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| Latin America | |
| Colombia Moves Capital to War-Torn City | |
| 2003-07-16 | |
| ARAUCA, Colombia - Colombia’s president transferred the seat of government to a rebel war zone Tuesday to show broadening federal control, while outlawed paramilitary fighters — avowed enemies of the rebels - agreed to talk peace with the government. You mean standing firm, doing what you said you’d do to confront terrorism and whacking a bunch of terrorists gets results? Wonder where Uribe got that idea? The three-day move from the capital, Bogota, to an army base in violence-ridden Arauca on the border with Venezuela demonstrates ``the solidarity of the nation’’ with its people, President Alvaro Uribe declared before leaving the capital. ``Peace in Arauca means peace in Colombia,’’ he said on Radio FM. The rebels are battling the government and right-wing paramilitary groups for control of the oil-rich savannas of Arauca state. Even as Uribe moved to one of the country’s hottest war zones to demonstrate control, both his government and Colombia’s primary outlawed paramilitary group agreed to formal peace talks, the president’s office said. The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC, also promised to start demobilizing its 10,000-strong forces by the end of the year, according to a statement posted on the president’s office Web site and signed by paramilitary leaders and members of a government peace commission. ``The exploratory phase of the peace process has ended, to give way to a new stage of negotiation,’’ the statement said. "We’re getting really tired of living in the jungle, eating monkey stew and getting shot at by a suddenly serious military. Please don’t kill us and we’ll quit!" The AUC is an umbrella paramilitary group accused of some of the worst human rights abuses in Colombia’s 39-year civil war. The group arose in the 1980s to counter extortion and kidnappings by leftist rebels in rural areas where government troops had little or no control. Splinter paramilitary groups did not sign on to the statement. Leaders of the AUC said they wanted to take the appropriate steps to help build the ``authentic peace that the Colombian nation waits for and deserves.’’ For its part, Uribe’s government promised to help the demobilized paramilitary fighters reintegrate into regular society. Gracious, and frees him up to whack the remaining rebels. Civilians, in Arauca and elsewhere, have often been victimized in the violence among the rebels, paramilitaries and government forces. Last week, a suspected rebel gunmen killed a regional electoral official in Arauca and the army deactivated a ``house bomb’’ filled with explosives in Tame, another violent town in Arauca state. Two electrical towers were downed by suspected rebels in nearby Boyaca state, leaving most of Arauca without electricity last week. ``The president’s visit is an act of support for the 300,000 people of Arauca who have been victims of the violence, but who nonetheless have not lost their desire to live on this land,’’ said Arauca state Gov. Oscar Munoz. The last time Uribe traveled to the region, in October, a rebel car bomb exploded in front of a school in the state capital just hours before Uribe arrived. Two police officers were killed, and a dozen other people wounded. ``I hope this visit doesn’t bring more conflict,’’ said Alejandro Rodriguez, 24, who works in a hardware store in Arauca city. Obligatory leftist journalism whine inserted words into this man’s mouth. On Tuesday, residents stayed indoors, worried about the possible repercussions of Uribe’s latest visit. Some 5,000 police officers and soldiers worked around the clock to secure the city, setting up roadblocks and stopping vehicles to help prevent potential attacks. Hundreds of taxis, motorcycles and even bicycles were checked for bombs. Authorities prohibited the use of vehicles with dark windows and barred any two people from riding the same motorcycle — a technique often used by assassins in Colombia.
And it’s working. | |
| Posted by:Steve White |
| #1 ...and in Greece |
| Posted by: El Id 2003-7-16 1:29:53 PM |