Is Colombia At War with Itself?

Excerpted from the ENN Daily Report - 11/06/96 - Vol. 2, No. 311

IS COLOMBIA AT WAR WITH ITSELF?

By Steve Macko, ENN Editor

It may not had been a difficult military operation, but it was a successful attack by leftist guerrillas deep inside the jungles of southern Colombia. For South America's oldest insurgency, remote and inhospitable places have been the preferred launching pad -- easy to strike from, easy to hide in and easy to defend.

Experts who monitor what goes on in Colombia are now saying that the 30 August defeat of the Colombian army at an outpost called Las Delicias could be seen as a defining moment in recent Colombian history. At least 60 soldiers are still being held captive. They are called prisoners of war by the rebels. Colombian officials are now acknowledging that the one-time minor insurgency has grown now to war against the government.

This declaration that says the government of Colombia is under attack is a profound shift of policy for the nation. In the past two months, almost 200 soldiers, policemen and guerrillas have been killed since the rebel offensive began. There has been an insurgency inside of Colombia for the past four decades. But something else is now taking place.

It has always been difficult to define the exact character of the leftist insurgency inside of Colombia. Like other Latin American movements, there have been links to Marxism and Maoism.

What makes the insurgency in Colombia different is that it began and has thrived under elected civilian governments. While in other Latin American countries, these kinds of movements were usually born under military dictatorships. Colombia's insurgency has survived the fall of communism and has actually gotten larger and received more support from the populace. Today, the guerrilla groups are now more numerous and more powerful than ever.

On 30 August, 27 attacks were mounted by three different insurgent groups. The largest group and the one that is seen to be leading the way is the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The FARC announced that it was launching an offensive in the southern part of the country and its intention is to take over the Colombia.

In response to that threat, the Colombian government proposed a large increase in the military budget and to create mobile anti-guerrilla battalions to deal with the rebels.

Ever since the guerrilla offensive began, the link between the rebels and Colombia's powerful drug traffickers has suddenly taken on a whole new and more menacing perspective. It is the contention of President Ernesto Samper and the Colombian military that the guerrillas represent a third drug trafficking cartel -- right behind the Cali and Medellin cartels. It appears that the United States government may agree with that assessment.

Recently, the U.S. government awarded $40 million in military aid to Colombia to help combat the rebels.

All of this points to a perceived prolonged war between the rebels and the armed forces. Even human rights activists in the country are now focusing their resources on how to manage a war rather then to promote peace. In other words, everyone is beginning to understand and accept the real situation.

Daniel Garcia-Pena, the coordinator of Colombia's Office for Peace, said, "What we are seeing now is the natural escalation of the war. The army has grown, the number of soldiers has grown, the armed confrontation has grown and in one way or another, the strategic plans of the guerrillas are part of this. It seems as if war has a better chance than peace ... it has sensitized the country. It is no longer a small problem in a remote area. I think, unfortunately, that the country needs to see the horrors of war to realize it is at war."

Military analysts and experts on guerrilla movements say that there is little chance that the rebels will mount a large-scale attack. They don't apparently have the capabilities or the tactical ability. Regardless, however, the rebels are now perceived to be manacing the capital of Bogota.

But we should really get down to brass tacks and analyze what the central question is about what is happening in Colombia and why it is happening. Why is there an apparent arms race in country? As the Colombian and U.S. governments see it, this is not a war against a simple insurgent opponent that is helping to protect the drug trade -- but the rebels are seen as to be benefiting from the drug trade. That means the FARC has a vested interest in seeing that their principal source of funding is not interfered with.

According to Colombian Defense Minister Juan Carlos Esguerra, the guerrilla offensive was a response to the government's coca eradication program, which started in May. This program was started because of pressure from the United States and Colombia wanted to show the U.S. that is was doing something to stem the flow of cocaine. Regardless of the reasons why -- it appears that the Colombian government "touched the pockets" of the rebels.

Esguerra said, "The problem is very complex. But as far as I am concerned, if you can single out one act that has played a decisive role, I have no doubt that it is our frontal offensive against narco-trafficking in the southeast of the country."

Not everyone agrees with that assessment.

One of the foremost authorities on guerrilla movements in Colombia, Alejandro Reyes, says that it is no coincidence that the guerrillas are strongest in the areas where people are poor and the government ignores.

There is one thing that is certain -- there will be no quick-fix to this enormous and complex problem that is growing everyday. Can the guerrillas win? Perhaps not today, but they are and can be well financed. The funds are there. They are gathering increasing support from the peasants in rural areas.

The U.S. will continue to insist that Colombia do something about destroying coca crops. This in turn will cause more turmoil with the "farmers" in Colombia because they say its the only thing they can grow that makes money. And they don't like the Colombian government taking away their way of living. So, in turn, they turn to the guerrillas to do something about this.

It's a vicious circle and the situation is probably going to get worse before it gets better.

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