...
and they will probably find them in (guess where) ... Venezuela!
While Colombia is known for one of the worst human
rights records in the world, it remains a top recipient of US
military aid and enjoys uncritical press coverage in Western
media--all while Trump threatens military intervention against
Venezuela over unsubstantiated allegations.
Abby Martin
spoke to human rights attorney Dan Kovalik, who has recently returned
from both countries. Kovalik spoke about many interesting aspects,
among them, the pretenses used historically by the US to operate
paramilitary groups, (in other words, death squads), inside the
Colombian soil, and what will be probably the new pretense for
continuing to support these groups.
As he said:
At first, it
began in 1962, with the National Security doctrine. And the idea - at
least claimed - was to fight Communism throughout Latin America,
beginning in Colombia.
As we know
from general William Yarborough and the things he said at the time,
he was the American sent by John F. Kennedy to Colombia, to begin the
National Security doctrine, which was a doctrine also built around
Yarborough's idea for paramilitary groups. He said we needed these
extra paramilitary groups that could give 'plausible deniability' to
the US and its allies, in carrying out the war against Communists.
But he was clear, when he said Communists he meant trade union
leaders, peasant leaders, Catholic priests who advocated for the
poor, etc. And that's who we've been fighting in Colombia. In fact,
the FARC didn't even exist till two years after the National Security
doctrine.
But then
ever since 1964, we have alternatively claimed we were there to fight
guerrillas, and we were there to fight drugs. But, of course, if you
look at the numbers, the drug numbers have actually gone up in terms
of coca production and cocaine trafficking from Colombia. After ten
million dollars we put in there to fight drugs, the drugs were at an
all-time high!
And now, of
course, the FARC is gone, is not a military organization, they've now
disarmed. So, now what is the justification? I don't think they've
given us one yet. I think they've working on what the new
justification is going to be, though I do think part of it will be
Venezuela, in the need to bolster the Colombian military against
Venezuela.
Today,
especially after FARC disarmament, things seem to getting worse in
Colombia. As mentioned,
it seems that the void left by FARC has been occupied by new
paramilitaries on behalf of big corporations. Atrocities,
assassinations and human rights violations continue against anyone
who dares to question the corporate authority.
The usual
suspect behind the mess is well known and always the same: US
imperialism.
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