Colombia’s Governability Crisis Armed insurgencies and guerilla warfare have plagued the stability of Latin American governments throughout their paths towards democratic development. In recent discussions of the peace talks between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government, a controversial issue has been whether negotiating with the guerilla would bring political stability to the nation. On one hand, some argue that the inclusion of the FARC in political affairs would ultimately delegitimize the government’s authority by having them cede to terrorist demands. On the other hand, supporters of these efforts claim that the government’s efforts to stop the group have not alleviated the violent circumstances …show more content…
Specifically, it is imperative to understand that the FARC is not just a terrorist group within Colombia’s borders. The Republic of Colombia is the third largest country in South America, with a population of 46.9 million . Although Colombia has achieved progress in alleviating poverty, the gap between rural and urban communities remains wide . Forty-six percent of the total population lives below the poverty line and in rural regions, landowners continue to control misused land, and the standards of living vary greatly between regions . In result, the living conditions provide fertile ground for the continued existence of the …show more content…
Originally, the FARC was meant to protect rural populations. However, lack of political action resulted into terror tactics against Colombian population as a whole. Kidnappings, murders, planting landmines threatened national security. As a result, the government launched a series of campaigns to demobilize the group. Specifically, under President Alvaro Uribe the Democratic Security and Defense Policy was enacted . Controversy over the act arose because it brought alarming security concerns for the nation. Although it reduced the number of homicides and kidnappings, the act gave the Colombian military considerable amounts of power in order “to stop FARC efforts without rules or limitations. ” This resulted in the militarization of the state. Although supporters argue that this was imperative to achieve political stability, in reality it gave the state power to avoid reformation of the declining social
Models for post-revolutionary Latin American government are born of the complex economic and social realities of 17th and 18th century Europe. From the momentum of the Enlightenment came major political rebellions of the elite class against entrenched national monarchies and systems of power. Within this time period of elitist revolt and intensive political restructuring, the fundamental basis for both liberal and conservative ideology was driven deep into Latin American soil. However, as neither ideology sought to fulfill or even recognize the needs or rights of mestizo people under government rule, the initial liberal doctrine pervading Latin American nations perpetuated racism and economic exploitation, and paved the way for all-consuming, cultural wars in the centuries to come.
The Civil War in El Salvador lasted from 1980 to 1992, and the El SAlvadoran government was doing their best to minimize the threat of their opposition. Their main opposition, The Frente Farabundo Marti Para La Liberacion Nacional; otherwise known as the FMLN, was a guerrilla group that was organized to fight the corruption in the country. 175). One of the main goals of the organization was to create a new society that is not degrading its citizens and promotes equality. Throughout El Salvador’s history, one organization to the next would run the country through repressive actions and social injustice. One of the main reasons that the FMLN fought the acting government were due to these social restraints on the lower- class citizens in El Salvador.
Introduction The exponential growth of gangs in the Northern Triangle countries (Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras) has led to an epidemic of violence across the region. The two largest and most formidable gangs in the Northern Triangle, the Mara Salvatrucha-13 (MS-13) and the Barrio 18, wage battles against one another to control territory and defend against incursions. In 2011, Honduras led the world in homicides, with 91.6 per 100,000 people; rates were also alarmingly high in El Salvador and Guatemala, at 69.1 and 38.5 per 100,000 people, respectively. In El Salvador, a country with a population of only 6.2 million people, 4,354 were the victims of homicide in 2011 alone, with the Catholic Church estimating that more than 1,300 of these deaths were the direct result of gang violence. To counteract the growth of the gang phenomenon, during the 2000s the Northern Triangle countries favored a mano dura (iron fist) approach to dealing with the increasing belligerence of gangs.
As the Medellín Cartel was the largest drug cartel in Colombia at the time, they had controlled 80% of all the cocaine supply that was entering the United States. Despite the fact that Escobar donated millions of dollars to the local people of Medellin and funded the construction of schools and sports centers to help create a good reputation for himself. But even if he did donate millions of dollars to the poor, it was still just a chip into the Medellín Cartel’s wealth. By looking at the statistics of the number of people who were affected by Escobar’s acts of terror it has become evident to me that the negative effects of the Medellín Cartel had heavily outweighed the benefits of how Escobar tried to give back to the local people of Colombia.
In August 2011, four soldiers were sentenced to 30 years for each murder plus 30 years for crimes against humanity, totaling 6,060 years each for the massacre in a village of Dos Erres in (“Guatemala hands down”) Although there is an attempt being made to convict the guilty, there are many people who should be punished, but will likely never be found to be sentenced (“Guatemala hands down”). It is even common for many people who do not receive adequate “justice to form lynch mobs or hire assassins” (Birns). The escalated violence has caused the community of Guatemala to experience instability and insecurity. The impact today is continued by the organizations who initially caused the conflict, including the “state’s security system” such as “death squads, intelligence units, police deployments, and military counterinsurgency forces” (Birns).
When we hear discussions or read articles about drug wars, killings, and illegal immigration into the United States, many of us immediately think of Mexico. As a nation, Mexico is a much greater country than these commonly referred to issues. Mexico is a country with a broad history, deep family culture, and an economy fueled by oil and tourism. The United States Department of State (USDS) offers a broad range of information on countries outside the US, including Mexico. I found a wealth of information about Mexico through the USDS Background Note provided on their website located at www.state.gov. I will outline for you the key information found in this report, and others, related to the Mexican economy, culture, and more.
As unemployment and inflation strengthened poverty throughout the country, especially in the rural outskirts, in the city a new political movement, threatening the long established oligarch-military complex began to develop. When the radio began to announce that opposition’s, PDC candidate, Duarte was sweeping up votes, the radio was cut and when the transmission, the army government’s choice, Molina, was ahead. The blatant fraud encouraged liberal junior and jealous senior officers to stage a coup, attempting to place Duarte in power. After receiving help from forces in the Central American Defense Council (CONDECA), the which was formed in 1963 under the influence the United States to protect Cental America against “possible communist aggression,” and US military advisors, the senior military command put down the coup attempt. (___) The United States
Latin American Independence was the drive for independence from Spain and France by the Latin American people. There were many contributing factors that ultimately led to the uprising of Latin American colonies. Europe's strong hold on the economic and political life of Latin America, was creating friction between the Latin Colonies and the European nations. Eventually, this would become enough for the Latin American people and the drive for independence from France and Spain would begin.
Bruneau,C.,(2005, May).The Maras and national security in Central America. Strategic insights (5). Retrieved from http://www.nps.edu/academics/centers/publications/onlinejournal/2005/may/bruneaumay05.html
McDermott, Jeremy. “US Targets Colombian Rebels as War against Terrorism Escalates.” Scottsman.com. February 10, 2002.
During the period between 1997 and 2004 Chiquita Brands International represented by the Colombian subsidiary Banadex S.A. paid a total of US$1.7 million to the paramilitary group AUC in Colombia. The purpose of these payments was the protection of their employees in a country that has become a source of violence and lack of government due to several problems. One part of ethical problem in this situation that the money represents a further funding of violent forces and the situation become rather worse than solved. A second and more difficult part is that Chiquita is an originator and promoter of the problematic situation. In addition, the change in the legislation adds a legal problem to the situation.
Food shortages, high inflation rates, protest, and violence: one sees these headlines in a Google search of Venezuela today. All around the country, there are long lines to buy simple necessities, like bread and milk. High inflation rates lead to shortages of food supplies, which increase frustration leading to protests in the streets and, sadly, an increase of violence. The protests and violence result from the inability of Venezuelans to provide the most basic human needs for their families. Sky-rocketing inflation rates in Venezuela are the result of Hugo Chavez, the former socialist and revolutionary leader of the country, and his administration. While in power, Chavez was so consumed with fixing the social issues in Venezuela, that other aspects of the country were ignored – like the economy. In 2014, Venezuela is left with a destroyed economy, angry people, and a government that is trying to fix the many issues the country currently faces; although the government is committed to finding solutions, the people of Venezuela do not feel the government is fixing the problems fast enough.
Venezuela is a country located on the northern coast of South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, Brazil and Colombia. Venezuela is a country full of beauties and contrasts where people can find beautiful beaches, plains, mountains, and even the majestic highest waterfall of the world (Angel Falls). Also, oil rich nation, one of the upper 10 exporting countries worldwide. During more than four decades, this country lived in full democracy until 1999, when a former military officer, who was involved in a military coup years ago, Hugo Rafael Chavez Frias won the presidential elections, and who remained in the government until he died in 2013 from cancer.
The Latin American Debt crisis did not occur over night, the crisis was many years in the making and signs of its arrival were prominent in Latin American society. The reasons for its occurrence are also expansive; some fault can also be place in countries outside of Latin America. The growth rate in the real domestic product of many Latin American countries grew at a constantly high rate in the decade prior to the crisis in the 1980s, this growth led to an increase in foreign investment, corporate investment, and the world began supporting these developing nations (Ocampo). The foreign investments into Latin America created a new international financial system that gave the foreign banks access the funds to give massive loans to the developing nations of Latin America. However, the affluence was not continuous. A rise in natural resources occurred in the mid-1970s, which led to increase the prices of imported goods, and thus Latin American countries would have to find a way to pay back these deficits, which then led them to borrowing more money. By the end of the 1970s, Latin America was in debt to for over $150 billion, and the growth rates for each nations debt varied greatly with Mexico and Brazil taking on more than half of the debt themselves.
There were three aspects in Colombian life in which the Medellin Cartel had a major impact on. The first was the economy. The Medellin Cartel were a drug organization involved in the production and exportation of cocaine. As it turned out, cocaine had become an unbelievably lucrative business for anyone involved. One day, Colombia’s most exported item was coffee and one month later, cocaine replaces it and becomes the most exported item by a longshot, making up to 30% of all the exported items in the country. In the 1980s, thanks to the Medellin Cartel the cocaine trade accounted for 6% of the country’s GDP. Essentially what this meant was that cocaine contributed 6% of the country’s wealth. And of course, all that money was going to the wrong