & TheZenMarxist invited Yanis Iqbal on the podcast to present a discussion on Colombia's current capitalist conjuncture. They have written articles on Colombia and in this episode we highlight how neoliberalism has shaped the dynamics of revolutionary politics, how extractive capital has radically altered regional ecologies, how police brutality has been instituted due to imperialism and in what ways has agro-export crop production combined with accumulation by dispossession to generate a hunger pandemic. Yanis Work: Colombia Covid Lockdown: Collapse of Healthcare, Social Crisis and Poverty The FARC: Between Past and Future Police Brutality and US Imperialism in Colombia The nonexistent peace in Colombia The Hunger Pandemic in Colombia The Coffee Crisis in Colombia Neoliberalism and the Politics of Violence in Colombia Follow us! Twitter: Lumpen_Radio Website: Lumpen.co.uk Patreon: Patreon.com/LumpenPodcast
Colombia has a long complex history of conflict. The government of President Juan Manuel Santos signed a peace agreement in 2016 with the guerrilla group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army, which sought to end fifty years of war. The Santos government spent great efforts negotiating with the guerrilla group but failed to communicate the value of lasting peace to the Colombian people. On this episode, we talk with author, film maker and researcher Dr Gwen Burnyeat from the University College London on her ethnographic study of the Office of the High Commissioner for Peace, the government department responsible for peace negotiations and for explaining the peace process to the Colombian people. Dr Gwen Burnyeat is currently a Junior Research Fellow in Anthropology at the University of Oxford, please follow the link below to learn more about her interesting work. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/suren-ladd/message
In 2016, a peace agreement was negotiated between the Colombian Government and one guerrilla movement known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or the FARC. But the peace deal was rejected by a narrow margin in a referendum in 2016. A revised peace deal was eventually ratified by the Congress of Colombia. The peace agreement provides for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a tribunal created in 2018 to implement the transitional justice component of the peace agreement. In this episode, we talk with Judge Lemaitre, who currently the Investigating Judge for the jurisdiction's first macro case, about the future of restorative justice in Colombia. A full transcript is available on our website: ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk Interview with: Julieta Lemaitre (Special Jurisdiction for Peace, Colombia) Host: Natasha Holcroft-Emmess Producer: Natasha Holcroft-Emmess Executive Producer: Kira Allmann Music: Rosemary Allmann
In 2016, a peace agreement was negotiated between the Colombian Government and one guerrilla movement known as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or the FARC. But the peace deal was rejected by a narrow margin in a referendum in 2016. A revised peace deal was eventually ratified by the Congress of Colombia. The peace agreement provides for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a tribunal created in 2018 to implement the transitional justice component of the peace agreement. In this episode, we talk with Judge Lemaitre, who currently the Investigating Judge for the jurisdiction's first macro case, about the future of restorative justice in Colombia. Interview with: Julieta Lemaitre (Special Jurisdiction for Peace, Colombia) Host: Natasha Holcroft-Emmess Producer: Natasha Holcroft-Emmess Executive Producer: Kira Allmann Music: Rosemary Allmann
Hundreds of foreign nationals are being evacuated from Wuhan, the centre of China's coronavirus outbreak, as more deaths and cases are confirmed. British citizens being flown back to the UK from the city will be put in quarantine for two weeks. Stephen McDonnell was recently in Hubei province where the disease was first identified and is now back in Beijing. He too has been told to stay at home for a fortnight and he reflects on how even the Chinese capital feels eerily deserted. This month, Colombia’s war crimes tribunal, the court which was created as part of the 2016 peace deal between the government and the left wing guerrillas known as the FARC or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, began hearing testimony about the illegal recruitment of children and teenagers. The FARC denies that it ever forced underage soldiers to fight. But the Prosecutor General’s office says the guerrillas recruited more than 5,000 minors during the decades long conflict. Matthew Charles visited one of the worst affected communities in the eastern province of Vaupes . It’s been a year since a dam at a mine in Brazil collapsed, killing 270 people. The dam, near Brumadinho in the province of Minas Gerais was owned by the mining company Vale - and just last week 11 of its employees, including its former President, were charged with murder over the incident. While investigations into how it collapsed and who’s to blame continue, the community next to the iron ore mine is struggling to pick up the pieces. Katy Watson returned to speak to survivors. The Chinese dissident artist Ai Weiwei has just moved from Germany to the UK. In 2015 he was released from house arrest and to much fanfare arrived in Berlin. Berliners were thrilled to give refuge to such a global star. And Ai Weiwei said he loved Germany. But since then the mutual admiration has faded: Ai Weiwei has given a series of interviews in which he’s said he’s leaving Berlin in part because Germans are rude, racist and authoritarian. In Germany that has sparked outrage and some soul searching. Damien McGuinness wonders whether Germans really are impolite or simply misunderstood. New York's health care system is often accused of being expensive and labyrinthine. Yet a visit to two hospitals in Brooklyn and Manhattan left Laura Trevelyan feeling curiously uplifted, despite the physical pain, and the bureaucracy of US healthcare. On her odyssey through the emergency rooms, she made some new friends while guided by an old one.
In August 2016, negotiations between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) reached a historic agreement to end the civil conflict that had been fought in Colombia for over forty years. In an exclusive interview with Root of Conflict, Ambassador Sergio Jaramillo Caro, former High Commissioner for Peace in Colombia and lead negotiator of the talks between the Colombian government and FARC, discusses the lead-up to the negotiations and what has transpired in regards to the agreement since 2016. Additionally, Pearson Fellows Camila Perez (MPP '21) and Daniel Vallejo (MPP '21) share their personal experiences of how the peace process has changed the culture and atmosphere in their native Colombia. Podcast Production CreditInterviewers: Manuel Bustamante and Marina Milaszewska. Episode edited and mixed by Yi Ning Wong, production assistance from Aishwarya Raje and Mwangi Thuita. Special thanks to Camila Perez and Daniel Vallejo for sharing their stories.
The 2016 peace deal between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) was hailed as a historic agreement, with then-president Juan Manuel Santos awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. Three years later, the reality is far murkier. What can be done to continue moving forward toward a peaceful future for Colombia? War News Radio's Bryce Bussert and Nick Hirschel-Burns investigate.
In September, 2016, Juan Manuel Santos, the President of Colombia, and Timochenko Jimenez, the rebel leader of the FARC--the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia--signed a historic agreement that formally ended more than 50 years of conflict. It was a remarkable scene. Guests were dressed in white to symbolize peace, and a childrens' choir sang Beethoven's* Ode to Joy.* Timochenko spoke first. Near the end of his 30 minute speech, he made a plea to the entire country. “I would like to ask for forgiveness for all the pain that we have caused during this war.” Santos spoke next. With great anticipation, he said that the entire planet celebrates because there is one less war in the world. He also addressed FARC members directly, on their new role in Colombian society: “Today as you rejoin society, as you become a political party, without weapons, following the rules of justice, truth and reparation that are part of the agreement, as head of state of this country that we all love, I would like to welcome you to democracy.” It seemed this historical event would unite the country. But today, Colombia has yet to enjoy the promises of this peace treaty. Opponents of the accord's implementation are assassinating social activists across Colombia, and some members of FARC have rearmed. Colombia's political leaders, whose actions, or non-actions, are hurting the very people this peace deal was supposed to help. ABOUT THE SERIES In a six-month reporting project titled Democracy Undone: The Authoritarian's Playbook, GroundTruth reporting fellows in India, Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Poland, Italy and the United States chronicled how seven nationalist leaders in each of these countries seem to be working from the same playbook. It is a playbook that can be pieced together from the speeches and techniques in use by an interconnected web of populist leaders and their strategists as a way to gain power, impose their values and implement their agenda. Scholars on democracy say they seem eager to join China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and other leading authoritarian states in stamping out democratic protections and reshaping the global order. Democracy Undone: The Authoritarian's Playbook, A GroundTruth Podcast/Atlantic Magazine Collaboration
In September, 2016, Juan Manuel Santos, the President of Colombia, and Timochenko Jimenez, the rebel leader of the FARC--the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia--signed a historic agreement that formally ended more than 50 years of conflict. It was a remarkable scene. Guests were dressed in white to symbolize peace, and a childrens’ choir sang Beethoven’s* Ode to Joy.* Timochenko spoke first. Near the end of his 30 minute speech, he made a plea to the entire country. “I would like to ask for forgiveness for all the pain that we have caused during this war.” Santos spoke next. With great anticipation, he said that the entire planet celebrates because there is one less war in the world. He also addressed FARC members directly, on their new role in Colombian society: “Today as you rejoin society, as you become a political party, without weapons, following the rules of justice, truth and reparation that are part of the agreement, as head of state of this country that we all love, I would like to welcome you to democracy.” It seemed this historical event would unite the country. But today, Colombia has yet to enjoy the promises of this peace treaty. Opponents of the accord’s implementation are assassinating social activists across Colombia, and some members of FARC have rearmed. Colombia’s political leaders, whose actions, or non-actions, are hurting the very people this peace deal was supposed to help. ABOUT THE SERIES In a six-month reporting project titled Democracy Undone: The Authoritarian’s Playbook, GroundTruth reporting fellows in India, Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Poland, Italy and the United States chronicled how seven nationalist leaders in each of these countries seem to be working from the same playbook. It is a playbook that can be pieced together from the speeches and techniques in use by an interconnected web of populist leaders and their strategists as a way to gain power, impose their values and implement their agenda. Scholars on democracy say they seem eager to join China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and other leading authoritarian states in stamping out democratic protections and reshaping the global order. Democracy Undone: The Authoritarian’s Playbook, A GroundTruth Podcast/Atlantic Magazine Collaboration
The presence of armed groups in Venezuela significantly affects how policymakers consider addressing the Venezuelan political and humanitarian crisis. The Maduro regime seeks to benefit from Venezuela's status as a hub for transnational crime and illicit activities, causing policymakers to doubt what the best approach to address the crisis would be. Illegal armed groups finding haven in Venezuela not only adds new threats to Venezuela’s internal security, but also threatens Colombia’s security and the region writ-large. Illegal armed groups in Venezuela include the National Liberation Army (ELN), remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), colectivos, garimpeiros, and other residual organized armed groups (GAO) and criminal gangs.
Please join CSIS’ Future of Venezuela Initiative for a discussion on how the presence of illegal armed groups affects the transition process in Venezuela, and what the United States, the international community, and other pertinent actors within Latin America can do to mitigate the effect of these groups. The presence of armed groups in Venezuela significantly affects how policymakers consider addressing the Venezuelan political and humanitarian crisis. The Maduro regime seeks to benefit from Venezuela's status as a hub for transnational crime and illicit activities, causing policymakers to doubt what the best approach to address the crisis would be. Illegal armed groups finding haven in Venezuela not only adds new threats to Venezuela’s internal security, but also threatens Colombia’s security and the region writ-large. Illegal armed groups in Venezuela include the National Liberation Army (ELN), remnants of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), colectivos, garimpeiros, and other residual organized armed groups (GAO) and criminal gangs. The event will feature keynote remarks from Colombia's High Commissioner for Peace, Miguel Ceballos, and from Paul Ahern, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department. The remarks will be followed by a panel with former National Security Advisers to the White House and the former Vice President of Panama, and will be moderated by CSIS’ Moises Rendon. This event was made possible through general support to CSIS.
Hailing from Texas, Dylan Baddour cut his teeth in journalism before heading down south to Colombia. Here, he reports on issues talking place in Colombia and the fall out from the humanitarian tragedy currently on-going in Venezuela. Perhaps my favourite piece written by Baddour is about former FARC guerrillas, who are trying to make a life of it beyond the reintegration camps run by the government. "Another battle, key to the chance of maintaining peace after more than 50 years of civil war, is being waged deep in the Colombian countryside, where former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas are struggling to build new lives after decades of conflict." (https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/news-feature/2019/10/24/Colombia-FARC-former-rebels-peace) So, we explore this story and others by Baddour, hear of the journalistic process and amount of patience required to earn respect and gain confidence of former guerrillas and how there's plenty of waiting around. Tune in for a master class in editorial judgment, journalism and candour with a rising star in the reporting world. Check out Baddour's website at: https://dylanbaddour.com
This past August, several former commanders of Colombia's largely demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) released a video in which they announced a “new phase of armed struggle.” What this video signaled more than anything, was a clear reminder the peace accord is directly related to the conditions on the ground—the conditions of violence and poverty as they are proliferated and exacerbated by Colombia's elite and attendant corruption at various levels of government (https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/09/08/how-to-keep-the-colombian-peace-deal-alive-farc-duque-uribe-colombia/). In the words of one of the local residents—Luis, a seventy-three-year-old—living in one of the areas targeted for development, FARC, operating there since 1981, has long been viewed as “a useful group . . . they have been the presence of law in the face of state absence” (https://jacobinmag.com/2019/08/colombia-farc-hidroituango-demining-coca-campesinos). In areas, such as this, that have never seen police or government officials, the FARC organized communal work groups to fix local paths, imposed a minimum wage, resolved domestic disputes, and punished criminals. However, the dynamics of FARC presence in the area changed in the late 1990s to 2003, when right-wing paramilitary groups entered the region in force (https://jacobinmag.com/location/colombia). Today, AWNP's, Mwiza Munthali recently spoke with our friend and colleague, Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli. Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli is currently a Senior Associate for the Andes at the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA), where she is the leading Colombia human rights advocate. We then turn our attention to Brazil, exploring the current sociopolitical and ecological crises and the implications of Afro Brazilians with Juliana Borges. In recent months, fires in the Amazon Rainforest have put a spotlight on the planetary harmful deforestation occurring there. Just before the September 23 United Nations Climate Action Summit, Human Rights Watch released the report Rainforest Mafias: How Violence and Impunity Fuel Deforestation in Brazil's Amazon. According to the report, “Every day, people in Brazil put themselves at risk to defend the Amazon rain-forest from illegal logging. … For Brazil to meet its Paris Agreement commitment, it will need to rein in the criminal groups that are driving much of the deforestation…”. Next, we will hear a talk delivered by Juliana Borges (https://uniondocs.org/people/juliana-borges/). Ms. Juliana Borges is an Afro-Brazilian researcher, writer, anthropologist, and activist working on issues related to racism, gender, drug policy, incarceration, and violence. She is part of the National Council of Brazilian Platform for Drug Policy Reform, a consultant at the Brazilian Bar Association/Sao Paulo Section on confrontation, monitoring, and memory of torture and violence. In addition, she recently published a book on Racism and the War of Drugs in Brazil, titled, “Encarceramento em Massa (Feminismos Plurais),” a book from the “Plural Feminisms” collection. She is a consultant for the Perseu Abramo Foundation in the area of violence studies, and a consultant for the project “They exist—women in prison,” which works in Rio de Janeiro women's prisons (https://sur.conectas.org/en/black-women-under-fire/). Our show was produced today in solidarity with the Native/Indigenous, African, and Afro Descendant communities at Standing Rock; Venezuela; Cooperation Jackson in Jackson, Mississippi; Brazil; the Avalon Village in Detroit; Colombia; Kenya; Palestine; South Africa; and Ghana and other places who are fighting for the protection of our land for the benefit of all peoples!
On today's show:A peace deal that ended 50 years of civil war in Colombia is in jeopardy as FARC rebels accuse the government of not... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
The murder of Maritza Quiroz, leader of the Santa Marta Victims Roundtable, on January 6th, was the sixth political murder that took place in the first week of 2019. The crimes against Colombian territory defenders continue unabated and are a cause of concern for social organizations throughout the country that defend the Peace Agreements signed in 2016 between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and Juan Manuel Santos´ administration.
The leader of the Association of Rural Workers of Nicaragua (ATC) Fausto Torres, called for an “International Day for Peace in Colombia” and urged governments to demand Colombian president Iván Duque to advance in the fulfillment of the Peace Accords signed in 2016 by the State with the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
John W Spring, Late Hour of Russian Nukes, EMP Weapon of Indignation of Russia, Venezuelan Cuban Chinese Russians Iranians, Dangers of Peace Accord without Missile Defenses, Need to Write President Trump NOW, Must Meet with John and Dr Bill, Immediate Dangers of Nuclear War or Delay without Defenses from MidEast Accord, Times are Urgent,Dr Bill Deagle MD AAEM ACAM A4M, NutriMedical Report Show, www.NutriMedical.com, www.ClayandIRON.com, www.Deagle-Network.com,NutriMedical Report Show,Dear Friends,Please read the following letter that I just sent to the President, which is about Venezuela. JWS John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 April 2, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: THE VENEZUELAN MISSILE CRISIS ON LA ORCHILA ISLAND LOCATED IN THE CARIBBEAN SEA AND PUNTA HUETE, NICARAGUA IN CENTRAL AMERICA Dear Mr. President: I realize that it has been difficult for you to believe me based upon disinformation, which some of your contacts have sent in such a convincing manner. However, due, now, to your awareness of the situation in Venezuela, they have lost their credibility. So, perhaps, this and my past email letters will finally reach your desk at the Oval Office. The Venezuelan Missile Crisis has actually existed for several years, but it has only been since Dr. Bill Deagle had encouraged me to probe into the Chinese, Cuban and Russian air, military and naval activity in Venezuela that I became aware of it. Although I was already aware of the earlier statement made by Russian President Putin that Russia was developing a HYPERSONIC MISSILE that could reverse its course of direction during flight, it seemed more realistic that the Kremlin would now deploy INTERMEDIATE-RANGE BALLISTIC MISSILES armed with THERMONUCLEAR WARHEADS launched from the Caribbean Sea or Central America. La Orchila Island in the Caribbean Sea is now a Russian Air Force base with a long runway where giant air transports are able to land as well at Punta Huete, Nicaragua located in Central America where missiles can also be unloaded and launched in a veery short period of time. Sincerely, John W. SpringDear Friends,Please read the following letter that I just sent to the President, which is about Venezuela. JWSDear Friends,Please notice my newest email address: halfpastfree@outlook.com. At least at this time, I am unable to access my previous email accounts. This has caused me to lose most of my contact. So, if you know of any persons who are really concerned about our nation and the rest of the world, I would welcome more and new friends. Thank you. JWS John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 March 29, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: A NEED FOR A NEW GEOPOLITICAL APPROACH RELATED TO FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY CAUSED BY THE RECENT MISSILE CRISES Dear Mr. President: You need my advice for taking a new and different geopolitical approach on matters that are now related to foreign policy and national security, which has been caused by the recent missile crises in North Korea, Nicaragua and Venezuela, because we do not have an effectiveMissile Defense System now in operation. So the only way our nation can survive will be by becoming aware of these current threats, which can only be identified and located with highly-advanced analysis of intelligence that is well beyond the capacity and level of any existing personnel in Washington. Such a new geopolitical approach will require an awareness of the clandestine plans that are now already in operation for striking at theUnited States by understanding the mindset of the enemy or adversary whose advisers and military strategists are exceedingly capable. Therefore, you will need to be in contact with a person with the expertise and education to cover geopolitical aspects of geography and the physical sciences. However, persons who were trained and educated only in government, history, economics, political science or regional studies do not have the adequate “analytical tools” needed that would enable them to function at the required basic level because theChinese and Russian strategists are educated and trained to perform at far higher levels. Besides myself, I would only recommend Dr. Bill Deagle who is the most intelligent person that I have ever met during my entire lifetime. Sincerely, John W. Spring Dear Friends,My new email address is: halfpastfree@outlook.com due to previous Internet accounts being hacked into by apparently foreign agents. Unfortunately, I have been only able to find so very few persons who had received this material. JWS John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 March 28, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: A NEED FOR DIFFERENT GEOPOLITICAL POLICIES TOWARDS CHINA AND RUSSIA RELATED NOW TO THEIR MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN VENEZUELA Dear Mr. President: Two Russian military planes carrying nearly 100 troops have recently arrived in Venezuela for the purpose of supporting the regime ofNicolas Maduro at Caracas, which is causing so many Venezuelans now to face hunger and starvation. Already, there are 35,000 Chinese troops from the elite People’s Liberation Special Operation Forces and 46,000 Cuban troops to support and train Maduro’s 360,000-man army. However, of even greater concern is the Russian Air Force base on La Orchila Island with its extremely long runways for landing many giant air transports that can carry mobile launchers with several Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with ThermonuclearWarheads capable of striking all regions of the continental United States from Nicaragua and Venezuela within minutes after landing atPunta Huete in Central America or on La Orchila Island in the Lesser Antilles located in the Caribbean Sea. Unfortunately, unlike your advisers, I can provide you with insight about the mindset of military strategists in Moscow and Beijing who are rather capable. However, you will not find an analyst in Washington who has ever reached my level of accomplishments, background, and experience with the required qualifications related to strategic intelligence related to the missile crises now occurring in North Korea,Nicaragua and Venezuela because without any Missile Defense in operation, we must identify and locate these threats by intelligence analysts who are able to act at a level that is well beyond the capacity of any personnel in Washington and time is running out! Sincerely, John W. Spring John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 March 22, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: NEED FOR A MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM DUE TO DEPLOYMENT OF MANY CHINESE, CUBAN, RUSSIAN TROOPS AND NUCLEAR MISSILES IN VENEZUELA Dear Mr. President: As said by me already, I must inform you of the current Venezuelan Missile Crisis that now exists. For this reason, the development of an effective Missile Defense System must become a higher priority than a Space Force at this time with an additional bureaucracy that would only delay the immediate need to protect our nation from its southern border and coast where we are most vulnerable from Intermediate-Range Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads that can be airlifted to Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela in a very short period of time. In terms of numbers, Cuba has deployed 46,000 troops from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (FAR). China has deployed 35,000 elite troops from the People’s Liberation Special Operations Forces of the PLA. Russia may have only 400 military contractors in Venezuela, but because most of them are currently involved with the Russian Air Force operations on Isla de La Orchila or La Orchila Island where very long runways have been constructed by Russian personnel that can accommodate the very large Antonov An-124 Ruslanand Antonov An-225 Mriya air transports, which can carry fully-integrated mobile launchers with many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads that can be fired within minutes after being unloaded on La Orchila Island in the Caribbean Sea or at Punta Huete, Nicaragua in Central America for striking any regions in the continental United States, even though there may360,000 troops in the Venezuelan Army, the fewer Russians there are our greatest concern. Sincerely, John W. Spring Dear Friends,Please read the following letter sent to the President. It may be of some interest to also learn more about my accomplishments, background and experience. Also read about Chinese troops in Venezuela on the next page and notice my new email address. JWS John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 March 15, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: ACCOMPLISHMENT AND CONCERN FOR NORTH KOREA AND VENEZUELA Dear Mr. President: During the Reagan Administration in 1983, I was nominated by U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater who was then Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to become the next ASSISTANT to the PRESIDENT and NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER. However, the White House Office of Presidential Personnel had a different criteria for selecting applicants. As a result, based upon their selected applicants, many current problems created by them still exist today such as the war in Afghanistan, which is now our longest conflict. As for my accomplishments, they were the landing site near Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Nicaraguan Missile Crisis or theInvasion of Grenada, the North Korean Missile Crisis, and the current Venezuelan Missile Crisis plus additional events that can be discussed at a meeting with you.I am very concerned about North Korea because Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said, “We have no intention to yield to U.S. demands [made at the summit in Hanoi] in any form, nor are we willing to engage in negotiations of any kind.” However, she did state “personal relations between the two supreme leaders [you and Kim] are still good and the chemistry is mysteriously wonderful.” As for Venezuela, that situation is now very serious and may soon require U.S. military action. Sincerely, John W. Spring March 14, 2019 RE: CHINESE TROOPS DEPLOYED TO VENEZUELA Dear Friends, According to SomeonesBones, a White House source claims that Chinese President Xi Jinping has already sent 35,000 elite troops—the People’s Liberation Special Operation Forces—to help repel incursions on Venezuelan soil. If a garrison is considered to be about 500 soldiers, then it would be about five such military groups from China that are now in Venezuela. SomeonesBones also reported that on January 23, 2019 an American reconnaissance satellite—USA-139—captured images of a Chinese-flagged container ship offloading troops and armor near Puerto Cabello in Venezuela, which is about 100 miles west of Caracas. Chinese assets included several Type 99 main battle tanks, towed artillery, and a platoon ZBD 97 infantry fighting vehicles. China is bolstering Maduro’s 360,000-man army and also providing logistical support to prevent Maduro from being overthrown. Sincerely, John W. Spring John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 February 19, 2019 Dear Mr. President: Perhaps you may have seen the motion picture titled “Heartbreak Ridge” with Clint Eastwood that tells the story of U.S. armed forces being deployed to Grenada, an island in the Caribbean Sea, to rescue American medical students in 1983 after leader Maurice Bishop of the New Jewel Movement had been placed under house arrest and later executed by the People’s Revolutionary Army firing squad. However, the real reason for the United States invading Grenada was due to a very long runway that was then under construction for the main purpose of providing a stop-over needed for refueling the Soviet air transport before deploying its cargo of Thermonuclear Weaponsto Punta Huete in Nicaragua where another very long airstrip was being constructed, which would have enabled the Soviet Union to launch so many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads that would have been able to strike directly at the United States within minutes after landing. Today, that airfield on Grenada is now the Maurice Bishop International Airport. About a decade ago, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, in violation of the INF Treaty, had authorized the construction of a very long asphalt airport on La Orchila Island located in the Caribbean Sea and administered by Venezuela that can accommodate very large air transports capable of deploying several missile launchers and many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with ThermonuclearWarheads that can be launched within minutes after landing on La Orchila Island or at Punta Huete Airport in Nicaragua, the longest runway in all of Central America. So, not only did La Orchila Island replace Grenada as a Russian Air Force base, but it is in a better location for striking at all regions of the continental United States. Sincerely, John W. Spring John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 February 19, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: ANALYSIS OF NICARAGUA, NORTH KOREA, RUSSIA AND VENEZUELA Dear Mr. President: Due to your scheduled forthcoming second summit soon with Chairman Kim Jong Un at Hanoi in Vietnam, I shall try to be rather brief about my recent geopolitical analysis by ranking in order of concern Venezuela, Russia, North Korea and Nicaragua in Central America. Venezuela: While I am concerned about humanitarian aid being able to enter into Venezuela for the starving people and the Marxist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro, I am even more concerned about a potential Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile Nuclear attack from La Orchila Island in the Caribbean from a Russian Air Force base with very long runways on the island. Russia: The Kremlin in Moscow has violated the INF Treaty by building very long airstrips on La Orchila Island, which is administered by Venezuela and at Punta Huete in Nicaragua that can land large air transports deploying mobile missile launchers and also many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads. North Korea’s rocket engines have been manufactured in Russia at factories in the Moscow Industrial District. North Korea: If Washington continues to exert more pressure on Kim Jong Un, Pyongyang will replace him with a Stalinist hardliner who will become far more hostile towards America. Nicaragua: The very long runway can accommodate the very large air transports that can deploy mobile missile launchers and so many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with NuclearWarheads that can be launched at the United States within minutes after reaching Punta Huete. Sincerely, John W. Spring John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 February 15, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: THE PRESENT CLANDESTINE RUSSIAN MISSILE CRISIS IN LATIN AMERICA Dear Mr. President: Besides being the first American scientist and geopolitical analyst to call your attention to North Korea’s capability to strike with ICBMsarmed with Thermonuclear Warheads at any region in the continental United States, I must now also warn you about Russia’s current capability for striking at America with Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads launched from an island called La Orchila in the Caribbean Sea and at Punta Huete in Central America within a few minutes after mobile missile launchers are unloaded from very large air transports such as the Antonov An-124 Ruslan and the Antonov An-225 Mriya. La Orchila Island, located in the Lesser Antilles, is administered and claimed by Venezuela and the Russian Air Force has already constructed a runway on the island that is 3,200 meters or 10,007 feet in length, which is almost two miles long. In addition to this asphalt runway, the Russians are building a larger airfield that will probably be 3,500 meters or 11,483 feet long and 30 meters or 197 feet wide, which will be able to accommodate many Antonov An-225 Mriya air carriers that are scheduled to be produced this year during 2019 inChina or Russia. The airfield at Punta Huete Airport in Nicaragua has the longest runway in Central America. Sincerely, John W. Spring John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 February 14, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: LA ORCHILA ISLAND RUSSIAN AIR FORCE BASE AND ANTONOV An-225 Dear Mr. President: The Russian Air Force base on La Orchila Island in the Caribbean Sea has a runway that is 3,200 meters or 10,007 feet long that is now in operation. It is now able to accommodate the Antonov An-124 Ruslan strategic military heavy air transport that can carry 150 tons of cargo as well as the much larger Antonov An-225 Mriya, which not just able to airlift up to 630 tons of cargo inside its fuselage, but it also is able to launch missiles or spacecraft in mid-air up to 70 meters or 230 feet in length. In addition, the Russian Air Force is also constructing another airfield that will be at least 3,500 meters or 11,483 feet long and 30 metersor 197 feet wide, which will be ideal for landing the Antonov An-225 Mriya air transports on La Orchila Island as a stopover for refueling before continuing westward on the course to Punta Huete Airport in Nicaragua, the longest runway in Central America, from where mobile missile launchers could be unloaded in only a matter of a few minutes to fire many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads capable of reaching all strategic targets in the United States without any warning. Although only one Antonov An-225 Mriya currently exists in operation, there are two possible locations where these largest air transports in the world are being manufactured and produced.Russia has all of the parts for this giant aircraft and the machinery to produce larger quantities. China was able to obtain all of the technology from Ukraine several years ago and is expected to complete production during 2019. So Russia and/or China may already have a fleet available of this massive aircraft for military deployment. But even the smaller Antonov An-124 Ruslan could be adequate for such a clandestine operation in Latin America. This is why Venezuela is a serious threat to our national security. Sincerely, John W. SpringJohn W. Spring For information regarding your data privacy, visit Acast.com/privacy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Rob Roselli, www.BoxOfSunglasses.com, END of Russian and Chinese in Venezuela, Prescription for PEACE, End Putin Oligarch Banking, STOP Venezuela USA Refineries, Blockade Venezuelan Oil to Cuba, Shut PLA Banks and Production of Car-Phentanyl Poison from China, End Trade with China Until Troops are OUT of Venezuela, Build Laser Net Brilliant Pebbles Missile Defnese Strategic Space Systems,Dr Bill Deagle MD AAEM ACAM A4M, NutriMedical Report Show, www.NutriMedical.com, www.ClayandIRON.com, www.Deagle-Network.com,NutriMedical Report Show, John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 March 29, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: A NEED FOR A NEW GEOPOLITICAL APPROACH RELATED TO FOREIGN POLICY AND NATIONAL SECURITY CAUSED BY THE RECENT MISSILE CRISES Dear Mr. President: You need my advice for taking a new and different geopolitical approach on matters that are now related to foreign policy and national security, which has been caused by the recent missile crises in North Korea, Nicaragua and Venezuela, because we do not have an effectiveMissile Defense System now in operation. So the only way our nation can survive will be by becoming aware of these current threats, which can only be identified and located with highly-advanced analysis of intelligence that is well beyond the capacity and level of any existing personnel in Washington. Such a new geopolitical approach will require an awareness of the clandestine plans that are now already in operation for striking at theUnited States by understanding the mindset of the enemy or adversary whose advisers and military strategists are exceedingly capable. Therefore, you will need to be in contact with a person with the expertise and education to cover geopolitical aspects of geography and the physical sciences. However, persons who were trained and educated only in government, history, economics, political science or regional studies do not have the adequate “analytical tools” needed that would enable them to function at the required basic level because theChinese and Russian strategists are educated and trained to perform at far higher levels. Besides myself, I would only recommend Dr. Bill Deagle who is the most intelligent person that I have ever met during my entire lifetime. Sincerely, John W. Spring Dear Friends,My new email address is: halfpastfree@outlook.com due to previous Internet accounts being hacked into by apparently foreign agents. Unfortunately, I have been only able to find so very few persons who had received this material. JWS John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 March 28, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: A NEED FOR DIFFERENT GEOPOLITICAL POLICIES TOWARDS CHINA AND RUSSIA RELATED NOW TO THEIR MILITARY INVOLVEMENT IN VENEZUELA Dear Mr. President: Two Russian military planes carrying nearly 100 troops have recently arrived in Venezuela for the purpose of supporting the regime ofNicolas Maduro at Caracas, which is causing so many Venezuelans now to face hunger and starvation. Already, there are 35,000 Chinese troops from the elite People’s Liberation Special Operation Forces and 46,000 Cuban troops to support and train Maduro’s 360,000-man army. However, of even greater concern is the Russian Air Force base on La Orchila Island with its extremely long runways for landing many giant air transports that can carry mobile launchers with several Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with ThermonuclearWarheads capable of striking all regions of the continental United States from Nicaragua and Venezuela within minutes after landing atPunta Huete in Central America or on La Orchila Island in the Lesser Antilles located in the Caribbean Sea. Unfortunately, unlike your advisers, I can provide you with insight about the mindset of military strategists in Moscow and Beijing who are rather capable. However, you will not find an analyst in Washington who has ever reached my level of accomplishments, background, and experience with the required qualifications related to strategic intelligence related to the missile crises now occurring in North Korea,Nicaragua and Venezuela because without any Missile Defense in operation, we must identify and locate these threats by intelligence analysts who are able to act at a level that is well beyond the capacity of any personnel in Washington and time is running out! Sincerely, John W. Spring John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 March 22, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: NEED FOR A MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM DUE TO DEPLOYMENT OF MANY CHINESE, CUBAN, RUSSIAN TROOPS AND NUCLEAR MISSILES IN VENEZUELA Dear Mr. President: As said by me already, I must inform you of the current Venezuelan Missile Crisis that now exists. For this reason, the development of an effective Missile Defense System must become a higher priority than a Space Force at this time with an additional bureaucracy that would only delay the immediate need to protect our nation from its southern border and coast where we are most vulnerable from Intermediate-Range Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads that can be airlifted to Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela in a very short period of time. In terms of numbers, Cuba has deployed 46,000 troops from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Cuba (FAR). China has deployed 35,000 elite troops from the People’s Liberation Special Operations Forces of the PLA. Russia may have only 400 military contractors in Venezuela, but because most of them are currently involved with the Russian Air Force operations on Isla de La Orchila or La Orchila Island where very long runways have been constructed by Russian personnel that can accommodate the very large Antonov An-124 Ruslanand Antonov An-225 Mriya air transports, which can carry fully-integrated mobile launchers with many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads that can be fired within minutes after being unloaded on La Orchila Island in the Caribbean Sea or at Punta Huete, Nicaragua in Central America for striking any regions in the continental United States, even though there may360,000 troops in the Venezuelan Army, the fewer Russians there are our greatest concern. Sincerely, John W. Spring Dear Friends,Please read the following letter sent to the President. It may be of some interest to also learn more about my accomplishments, background and experience. Also read about Chinese troops in Venezuela on the next page and notice my new email address. JWS John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 March 15, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: ACCOMPLISHMENT AND CONCERN FOR NORTH KOREA AND VENEZUELA Dear Mr. President: During the Reagan Administration in 1983, I was nominated by U.S. Senator Barry Goldwater who was then Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence to become the next ASSISTANT to the PRESIDENT and NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISER. However, the White House Office of Presidential Personnel had a different criteria for selecting applicants. As a result, based upon their selected applicants, many current problems created by them still exist today such as the war in Afghanistan, which is now our longest conflict. As for my accomplishments, they were the landing site near Bay of Pigs, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Nicaraguan Missile Crisis or theInvasion of Grenada, the North Korean Missile Crisis, and the current Venezuelan Missile Crisis plus additional events that can be discussed at a meeting with you.I am very concerned about North Korea because Vice Foreign Minister Choe Son Hui said, “We have no intention to yield to U.S. demands [made at the summit in Hanoi] in any form, nor are we willing to engage in negotiations of any kind.” However, she did state “personal relations between the two supreme leaders [you and Kim] are still good and the chemistry is mysteriously wonderful.” As for Venezuela, that situation is now very serious and may soon require U.S. military action. Sincerely, John W. Spring March 14, 2019 RE: CHINESE TROOPS DEPLOYED TO VENEZUELA Dear Friends, According to SomeonesBones, a White House source claims that Chinese President Xi Jinping has already sent 35,000 elite troops—the People’s Liberation Special Operation Forces—to help repel incursions on Venezuelan soil. If a garrison is considered to be about 500 soldiers, then it would be about five such military groups from China that are now in Venezuela. SomeonesBones also reported that on January 23, 2019 an American reconnaissance satellite—USA-139—captured images of a Chinese-flagged container ship offloading troops and armor near Puerto Cabello in Venezuela, which is about 100 miles west of Caracas. Chinese assets included several Type 99 main battle tanks, towed artillery, and a platoon ZBD 97 infantry fighting vehicles. China is bolstering Maduro’s 360,000-man army and also providing logistical support to prevent Maduro from being overthrown. Sincerely, John W. Spring John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 February 19, 2019 Dear Mr. President: Perhaps you may have seen the motion picture titled “Heartbreak Ridge” with Clint Eastwood that tells the story of U.S. armed forces being deployed to Grenada, an island in the Caribbean Sea, to rescue American medical students in 1983 after leader Maurice Bishop of the New Jewel Movement had been placed under house arrest and later executed by the People’s Revolutionary Army firing squad. However, the real reason for the United States invading Grenada was due to a very long runway that was then under construction for the main purpose of providing a stop-over needed for refueling the Soviet air transport before deploying its cargo of Thermonuclear Weaponsto Punta Huete in Nicaragua where another very long airstrip was being constructed, which would have enabled the Soviet Union to launch so many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads that would have been able to strike directly at the United States within minutes after landing. Today, that airfield on Grenada is now the Maurice Bishop International Airport. About a decade ago, Russian President Vladimir V. Putin, in violation of the INF Treaty, had authorized the construction of a very long asphalt airport on La Orchila Island located in the Caribbean Sea and administered by Venezuela that can accommodate very large air transports capable of deploying several missile launchers and many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with ThermonuclearWarheads that can be launched within minutes after landing on La Orchila Island or at Punta Huete Airport in Nicaragua, the longest runway in all of Central America. So, not only did La Orchila Island replace Grenada as a Russian Air Force base, but it is in a better location for striking at all regions of the continental United States. Sincerely, John W. Spring John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 February 19, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: ANALYSIS OF NICARAGUA, NORTH KOREA, RUSSIA AND VENEZUELA Dear Mr. President: Due to your scheduled forthcoming second summit soon with Chairman Kim Jong Un at Hanoi in Vietnam, I shall try to be rather brief about my recent geopolitical analysis by ranking in order of concern Venezuela, Russia, North Korea and Nicaragua in Central America. Venezuela: While I am concerned about humanitarian aid being able to enter into Venezuela for the starving people and the Marxist dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro, I am even more concerned about a potential Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missile Nuclear attack from La Orchila Island in the Caribbean from a Russian Air Force base with very long runways on the island. Russia: The Kremlin in Moscow has violated the INF Treaty by building very long airstrips on La Orchila Island, which is administered by Venezuela and at Punta Huete in Nicaragua that can land large air transports deploying mobile missile launchers and also many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads. North Korea’s rocket engines have been manufactured in Russia at factories in the Moscow Industrial District. North Korea: If Washington continues to exert more pressure on Kim Jong Un, Pyongyang will replace him with a Stalinist hardliner who will become far more hostile towards America. Nicaragua: The very long runway can accommodate the very large air transports that can deploy mobile missile launchers and so many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with NuclearWarheads that can be launched at the United States within minutes after reaching Punta Huete. Sincerely, John W. Spring John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 February 15, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: THE PRESENT CLANDESTINE RUSSIAN MISSILE CRISIS IN LATIN AMERICA Dear Mr. President: Besides being the first American scientist and geopolitical analyst to call your attention to North Korea’s capability to strike with ICBMsarmed with Thermonuclear Warheads at any region in the continental United States, I must now also warn you about Russia’s current capability for striking at America with Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads launched from an island called La Orchila in the Caribbean Sea and at Punta Huete in Central America within a few minutes after mobile missile launchers are unloaded from very large air transports such as the Antonov An-124 Ruslan and the Antonov An-225 Mriya. La Orchila Island, located in the Lesser Antilles, is administered and claimed by Venezuela and the Russian Air Force has already constructed a runway on the island that is 3,200 meters or 10,007 feet in length, which is almost two miles long. In addition to this asphalt runway, the Russians are building a larger airfield that will probably be 3,500 meters or 11,483 feet long and 30 meters or 197 feet wide, which will be able to accommodate many Antonov An-225 Mriya air carriers that are scheduled to be produced this year during 2019 inChina or Russia. The airfield at Punta Huete Airport in Nicaragua has the longest runway in Central America. Sincerely, John W. Spring John W. SpringP.O. Box 18946Anaheim, CA 92817 February 14, 2019 The PresidentThe White House1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, NWWashington, DC 20500 RE: LA ORCHILA ISLAND RUSSIAN AIR FORCE BASE AND ANTONOV An-225 Dear Mr. President: The Russian Air Force base on La Orchila Island in the Caribbean Sea has a runway that is 3,200 meters or 10,007 feet long that is now in operation. It is now able to accommodate the Antonov An-124 Ruslan strategic military heavy air transport that can carry 150 tons of cargo as well as the much larger Antonov An-225 Mriya, which not just able to airlift up to 630 tons of cargo inside its fuselage, but it also is able to launch missiles or spacecraft in mid-air up to 70 meters or 230 feet in length. In addition, the Russian Air Force is also constructing another airfield that will be at least 3,500 meters or 11,483 feet long and 30 metersor 197 feet wide, which will be ideal for landing the Antonov An-225 Mriya air transports on La Orchila Island as a stopover for refueling before continuing westward on the course to Punta Huete Airport in Nicaragua, the longest runway in Central America, from where mobile missile launchers could be unloaded in only a matter of a few minutes to fire many Intermediate-Range Ballistic Missiles armed with Thermonuclear Warheads capable of reaching all strategic targets in the United States without any warning. Although only one Antonov An-225 Mriya currently exists in operation, there are two possible locations where these largest air transports in the world are being manufactured and produced.Russia has all of the parts for this giant aircraft and the machinery to produce larger quantities. China was able to obtain all of the technology from Ukraine several years ago and is expected to complete production during 2019. So Russia and/or China may already have a fleet available of this massive aircraft for military deployment. But even the smaller Antonov An-124 Ruslan could be adequate for such a clandestine operation in Latin America. This is why Venezuela is a serious threat to our national security. Sincerely, John W. Spring For information regarding your data privacy, visit Acast.com/privacy See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
Why did Alfonso come to the Midwest? It had something to do with the FARC - las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia - una alianza en contra del gobierno since 1964. The FARC sustains their estilo de vida by kidnapping and ransom, illegal mining, extorsiones and the production and distribución of illegal drugs. Alfonso was kidnapped on a fishing trip in Venezuela and when he escaped to el Medio Oeste he was just supposed to be here for 3 months. Pero Alfonso’s kidnapping was more a plane robbery than un secuestro.
In this first podcast, DR RODDY BRETT, Director of the CENTRE FOR PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS, explores the history of COLOMBIA's internal armed conflict, and how the armed struggle with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the FARC-EP, was finally brought to an end in 2016 by the landmark peace agreement between the government of President Juan Manuel Santos and the former guerilla group. On 27 May 2018, COLOMBIA goes to the polls to elect a new president. PRESIDENT JUAN MANUEL SANTOS is coming to the end of his second term and so out of the running. The big question is whether Santos' successor will support the ongoing peace process, which faces a number of challenges. Political opposition threatens the implementation of the complex series of peace accords, and the continuing conflict with the National Liberation Army (ELN) could undermine the fragile peace achieved to date. PRODUCTION | ChromeRadio in partnership with the CENTRE FOR PEACE AND CONFLICT STUDIES, UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS | Producer - Catriona Oliphant | Post-production - Chris Sharp.
Episode 6 of Pearcey Presents gets a glimpse in the Cali Mafia and Colombia’s Wild Side as told by Australian writer Austin Galt - WHITE NIGHTS: A COLOMBIAN ODYSSEY, a man that has lived the life and partied like you could only imagine. As well getting to know the man behind this incredible story.“Austin arrived in Colombia looking for a life less ordinary. He found it - or did it find him? On Austin's first day in the country he was hauled off a bus to look down the barrel of a gun as he was detained and questioned by the AK-47-toting Revolutionary Armed Forces. Welcome to Colombia!”“In the days, months and years that followed, Austin travelled all over Colombia, tracing the Narcos' trail and walking in the shadows of drug lords such as Pablo Escobar and the Cali Cartel. While meeting local gangsters and international coke traffickers, he attended underworld parties and was lured into the sex, drugs and danger-fuelled life of an underworld kingpin.”To Find More Information On WHITE NIGHTS: A COLOMBIAN ODYSSEY please visit https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781760555481/Want to know where to purchase a copy of this wonderful book??Available from Booktopia & Dymocks and all good book shops.***We are also giving away a signed copy of WHITE NIGHTS: A COLOMBIAN ODYSSEY as part of the Pearcey Presents Prize Booty. A Massive Thank You to Pan Macmillian & Austin for their wonderful and kind assistance*** Please Follow Pan Macmillan on Social MediaInstagramTwitterFacebookWebsitePearcey Presents Loves Your Support!We would love your support at Pearcey Presents and means a great deal to us. If you could please follow our Social Media platforms via the links below and even share the episode details so your family and friends can listen and enjoy the show. You will also be able to stay up to date on future guests, first access to highlight clips and enter competitions such as the one we are running now! Website -> www.pearceypresents.com Facebook -> @pearceypresentsTwitter -> @pearceypresentsInsta -> @pearceypresentsYouTube -> @pearceypresents© 2018 Pearcey Presents Podcast, All Rights Reserved
In Spirit of America's first podcast, Latin America Project Manager Nicholette Parrish describes her efforts to curb cocaine production through education within a struggling community in Colombia. With over 90 percent of the cocaine in the United States estimated to have come from Colombia, the local governments are struggling to impede the cultivation of illicit crops, the production and trafficking of illegal drugs, and the impact of Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). These Illegal activities are conducted by armed groups such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), criminal gangs (BACRIM) and terrorist support networks, who often recruit or kidnap local youth to aid in their illicit activity.
#007 — Rebuilding war-torn Columbia. How do you work your way back after experiencing the severe trauma of a great loss? What if that trauma was wrapped up in living through an armed conflict, either as a victim or aggressor? And what if a culture of violence was the only life you’d ever known? Today we talk to Natalia Quiñones of Dunna: Creative Alternatives for Peace. The people of Colombia have been endured armed conflict since the mid-1960’s, when the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and other guerrilla movements began fighting for influence in the country. Propelled by marked inequality in Colombian society, the violence among the FARC, the Colombian government, and paramilitary groups led to the deaths of more than 220,000 people, most of them civilians. More than five million civilians were displaced from their homes between 1985 and 2012, and one in three of the 7.6 million registered victims of the conflict were children. A peace agreement between the Colombian government and FARC was finally reached in November of 2016. Natalia Quiñones grew up in Bogotá, Colombia, but knew little about the armed conflict. She was born to a privileged family and educated by American teachers in private bilingual schools, so it wasn’t until after graduation that Natalia became aware of the violence born of disparity that was happening right around the corner. Yoga had helped Natalia cope with the loss of a close friend, and she believed that it could help heal and rebuild war-ravaged communities in Colombia—but the practice was only available to the elite. In 2010, Natalia and María Adelaida López founded Dunna: Creative Alternatives for Peace, to introduce basic poses to both the poor, mostly rural victims of the conflict and the guerilla fighters who once terrorized them. The yoga classes have proven to reduce the symptoms of PTSD and equip locals with the tools to heal themselves. Today Natalia shares the science behind yoga’s ability to heal, the similarities among victims and aggressors of the conflict, and her surprise at people’s capacity for change. I also ask about her unique parenting journey as part of a gay couple who adopted a daughter, which had been illegal in Colombia until November of 2015. Listen in to understand how becoming a parent changed Natalia, revitalizing her commitment to make the world a better place and cultivate creative alternatives for peace. FULL SHOW NOTES: Get the complete show notes with episode quotes, photos, and time stamps at www.startuppregnant.com/007 EPISODE SPONSOR & SPECIAL OFFER: Thank you to the sponsor of this episode: Aeroflow Breastpumps. They are dedicated to making the hassle of getting your breast pump a little bit easier—actually, a lot easier! Head to www.aeroflowbreastpumps.com/startup to have them help you qualify for a free breast pump through insurance. All of our sponsor offers are available on our website for you to grab the perks and discounts offered to podcast listeners: http://startuppregnant.com/sponsors LEARN MORE ABOUT NATALIA QUINONES Natalia Quiñones is the Co-founder and Legal Director of Dunna, a nonprofit created to research, design and implement intervention models in yoga and the arts, with the intention of constructing a peaceful society in Colombia after the armed conflict. Natalia is also a partner with Quiñones|Cruz, a consultancy in international taxation and tax litigation. She has served as both the president and chair of the Scientific Committee of the International Fiscal Association’s Colombian Branch as well as the editor-in-chief of the Colombian Institute of Tax Law Review. Natalia received her degree from the New York University School of L --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/startuppregnant/message
On June 20, 2017 the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) ceased to be an armed group. But as WOLA's Gimena Sánchez-Garzoli makes clear, the hard part awaits. In a wide-ranging discussion about the current moment, we discuss next steps in the FARC demobilization, the ominous appearance of armed groups in zones of previous guerrilla influence, recent social protests on the Pacific Coast, Colombia's ability to implement its accord commitments, civil society's role in making it happen, and our growing concerns about where the Trump administration is headed.
The conflict between the Colombian government and the rebel group FARC has been one of the world’s longest-running insurgencies. How will the latest agreement between the two sides balance demands for justice and peace? (Published: May 8, 2017)
You've heard it talked about in the news for 52 years, Communist guerillas fighting the Colombian government in interior jungles. What do any of us really know what The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People's Army is really about? Where did they come from? What do they want? Why have they been fighting for so long that almost all the other Communists are gone?
This latest episode of Birkbeck Voices gives some fascinating listening for the cold winter evenings • The Calendar: Following two high-profile screenings of the latest film from Birkbeck’s Derek Jarman lab [jarmanlab.org] Professor Colin MacCabe, Chair of the research and film-making lab, talks to us about The Seasons in Quincy: Four Portraits of John Berger [from 46 seconds] • Birkbeck People: Dr Oscar Guardiola-Rivera, Reader in Law, talks to us about the Colombian peace process, and his involvement in talks between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) during the 1990s [from 9 mins 30 secs] • Research Focus: Professor Jacqueline Barnes, who was recently made a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, talks about her research into the environmental factors that affect early childhood development, and the challenges of ensuring that successive government policies take scientific evidence of their efficacy into account [from 21 mins 40 secs]
In 2002, the French Colombian politician Ingrid Betancourt became perhaps one of the best-known hostages in the world when she was kidnapped and held for over six years, deep in the Colombian jungle, by the Farc or Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Watching Ingrid's emotional release on TV in 2008, was a young Canadian journalist called Amanda Lindhout. A month later she herself was taken hostage at gun-point, on a work trip to Somalia. For the 460 days of Amanda's captivity, she thought about Ingrid nearly every day, inspired by the thought that she too could one day end her ordeal. This is the first time they have spoken to each other. (Photo: Amanda Lindhout (L). Credit: Steve Carty. (R) Ingrid Betancourt. Credit: Barker Evans)
This special edition of Latin Pulse includes an opportunity to hear a Cuban perspective on politics and diplomacy, along with an analysis of what derailed the peace process in Colombia. A Cuban professor discusses the importance of continued exchanges between the United States and Cuba, while analyzing reactions to U.S. programs designed at political change and Cuban succession. The program also discusses the rejection of the peace treaty with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The news segment covers doubts about the sincerity of Venezuela's president during the papal negotiations to end the country's political crisis and avert violence.The program includes interviews with:Santiago Perez Benitez of the University of Havana & the Cuban Center for International Political Research (CIPI); andAdam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA).Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; andAssociate Producer: Jim Singer. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.) (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.) podcastnewsLatin AmericapoliticsVenezuelaCubadiplomacyeducationThe VaticanNicolas MaduroPope FrancisColombiaUnited StatesembargoJuan Manuel SantosU.S. State DepartmentUSAIDeconomicscorruptionagricultureRaul CastromediaRussiaChinaCanadaFidel Castroeconomic reformMiguel Diaz-CanelplebisciteAlvaro UribeFARCjusticeEuropean Unionhuman rightspeace accord
The proposed peace treaty dealing with the FARC in Colombia and the deterioration of democracy in Nicaragua are the twin themes on Latin Pulse this week. First, the program dissects the proposed peace pact between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC by its Spanish acronym) and the Colombian government. Also, the program explores how President Daniel Ortega has manipulated the electoral system in Nicaragua. The news segment of the program covers the end of Dilma Rousseff's presidency as the Brazilian Senate found her guilty of shifting funds without Congressional approval and with misleading the Brazilian Congress.The program includes in-depth interviews with:Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA); andManuel Orozco of the Inter-American Dialogue. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; andTechnical Director: Jim Singer. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.) (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.) podcastnewsLatin Americapolitics BrazilimpeachmentColombiaFARCELNDilma RousseffUnited StatesNicaraguaSandinistasFSLNjusticeVenezuelaMichel Temerpeace treatycivil warjusticeAlvaro UribeDaniel OrtegaelectionsdemocracyUNceasefirePedro ReyesLiberal PartyFidel CastrocrimeJoe BidenUnited Nations businessinfrastructureinequalitytransportationoilracismAfro-Cubansminority issuesHonduras
After more than 50 years of armed conflict that has left 200,000 dead and millions displaced, Colombia is on the brink of peace. A final deal between the government and the Farc guerrilla movement is expected to be signed soon. Thousands of armed fighters will then lay down their weapons in preparation for reintegration into a society from which they have been estranged for years. But the process will not be easy – for the Farc's fighters, or for the rest of Colombian society. (Photo: Fighters of the Front 53, a faction of the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) guerrilla movement, in Los Alpes, 150km south-east of Bogota. Credit: Getty Images)
Corruption and its corrosive effects on politics in Brazil and international fùtbol/soccer tournaments is the central theme this week on Latin Pulse. The program analyzes the rocky beginnings of the administration of Interim President Michel Temer in Brazil. The program also provides an analysis of the Copa America in its centennial year, which includes a preview of this weekend's finale between Argentina and Chile. The news segment of the program covers the historic agreement between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (the FARC) and the Colombian government, agreeing to a ceasefire before a permanent peace treaty.The program includes in-depth interviews with:Alex Cuadros, author of Brazillionaires; andJoshua Nadel of North Carolina Central University. Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Technical Director: Jim Singer; and Production Assistant: Chorsie Martin. (To download or stream this podcast, click here.) (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.) podcastnewsLatin AmericapoliticsBrazilArgentinaColombiaFARCceasefirepeace talksUnited NationsJuan Manuel SantosELNUNCopa AmericaDilma RousseffUnited StatescorruptionWorkers PartyChilePetrobrasoilPMDBVenezuelasoccerfutbolFIFAsportsimpeachmentLionel MessieconomicsmediaUnivision
Colombia’s half-century war with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) has cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of people and remains Latin America’s longest armed conflict. After more than three years of talks, the Colombian government and the guerrillas are nearing a self-imposed deadline for the completion of peace negotiations. Despite the support that the peace process enjoys outside Colombia, key provisions already agreed to are leading many to reject the agreement. José Miguel Vivanco will explain why the lack of meaningful accountability for crimes against humanity committed by both parties contravenes international law, delegitimizes the negotiations, and undermines the chance for sustainable peace. Adam Isacson will make the case in favor of the agreement. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
War and peace in Colombia and Mexico provide the themes on Latin Pulse. The program updates the status of the long-running peace talks in the 51-year-old civil war in Colombia. This discussion includes fears that different rebel groups will supplant the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (the FARC). The program also analyzes the problems of human rights and corruption in Mexico as that country tries to prosecute its part in the Drug War. The news segment of the program covers the feud between Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump and Vicente Fox, the former president of Mexico, over Trump's immigration proposals.The program includes in-depth interviews with:Adam Isacson of the Washington Office on Latin America (WOLA); andEric Olson of the Woodrow Wilson Center.Executive Producer: Rick Rockwell; Technical Director: Jim Singer; andAssociate Producer: Natalie Ottinger.(To download or stream this podcast, click here.) (The program is 30 minutes in length and the file size is 42 MB.) podcastnewsLatin AmericapoliticselectionsColombiaMexicoimmigrationUnited StatesBarack Obamacivil warDrug WarDonald TrumpVicente FoxJuan Manuel SantosEnrique Pena NietoJoaquin "El Chapo" GuzmanFARCpeace negotiationsAlvaro Uribeorganized crimedrug cartelsillegal miningFelipe CalderonELNjusticeCubaviolenceeconomicsmilitiasinfrastructurepoliceinsurgentsrebelscocainePANhomicidesoilCubadiplomacyfinancecrimeArgentina
Download PodcastTune in for an hour of news, information and conversation around the issue of political prisoners and prisoners of war.Tonight we will examine the case of Simón Trinidad (born July 30, 1950) is the alias of Juvenal Ovidio Ricardo Palmera Pineda. Trinidad is a high level member of The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People's Army whom the United States government tried to frame on drug trafficking charges which failed but was able to convict him a kidnapping that he was not involved in that allegedly occurred in another country."For the past seven years, he has been a resident of the U.S. Penitentiary Administrative Maximum, better known as ADX. In the highest-security prison in North America, Trinidad is serving a sixty-year sentence for “conspiracy to commit hostage-taking,” based on a kidnapping that occurred on another continent — and without, his attorneys insist, any direct involvement on his part." - ALAN PRENDERGASTLets discuss the audacity of the US government bringing drug trafficking charges against Simón Trinidad while its agents partied with prostitutes in Colombia as well as cutting deals with the Mexican Sinoloa cartel. The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia—People's Army is currently involved in peace negotiations sponsored in Cuba which is celebrating its 56th year of independence from the brutal rule of puppet tyrants controlled by the West.Two new activist join the ranks of political prisoners in the USA. "Two animal-rights activists have been charged with terrorizing the fur industry during cross-country road trips in which they released about 5,740 mink from farms and vandalized the homes and businesses of industry members, the FBI said Friday. The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force arrested Joseph Brian Buddenberg, 31, and Nicole Juanita Kissane, 28, both of California, and federal prosecutors charged them with conspiracy to violate the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act." - APThese "terrorism" charges against animal rights activists are another example that US Attorney General Loretta Lynch was being less than truthful when she indicated that there are no terrorism charges that can be brought against Dylan Roof.Black Lives Matter demonstrators interrupted a recent presidential debate to force them to discuss the state sponsored terrorism known as police brutality in the United States. In Cleveland where organizers are having a conference, it is being reported that police attacked activist with chemical weapons when they came to the aid of a 14 yr-old attacked by police at a bus stop across the street from the Black Lives Matter conference.The medical campaign for Black Panther activist Robert Seth Hayes. Advocates are asked to continue with calls. Support Independent Black Media, Make A Donation Today! // < ![CDATA[ google_ad_client = "ca-pub-5648366551315662"; /* 320 X 50 Article ads */ google_ad_slot = "2779510942"; google_ad_width = 468; google_ad_height = 60; // ]]>// < ![CDATA[ // ]]>
A look at the funding for foreign militaries that might become law as part of the 2015 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that passed the House of Representatives in May. Included is a look at the US funding for Israel's military, the funding for the "drug war" in Columbia, the "new normal" in Africa, the continuation of our wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the brewing war with Russia. Congress has passed a National Defense Authorization Act for 53 straight years. Money for Israel Congressional Research Service report from April 2014 on U.S. Foreign Aid to Israel. After the holocaust, Jewish survivors who had just been put through Hell on Earth needed a place to go. In 1948, the United Nations decided to give them a country. That’s what Israel is- a country created after World War II for the Jewish people. Now, the fair thing to do would have been to give them some of Germany’s land. After all, Germany was responsible for the Holocaust. But instead, because of their religion, the men in charge gave the Jewish people their Holy land around Jerusalem. There was one huge problem with this course of action: The land they wanted for Israel already had people living there, the Palestinians. In 1948, the land around Jerusalem that had been a British colony was split and Isreal was officially created. In the process, Palestinians were kicked out of their homes. The people who were kicked out - most of them Arab - were pissed about it. They’re still pissed, not only about that original injustice but also because of the continued land grabs that have happened ever since. Over the years, the map of Israel has been redrawn, each time more land going to the Jewish people and less land remaining for the Palestinians. The Palestinians have been pushed into two bubbles - One is a large chuck in the Eastern part of Israel, which borders the Dead Sea and Jordan called the West Bank. The other chunk is a teeny tiny strip of land in the south part of Israel called Gaza. Gaza is surrounded by Israel on two sides, the sea on one side, and Egypt on the other. Inside that little strip are 1.8 million people, 70% of them refugees from the land that now makes up Israel. In 2005, the Palestinians scored a victory in the smaller bubble known as Gaza. Israeli condo builders had to abandon the home’s they built on Palestinian land - described on the TV as “settlements” - and the Israeli military withdrew their troops from the tiny Gaza strip. However, Israel would still control the airspace over Gaza and the sea off Gaza’s shore, meaning Gaza is still surrounded and controlled by Israel on three of it’s borders; Egypt controls the other. In 2007, the Palestinians elected a political group called Hamas to run their government. Hamas is openly anti-Israel - they say so right in their charter - and the Palestinians would be punished by Israel for their electoral decision. Since 2007, Israel has enacted a blockade, allowing very few products into or out of Gaza. Because of the Israeli blockade, Gaza residents can’t export their products, which means they have few opportunities to make money. Israel has also limited what products can come in: They’ve limited food, medicine, access to doctors, drinking water, energy, etc. In addition to blocking products, the people themselves are not allowed to leave. Gaza is often compared to an open air prison; the residents stuck there and their every move monitored by the Israeli government. The Ralph Nader Hour: The situation in Gaza During this latest Israeli-Gaza war, as of this recording, 1,915 Palestinians have been killed with the UN estimating that over 85% of them are civilians. With their intricate knowledge of the layout and personal details of all the Gazan residents, there’s no way that is an accident. The proof that stands out in my head is the UN school - the United Nations was housing Gaza refugees in a school and told Israel the location 17 times. Israel bombed it anyway. Hamas - the political party currently running Gaza- is also behaving immorally. Hamas has been firing rockets into Israel and has said they won’t stop until the economic blockade is lifted.. They've put up their best fight, launching thousands of rockets but have only managed to kill three Israeli civilians along with 64 Israeli soldiers. The law of the United States is that it is our responsibility to make sure that Israel has a “Qualitative Military Edge” over other countries, which means we need to make sure Israel can defeat any military "through the use of superior military means…” As of April 2014, the United States has given Israel $121 billion dollars, almost all of that going towards the military. Money from the United States makes up a quarter of Israel’s military funding. This is sold to the American public by saying that this spending protects Israel - which it certainly does- and on our end, it creates American jobs. But due to a deal made by the Bush administration, Israel is allowed to spend 26.3% of the money we give them on weapons Israel manufactures itself, meaning that none of that money is coming back into the United States. Israel is the only country in the world allowed to do this with our cash. Iron Dome is a missile defense system manufactured by an Israeli weapons manufacturer - Rafael Advanced Defense Systems - paid for with that 26.3% of the money that we give Israel which they’re allowed to use to pay Israeli weapons companies. We’ve paid over $704 million for Iron Dome; not one penny of that came back into the United States. Raytheon will soon get half the Iron Dome money. Even worse, after we give Israel our money, they can - and do - park that cash in interest bearing accounts with the US Federal Reserve, so not only are we giving them cash, we are paying them interest on our own money. Raytheon is also going to benefit from David’s Sling, another missile defense system which is manufactured by the same Israeli weapons company that makes Iron Dome. We also pay for the Arrow, Arrow II, and Arrow III, which are missile defense systems that we’ve paid over $2.3 billion and counting for. These systems are manufactured in part by Boeing and another Israeli weapons manufacture, Israel Aerospace Industries. On top of cash and missile defense systems, Isreal is also in on the excess defense article game. Israel is authorized to have $1.2 billion of United States’s weapons stockpiled to use and call their own. For 2015, the President requested another $3.1 billion plus an additional half billion for missile defense. This is ~55% of the money we give away to foreign militaries. In addition, Section 1258 says “(c) It is the sense of Congress that air refueling tankers and advanced bunker buster munitions should immediately be transferred to Israel…” Bunker Buster Bomb We have a legitimate way to get out of funding Israel’s military. The Arms Export Control Act says that the United States may stop military aid to countries which use it for purposes other than “legitimate self-defense”. Congress did not do that. Before leaving for their August vacation, Congress quickly passed an additional $250 million for Iron Dome. It was so uncontroversial in the the Senate passed it without a recorded vote and the House passed it 395-8. The extra money law was signed by the President on August 4 and the money was on it’s way. Columbia Another thing the 2015 NDAA is probably going to do is extend the latest version of Plan Columbia for it’s 10th year. Plan Columbia is a program for that allows the Department of Defense to partner with Colombia’s government to fight three groups: The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC), the National Liberation Army (ELN), and the United Self-Defense Forces of Columbia (AUC). Plan Columbia started in 1999 and it effectively involved the US providing Columbia’s government with a military in return for new laws, although that’s not what the Columbians thought the deal was at the time. The Columbian president in the 1990’s had asked for US money for a national reconstruction plan. He got a military instead. Documentary: Plan Colombia- Cashing in on the Drug War Failure Since Plan Columbia was originally launched in 1999, it has taken $1.5 billion a year from our pockets and sent it to Columbia for the Columbian military's weapons, training, and infrastructure. 20% of the $1.5 billion we give to Columbia also goes towards planes that kill plants by spraying Monsanto Round-Up Ready poison on Columbian farms. The official story is that we’re killing coca plants to stop the drug trade. Columbia’s cocaine production has gone down but the poison is also working, on farms growing food and animals, who are also being sprayed too with Monsanto’s RoundUp Ready plant killer. Seven years after we started providing war machines and poison to Columbia, the United States and Columbia signed the Columbia Free Trade Agreement. It was negotiated and signed by the Bush Administration in 2006 and it went into effect on May 15, 2012. It expands profits of the multi-national corporations by eliminating taxes the companies have to pay in order to get their products into Columbia. Columbia can no longer tax 80% of the products that come from multi-nationals; ten years from now, they won’t be able to tax any of them. One of the industries that wanted this deal the most was the agriculture industry. Before the trade deal, Columbia protected their agriculture industry. You could bring in food products from other countries, but it was taxed heavily, sometimes over 100% for products including corn, wheat, rice, and soybeans. You know who profits from those exact crops? A little corporation called Monsanto. So, here you have a Monsanto produced poison being dropped on farms all over Columbia, literally killing Columbia’s domestic agriculture industry. Then, a deal is negotiated that allows Monsanto crops to be brought in tax-free to be sold to Columbians who can no longer grow their own food. If the Columbians still want to grow their own food, they’ll have to buy the genetically modified kind from Monsanto that can withstand the RoundUp Ready poison that rains down from the planes in the sky. If your government were working for corporations and didn’t actually give a crap about drugs, this would be brilliant and effective plan to ensure profits in Columbia. And in Columbia, it’s working. In January 2013, after the trade agreement went into effect, the Associated Press reported “Agricultural products giant Monsanto reported Tuesday that its profit nearly tripped in the first fiscal quarter as sales of its biotech corn seeds expanded in Latin America.” The trade agreement doesn’t just help Monsanto. Thanks to the trade agreement, multi-nationals are now allowed to own 100% of a Columbian subsidiary in the construction, telecommunications, and energy sectors. The product we import the most of from Columbia - by far- is oil and gas. Oil and gas account for 61% of the stuff we get from Columbia followed by metals and coal. The stuff we export the most to Columbia are oil and coal products, accounting for 33% of our total exports to that country. Chemicals and agriculture are #2 and #3. In July, the Financial Times reported that Anadardo, Royal Dutch Shell, Statoil, and Repsol are trying to get licenses for offshore oil leases in Columibian waters. International oil companies also want to get their hands on Columibia’s significant deposits of shale oil and gas, tar sands, and coal. There were three targets of the Plan Columbia program specifically listed in the law, and they are telling. FARC is the biggest paramilitary group in Columbia, a large, violent pain in the government’s ass and big time dealers in the drug trade. But the other two groups listed have been attacking oil infrastructure, trying to make life difficult for the foreign companies that are taking Columbia’s natural resources and leaving Columbians out of the proceeds. There’s an entire town devoted to the oil industry - Barrancacabermeja - and the Columbian paramilitaries that fight there are the ELN and AUC, the other two groups that are specifically named as targets in the Plan Columbia program likely being extended by the NDAA. The updated version of Plan Columbia, which is being extended, was created in 2005 by the Bush administration. It gives Columbia’s military 800 soldiers and 600 private contractors. Africa Section 1261 orders a report on the “New Normal” in Africa and expresses Sense of Congress that the US should achieve the “basing” and access agreements needed to support our forces. In addition, it requires an assessment from the Department of Defense on how the US could “employ permanently assigned military forces” to support the mission of the US Africa Command. This report can be classified. Camp Lemonnier is in Djibouti; it's the only US military base we’ve actuality admitted to having. It’s the main operational hub on the African continent and was described by the Washington Post in 2012 as “the busiest Predator drone base outside the Afghan war zone." The US Africa Command, known as AFRICOM, and The East Africa Response Force (EARF) operate from Camp Lemonnier, in Djibouti. The captain of the East Africa Response Force told Stars and Stripes, a military publication, “We’re basically the firemen for AFRICOM (U.S. Africa Command). If something arises and they need troops somewhere, we can be there just like that.” While the task force remains on call to fight anywhere AFRICOM needs them, the rest of the troops guard the bases and train militaries that have partnered with us. In total, we now have at least 5,000 troops operating as part of AFRICOM on the continent of Africa. In 2013, AFRICOM conducted 546 missions, up from 172 during it’s first year, 2008. Missions doing what? I don’t know. Just like in Columbia, we are providing militaries for other countries, apparently all over Africa. Here’s a quote from Vice Adm. Alexander Krongard, deputy commander of the task force based out of Djibouti: “I think the heart of our mission is trying to create militaries that are capable on their own of bringing stability, so you can have peace and security in this region,” One of the biggest propaganda tools being used to justify this military buildup is Benghazi. The reason is that “preventing another Benghazi” has been cited repeatedly to justify sending troops, money, and military equipment to countries all over Africa. The 2008 outrage over Joseph Kony was the excuse to funnel at least $550 million to the Ugandan government - much of it going to their military. Joseph Kony has been around for 30 years but we only got involved after oil was discovered in Uganda in 2006. The outrage over the girls kidnapped by Boko Haram is being used to justify the military buildup in Nigeria, a country we get a lot of oil from. In return for access to their oil, we give the corrupt Nigerian government - which has hundreds of thousands of people locked up and dying in military detention camps - we give them hundreds of thousands of dollars every year. After the kidnapping, more US troops were sent to Nigeria’s next door neighbor Chad to expand the use of spying with Predator drones. The Nigerian government was also forced to accept “international assistance” that it didn’t want. That assistance included welcoming special forces from the US, Canada, UK, France, and Israel. The “assistance” included surveillance drones, intelligence operations, and military training. And it’s not just oil that we’re getting in return for our cash and military- we’re getting IMF reforms too. 75% of the citizens of Nigeria are poor and poverty has increased since 2004 despite the nation’s new found oil wealth. The only benefit the people used to get from oil extraction came from a law that said that 50% of the national oil revenue must go to the local governments of the oil-producting countries in the Niger Delta. In 2011, Nigeria's new President declared a State of Emergency in Nigeria and the next day eliminated all fuel subsidies, an IMF plan which causes the citizens of Nigeria to have to spend $8 billion more a year out of their own pockets for the fossil fuels dug out of their own land. Boko Haram - the same group that kidnapped the girls - then stepped up attacks on the government. Since 2009, the group has killed over 900 people fighting what they say is a corrupt regime. Thing is that the people of Nigeria are angry with the government that keeps them desperately poor and they have supported Boko Haram. Why do we want our military in Nigeria? A big part of it is the 3,720 miles of oil and gas pipelines, 90 oil fields, and 73 flow stations that Shell has in the country, which the Nigerian military is not strong enough to protect from Boko Haram and other groups that want the Nigeria’s oil wealth to benefit the people of Nigeria. And now the media is obsessing over an Ebola in that same region of Africa, and the media convincing us that if we don’t intervene immediately we’re all going to die. Ebola has been around for forty years and this latest outbreak has killed about 1,000 Africans. That is sad but it pales in comparison to the death rate of malaria, which killed an estimated 627,000 people in 2012 alone. The miracle cure discovered out of nowhere by the US military comes from the tobacco plant and prompted the spokesman for Reynold’s American, the giant tobacco company that makes the miracle drug, to say that this could mark a step forward in the company’s goal of transforming the tobacco industry both in terms of remolding its image and meeting emerging market demands. All of these stories are being used to build up our military all over Africa, which is what is described officially in legislation as the “new normal”. Along with the base we’ve actually admitted to having in Djibouti, the US military also has drone bases in Ethiopia, Niger, and the Republic of Seychelles. We have regular military bases in Kenya and Uganda. We have a US spying network operating out of Burkina Faso,Mauritania and Chad. We have confirmed troops on the ground in Congo, Central African Republic, Chad, Djibouti, Kenya, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan, and Uganda. Just last week, President Obama announced that the US government, World Bank, and corporations will be investing a combined $33 billion in Africa. Corporate America is moving in - and we’re going to pay their entrance fee with money and militaries to shut down any citizen dissent. Afghanistan There are a bunch of provisions in this year’s NDAA to continue the war in Afghanistan. Section 1211: Extends a program that gives $400 million for the war in Afghanistan in 2015. It also says that the Defense Department can accept money from “any person” - and remember, corporations are people now, foreign governments, or international organization” and add it to that $400 million. The permission to use that money won’t ever expire. Section 1212: Extends authority to spend $1.5 billion in 2015 to pay off any country that helps us in Iraq or Afghanistan. Section 1215: If Afghanistan dares to tax the Defense Department or a US contractor, the US will withhold that much money plus 50%. This holds Afghanistan to a deal - “Status of Forces Agreement” - they made with the Bush administration in 2003. Funds withheld by the US taxpayers will go towards paying contractors back for their Afghanistan taxes. Doesn’t expire until Afghanistan signs a new security agreement. Section 1216-7: Confirms that we will be keeping military members in Afghanistan through 2018 and tells the Defense Department to make a plan for it, even though President Obama announced we would be out of Afghanistan by 2016. Iraq Documentary: Why We Did It We're bombing Iraq again to prevent the "bad guys" from getting to Erbil. Erbil is an oil town that houses thousands of Americans who work in the oil industry. Ukraine/Russia Ukraine is really like two different countries. The west side wants to be part of Europe; the east side is more culturally connected to Russia. Ukraine’s elected government was thrown out earlier this year in a coup after the government refused to sign a free trade deal with Europe. Europe wants Ukraine on it’s side instead of Russia’s because Ukraine has some very important gas pipelines that supply gas to Europe and two ginormous natural gas formations have been found under Ukrainians’ feet which the multinationals who benefit from free-trade agreements would love to get their hands on. The law under the old government was that Ukraine’s gas was only allowed to be sold to Ukrainians. The government that was installed quickly signed the trade deal and now Ukraine’s gas is available to be exported. Russia, in response to the coup, took over a part of Ukraine - a dingleberry peninsula hanging off of Ukraine’s coast called Crimea. Russia had a contract with the old democratically elected government for a Russian military base on Crimea and when that government was thrown out, Russia took the land that houses their military base and is full of people who identify as Russian anyway. It really wasn’t that unreasonable a thing to do. This area was literally a part of Russia when my grandparents were born. In response, however, the war mongering psychos controlling our government are escalating this tension with Russia over Crimea to ridiculous heights. And make no mistake- we are central to the Ukraine story. The new government was one hand picked and supported by the United States and Europe. We've given the new government $1 billion, $15 billion in loan guarantees, 300 military advisers, and over $20 million worth of military equipment. The new Ukrainian government has been using our money and weapons to bomb the Russian half of it’s own country and we want Russia to stand down - not that we have any proof that Russia is actually fighting. We appear to be restarting the Cold War. The 2015 NDAA that passed the House, orders the Defense Department to make a plan to defend Europe from Russian attacks on NATO countries and orders a very detailed report on Russia’s military capabilities to be created every year. To punish Russia for taking Crimea, the bill prevents any NATO country from giving Russia excess military articles and prohibits the militaries of the United States and Russia from cooperating on anything as long as Russia is in Ukraine. Furthering the trade war that began with sanctions in the Ukraine Aid bill, the 2015 NDAA is poised to prevent the Defense Department from contracting with Russia’s state weapons company. This may be a problem as the Pentagon has already spent over $1 billion on 88 Russian helicopters for the Afghan military, a contract that may have to be cancelled and the funds shifted to an “American” weapons dealer. The most disturbing clause - prevents implementation of the New Start Treaty which limits the number of nuclear weapons of both counties, until Russia leaves Ukraine. And now Russia is starting to fight back with their own economic attacks. In response to the sanctions which we’ve already placed on Russia, Russia has banned agricultural products from the United States, Europe, Australia, Canada, and Norway for a year, which will cost multinationals from those countries billions of dollars in sales. Music Presented in This Episode Intro and Exit Music: Tired of Being Lied To by David Ippolito (found on Music Alley by mevio) Bombs Make Terrorists by Dave Gwyther (found on Music Alley by mevio) Honest Gil for Senate in Kentucky
Ingrid Betancourt gives a keynote talk for the 2013 Oxford Peace Building on the nature of peace and reflections of her time as a hostage of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for 6 years. Ingrid Betancourt is a former Colombian politician, former senator and anti-corruption activist. Betancourt was kidnapped by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) on 23 February 2002 and was rescued by Colombian security forces six and a half years later on 2 July 2008
In the 1980s and 90s, Medellín, Colombia was one of the most violent cities in the world, as the home of the Medellín Cartel led by drug lord (and one-time politician) Pablo Escobar. Escobar was killed in 1993, and his cartel fell apart due to cooperation of the rival Cali drug group, and the Colombian and U.S. governments. Robert Lamb lived in Medellín for nearly a year while studying gang governance and legitimacy. He described a three-phase approach to counter violence in Medellín that eventually dropped the city’s homicide rate below Detroit, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. in the U.S. First, the Colombian government co-opted the drug traffickers and paramilitary groups to defeat separate leftist guerrilla groups, like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, or FARC) and the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional, or ELN). “Once they're co-opted, use the decline in violence and the space that gives you to build a relationship between the government and the people who had lived in the hillside slums for years without any kind of city presence,” Lamb says. “As that relationship builds and improves, then you can start to take off the co-opted guys bit by bit - arrest them for the organized crime that is ongoing.” Lamb says political leaders in Afghanistan can hold power by cutting similar deals with regional power-brokers, warlords, and other so-called “malign actors,” and keeping reforms moving slowly. He says both the U.S. and Hamid Karzai’s government have tried to push modernization too quickly, sparking backlash. “It's not that people in rural Afghanistan don't want to have things like human rights, and predictable daily lives, and jobs,” Lamb says. “It's that they'd prefer to do it on their own terms, and at their own pace.”
The last serious attempt to end Colombia's long civil war was more than a decade ago. Talks between the government and the Farc rebels eventually broke down after three years. Ex President Andres Pastrana led the government's failed bid for peace. (Photo: A rebel of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia,FARC.AP)
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