Although it was due to the lack of care by the officials
within the country that led many citizens who had been forced into poverty to
turn to growing coca plants in order to make a decent living, it is due to the
paramilitaries and FARC, as well as other organizations like them, that the
actual drug wars began and continue today.
The lower class peasants began to truly suffer due to the separate
political parties within Colombia starting their own unofficial civil war in
the 1940’s. Violence and rebellions from
groups of armed peasants continued as the liberals and conservatives in the
government fought against each other as well.
The economy slowly became worse and worse to the point that civilians
could not make enough money to support their families with their meager
earnings. Since Colombia has the perfect
climate and geographical settings for growing the coca plant, which is used to
make cocaine, many turned to growing it because they would be guaranteed a
profit from it. Simultaneously, a group
of people began to create what would be later known as FARC, in order to
protect themselves from the conflict between the two governmental parties. After people migrated to their controlled
areas in order to grow coca, and they grew increasingly profitable from it,
FARC became much more powerful and formidable.
(Leech)
Of course, with power comes great opposition. Once the drug lords of the area became
wealthy enough they realized that they did not need the support of FARC any longer. This is where the real drug wars began. It is critical to understand that there had
always been violence and conflict within Colombia, especially within the
government. It is exactly because of
these conflicts that Colombia’s authorities could not control their country and
so many guerilla and paramilitary groups sprouted. It is also essential to recognize that with
most of the profits, FARC offer aid, “in the areas of credit, education, health, justice,
registry, public works, and ecological and cultural programs,” as well
as buy better arms and protection (Molano).
The turning point of their goals was in the 1970’s and 80’s when they
started to lose money and power to the drug lords and realized that only by
kidnapping and using more violence they would get it back. “FARC tactics
include bombings, murder, mortar attacks, kidnapping, extortion, and hijacking,
as well as guerrilla and conventional military action against Colombian
political, military, and economic targets.”(NCTC) This was also
the peak of the narcotic problem in Colombia.
Slowly but surely the drug problem in Colombia,
as well as the power of the different organizations, is decreasing. Unfortunately, it is realistic to believe
that the drug problem will never truly go away.
There will always be someone willing to sell them, grow them, and buy
them. Also, it seems as though Juan
Manuel Santos, the president elected in 2010, wants to defeat FARC after 50
years of its existence. The problem with
this is that although the US is supplying Colombia with massive amounts of
money to apparently help with this issue, there have been instances in the past
where its “war on drugs” has actually prevented the Colombian government from
their goals (Leech). With the way events
are happening and people are reacting, this is one war that will never be won.
Alfredo Molano, “Violence and Land Colonization,”
214.
Leech, Garry. "Fifty Years of
Violence." History. Colombia Journal. Columbia Journal, May 1999. Web. 29
Apr. 2012.
"Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - Terrorist Groups." Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) - Terrorist
Groups. National Counterterrorism
Center. Web. 29 Apr. 2012.
-cited
as NCTC
I agree with your argument that due to poverty Colombian people turned to the growth of Coca to make a living, but I do not believe that groups like FARC can bring a whole country down. The government is weak indeed, but not weak enough to be afraid of a group like FARC, or a couple local drug dealers. Billions are spent by the U.S to aid in stopping the drug trade in Colombia. That money has been given to Colombia year after year, without seeing any major results. Stopping several dealers or burning a couple Coca fields is not a great success in my view. If we target those who buy the drugs or those who grow the drugs, then the cartels and FARC won't have anything to smuggle and sell, which could end their fighting for good.
ReplyDeleteBennett, Brian. "U.S. Can't Justify Its Drug War Spending, Reports Say." Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles Times, 09 June 2011. Web. 09 May 2012. .
This post correctly outlines the reasons for farmers getting involved in the cocaine trade, as well as the modern tactics of guerrilla groups such as FARC. However, the explanation regarding how FARC became involved in the drug trade brings up some objections. The post states that FARC originally was created for military protection from the two warring political groups. While it is true that FARC is not a specific political party, it is a political group that carries on much of the violence against the Colombian government. Thus, it is part of this partisan conflict and not a separate entity. It is correct that FARC is associated with the rural farmers, because it originated from many unsatisfied rural peasants forced off their land. Groups of these peasants, coupled with the influence of the Colombian Communist Party, led to the creation of the FARC. Their actions are a protest against Colombian right-wing government faction that they believe deprives peasants of their proper rights and land. Many of these farmers left their lands and joined other FARC members in various mountainous locations throughout Colombia. Without their old crops, many farmers started to cultivate coca because it does not need fertilizers or pesticides. FARC was initially opposed to the raising of coca, but did not want to alienate peasant support. They became increasingly involved in the trade by reaping immense profits through their levying of a tax on growers.
ReplyDeleteBauman, Jan. "Colombia: Origins of the FARC." Colombia: Origins of the FARC. Marin Interfaith Task Force on Central America, 4 Apr. 2001. Web. 09 May 2012. .
Although I understand where your arguments are coming from, I would like to point out a few things. First, I am not saying that FARC and the drug lords themselves are bringing the whole country down, my main point was that the war is mostly between these two groups. Also, as for Sarah's post, you bring up many valid points about FARC that I seemed to miss. However, by protection I meant that FARC was originally made up of armed peasants during the 1940's before they were even known as FARC. In the end, the contribution of the US is absolutely pointless since it is making no difference whatsoever in the economy of Colombia as well as in the drug war. FARC is the major guerilla group, but they are not the only one, and it is a mixture of many groups, as well as many paramilitary groups that are up for hire, that are moving this problem further along.
ReplyDeleteThis post properly highlights the geographic, economic, and political factors that contributed to the rise of drug trade in Colombia. The "idea climate", as stated, was conducive to the cultivation of the coca plant, which was later used to produce cocaine (An Honest Citizen). Also, as this post discusses, Colombia's economy was suffering, for they had one of "the worst economic recessions it has seen in decades" (The Absurdity of the Drug War in Colombia).Howeverm although all these points were made, this post could have gone further into the effects that a failing economy had on Colombia's drug trade. For example, this poor economy, that was vaguely touched on in this post, left many unemployed. Even farmers found it hard to make a living on traditional crops, so they turned toward the profitable coca plant, which only further fueled the drug trade. With farmers' dependancy on coca, and the jobs that producing cocaine allowed for, drug trade became a compensation for Colombia's worsening economy. Another point made in this post is the role of the FARC in the rise of the drug trade. This post was very accurate in describing the involvement of this group in keeping the drug trade alive and nearly unstoppable for decades. Therefore, although this post could have gone further into the economic effects such recession in Colombia had on the drug war, it properly discussed the geographic and political reasons for such trade to occur.
ReplyDelete"An Honest Citizen". PBS. Web. 01 May 2012. .
“The Absurdity of the Drug War in Columbia." MIT. Web. 29 April 2012. .