Download Situation in Colombia

IS THE SOLUTION OF THE
ARMED CONFLICT IN
COLOMBIA THE BEGINNING
OF A MORE VIOLENT ERA?
Maria Lucia Uribe
Geneva
21 November 2005
HAVE YOU
HEARD ABOUT
COLOMBIA?
WHAT IS THE FIRST
THOUGHT COMING TO
YOUR MIND WHEN YOU
HEAR THE WORD
“COLOMBIA”?
COLOMBIA CERTAINLY…
• Is the first producer of cocaine in the world
(57% of world production)
• Has the oldest guerrilla conflict (more than
40 years old)
• Has the biggest number of kidnappings in
the world (3000 in 2002/2000 in 2003).
• Has the largest number of forced
displaced people (207.607 in
2003/287.581 in 2004)
• Has around 5 million people living in other
countries, out of a population of 40 million.
• Has more than 800 terrorist acts per year.
• Has more than 20.000 kids involved in
child prostitution.
• Has 2.7 million kids out of the educational
system.
• Has a huge number of violations of human
rights.
IT IS TRUE WHAT YOU
HEAR ABOUT
COLOMBIA
BUT
IT IS NOT FAIR TO
KNOW ONLY HALF OF
THE TRUTH
Because Colombia also proudly:
• Is the fourth biggest country in Latin
America (Size of France, Spain and
Portugal together).
• Has the oldest democracy in Latin America
(L.A). (The most stable one)
• Was the strongest and most stable
economy during the 20th century in L.A.
• Has never experienced hyperinflation or
defaulted on its international debts.
• Is the only country in South America to
have both Pacific and Caribbean Coast.
• Is the second country in the world in terms
of biodiversity.
• Is the world largest producer of emeralds
(60%).
• Is one of the most ethnically diverse
countries in the Western Hemisphere.
• Is the third largest producer of coffee and
bananas in the world.
• Is considered to have the largest gold
museum on earth. (30,000 pieces)
• Is the first in variety of palms in the world.
• Is the world largest producer of orchids.
• Is the second producer of flowers in the
world.
• Ranks fourth in the world in palm oil
production, drinking water supplies and
nickel.
• Has 47 billion barrels of crude oil reserves.
HOW COULD SUCH A BEAUTIFUL AND
PROMISING COUNTRY GET INMERSED
IN ONE OF THE WORST AND LONGEST
CONFLICTS IN THE WORLD?
HOW CAN THE ARMED CONFLICT DESTROY
NATURAL RESOURCES, ECONOMY,
SOCIETY AND DEMOCRACY ?
HOW CAN THE CURRENT MEASURES AND THE
INVOLVEMENT OF OTHER COUNTRIES CHANGE
THE COURSE OF THE COLOMBIAN CONFLICT?
HOW COULD SUCH A
BEAUTIFUL AND PROMISING
COUNTRY GET INMERSED IN
ONE OF THE WORST AND
LONGEST CONFLICTS IN THE
WORLD?
CAUSES
Short History…
• 1960’s: Guerrilla groups
emerged.
• 1970's: Started as grower and
exporter of marijuana.
• 1980's: Escobar/Medellín
cartel formed.
• 1990: Grower, processor, trans
shipper of cocaine and heroin.
At this stage illicit drug
operations and paramilitary
groups and guerrillas solidify
relationship.
Fidel Castro. Inspiration for
guerrillas in Colombia
• 1993 to Present: Pablo
Escobar was killed. Large
syndicates are replaced by
smaller, more vertically
integrated trafficking
organizations.
• Between 1995 - 1999:
Colombian coca cultivation
increased from 178,000
acres to 370,000 acres.
Decrease since then.
• 1995 - 2005: The guerrilla
fills in the void left when
the leaders of the cartels
disappear from the scene
Why Colombia is involved in
drugs business?
• Ideal climate and
growing conditions.
• Availability of vast
under-populated
“frontier land”.
Eastern and
southern regions of
the country.
Why Colombia is involved in
drugs business?
• Strategic location
near to U.S. markets
(Colombia is less
than 3 hrs away
from the U.S).
• Armed groups
support the
business.
Who are those armed groups?
The Guerrilla Groups (25,000 members)
The Paramilitary Groups (15,000
members)
These groups consist of less than 40,000 individuals in
the country (0,1% of the population), which are located
mainly in rural areas.
GUERRILLA GROUPS
FARC: Revolutionary
Armed Forces of
Colombia. Approx.
20.000 men, women
and children.
ELN:
National
Liberation Army. Less
than 5.000 members.
PARAMILITARY FORCE
• Paramilitary groups.
In response to years
of guerrilla and drug
violence in
Colombia,
Paramilitary groups
emerged. Less than
15.000 members.
Where are guerrillas located?
Reality about Drug
Production
•
Problem:
– Colombia is still the
largest producer of
cocaine in the world.
• Cultivated mostly in
the southern area.
• 2% of the country’s
population lives
there.
– Guerrilla groups get
funds from drugs.
Source: UNODC
Drug Consumption
• North America and
Europe are the
major drug
consumers.
• An estimated 0.5%
or less of drug
production stays in
Colombia.
USA/Europe
Drug Users Growth
1%
2.3%
0.8%
Cocaine Price (US$/gram)
77US$/gram
Source: UNODC
88US$/gram
CONSEQUENCES
HOW CAN THE ARMED
CONFLICT AFFECT
NATURAL RESOURCES,
ECONOMY, SOCIETY AND
DEMOCRACY ?
Economy
• Source of potential instability for Latin America
• Potential damage of market relations with other
countries. (Colombia has solid Exports)
• Agricultural sector is strongly hit
• Holdback foreign investment
• Tourism sector is affected
• Oil sources are threatened
• Brain drain. About 5 million Colombians live
abroad.
THREAT FOR OIL SOURCES
COLOMBIAN EXPORTS
Colombian Exports Destination
2004 (%)
40
37,6
United States
30
20
10
0
Source: DANE
18,9
14,9
Andean
Countries
European Union
ECOLOGIC/ENVIRONMENTAL
• Damage in the Amazon’s environment.
• Jungles destroyed by the cultivation of
coca and the millions of gallons of toxic
chemicals (Amazon River).
• Over the last 15 years, the drug business
dumped 900,000 tons of toxic waste into
the fragile rain forest eco-system (this is
equal to 3 times Valdez oil spill).
«The Amazon Basin is
under threat from the
continued cultivation
of coca. The sowing
of one hectare of
coca requires the
felling of 3 hectares
of virgin forest . In the
last ten years,
1,361,475 hectares
have been deforested
in this way.»
• Natural Reserves
threaten by guerrilla
groups: In the
northern region of
the Sierra Nevada
de Santa Marta,
some 40,000
indigenous people
(Wiwas, Koguis,
Kankuamos and
Arhuacos) are
struggling to survive
and defend their
culture.
Democracy
• Local and national
elections threaten
• Kidnapping of
politicians.
• Guerrillas want to
control rural areas.
• Press freedom is
restricted.
SOCIETY
• About 1000 Colombians lose their lives
every year.
• Displaced people (last 9 years): 3 million.
Children comprise approximately half of
the internally displaced population.
• Human Rights Watch conservatively
estimates that there are 11,000 children in
the armed groups in Colombia.
• Indigenous groups in
Colombia are in danger of
disappearing amid the
country's continuing conflict.
1500 Colombian
refugees
4000 Colombian
refugees
Between 2 and 3 million
Internally displaced
people
30.000 Colombian
refugees
HOW CAN THE CURRENT
MEASURES AND
INVOLVEMENT OF OTHER
COUNTRIES CHANGE THE
COURSE OF THE COLOMBIAN
CONFLICT?
MEASURES
• Colombia spends about US 1 billion
annually on its struggle against drugs.
• Strength of military presence in rural
areas.
• International Cooperation: USA and
European Union support.
• Alvaro Uribe’s Administration: Democratic
Security Policy and Justice and Peace
Law.
Public force expenditure as % of
GDP (1990 - 2006*)
4,5%
4,10%
4,02%
4,0%
3,5%
3,41%
3,19%
3,17%
3,0%
3,58%
2,68%
2,5%
2,11%
2,0%
1,5%
3,33%
1,85%
1,64%
1,0%
0,5%
Source: Ministry of Defense
2006*
2005*
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
1999
1998
1997
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1991
1990
0,0%
Democratic Security Policy
Long term State
policy, focused on
the strengthening of
the rule of law in all
the Colombian
territory and on the
protection of the
rights and liberties
of the civil
population. This
policy compromises
the State and the
whole society.
Four strategic objectives:
• Recover the territorial
control
• Protect the population
• Eliminate the drugs
traffic
• Responsibility,
efficiency and
transparency in the
administration of
resources
JUSTICE PEACE LAW
• IT IS A LAW THAT INTRODUCES JUSTICE
AND REPARATION TO VICTIMS.
• IT IS A COMPLEMENT TO EXISTING
NORMS IN COLOMBIA THAT SEEK TO
ACHIEVE PEACE
• IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEACTIVATE
A WAR MACHINE THAT HAS CAUSED
GREAT DAMAGE IN COLOMBIA FOR
MANY YEARS
SOME RESULTS
Terrorist Acts
Source: Ministry of Defence
ECONOMY GROWS
Other results…
Source: Ministry of Defence
PUBLIC ORDER IMPROVEMENT
Public Security Index, Citigroup (2000 – 2005)
Base: Jan 2001- Aug 2002=100, last 20 months of Pastrana´s administration
Source: Citigroup
Mar-05
Jan-05
Nov-04
Sep-04
Jul-04
May-04
Mar-04
Jan-04
Nov-03
Sep-03
Jul-03
May-03
Mar-03
Ene-03
Nov-02
Sep-02
BASE
2000
120
110
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
IT IS NOT THE BEGINNING OF A
MORE VIOLENT ERA IN
COLOMBIA, IT IS THE BEGINNING
OF THE DISARMAMENT OF THE
ILLEGAL GROUPS, THE
RECOVERY OF THE COUNTRY
AND ITS ECONOMY, THE
INITIATION OF A DIALOGUE WITH
GUERRILLAS AND THE
RESTORATION OF THE ORDER.
THE SUPPORT OF THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IS
NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT
POLITICAL MEASURES.
COLOMBIA ALSO NEEDS
ASSISTANCE IN FACILITATING THE
REINTEGRATION OF DEMOBILIZED
PERSONS TO CIVIL SOCIETY AND
GREATER SUPPORT IN HELPING
THE VICTIMS OF THE CONFLICT
QUESTIONS
• What can be other solutions
for the conflict?
• How can other countries
support Colombia?
• How to avoid the potential
enhancement of violation of
Human Rights?
• Flow:
- Explanation of the Conflict, causes,
characteristics, main actors. Relation
drugs and guerrillas.
- How the conflict affects society, statistics
of violence how it is affecting all the good
things of Colombia. Human Rights.
- Measures taken by Uribe’s Administration
and results, underlining negative effects.
- International Involvement. Possitive
effects. What else can be done?
• Important to mention all the details giving more
explanation (not only reading), at the end I
should mention, shortly and quickly more facts.
• Then during the presentation I will prove how the
conflict is damaging the Country which is not a
damage only for Colombia but for the world, and
how the causes of the conflict also lie on our
nature and resources.
• If it damages the world what can the world do for
Colombia?
• The current measures will bring for sure more
negative effects on human rights? How other
countries can support?