Paramilitary groups spread terror in Colombia

Even after the government-mandated demobolization of all paramilitary groups in 2006, Colombia is again facing problems with armed gangs running unchecked through the country, exploiting businesses, siezing land, and protecting drug traffikers. While the government continues to say that these gangs do not exist, over 100,000 fighters are estimated in over 100 new gangs. The full story can be read here:

http://www.boston.com/news/world/latinamerica/articles/2008/12/05/paramilitary_groups_still_spread_terror_among_colombias_people/?page=1


This return of gangs is problematic for many reasons. Not only is it encouraging the drug trafficking problem in Colombia, but it is extremely detrimental for the people of Colombia. Over an estimated 270,000 people have been internally displaced because of these fighters, which is over 40% more then the amount of people displaced last year. Colombia has the second highest number of internally displaced people, estimated around 3 million, beat out only by Sudan (due to the situation in Darfur). Fighters will take their lands to use for growing and traffiking drugs, beating and killing people who don't leave fast enough when told. They are especially focusing on taking the costline since its very rugged and good for hiding shipments of drugs in all of the small coves. Rural states are being overrun (over 1 in 5 of the rural states in Colombia have a paramilitary presence in them), forcing the larger cities such as Tumaco to have to help with this huge influx of refugees. This increase in fighters, and thereore refugees, is being caused because with the removal of the armed military in 2006, there was a huge power vaccum that many groups are now trying to fill, at the expense of the peoples of Colombia.

The United States was in strong support of the demobilization of the armed militants in 2006, since it seemed this would help support us in our "War on Drugs." 14 top leaders were even extradited to the US to face drug traffiking charges. Our pressure on Colombia to control the drug traffiking and militants is just an added part of the many aspects which caused this refugee crisis to happen in Colombia. If we hadn't put such a big emphasis on other countries catching their drug lords, do you think that perhaps the demobolization, and therefore these power struggles wouldn't be happening, and Colombian people could be living their lives in peace? I am not suggesting that it is a good thing for people to live in countries run by drug lords, but perhaps having a home and life with drug lords in the country would be a bit better then being forced out of your home and sent as a refugee to the city, just because it was important a criminal was caught.