Stories about Colombia from April, 2006
World: Handwriting Meme
John Guzman, a native of Colombia now living in the United States, has started an international handwriting meme. He hopes to attract as much international participation as possible. There is also a Flickr group.
Colombia: Extraditing Gabriel Puerta Parra
Adam Isacson emphasizes the sensitive consequences of extraditing longtime narcotrafficker, paramilitary associate, and ex-government security agent, Gabriel Puerta Parra (alias “The Doctor”) to the United States. Included is a translation of an intriguing and recent interview with Parra by the news magazing Semana.
Mexico, Nicaragua, Colombia, Venezuela: Poll Numbers
It's Friday and Boz has his now infamous poll numbers from across Latin America including a now tighter race in Mexico.
Bolivia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Colombia: Crisis in the Andes
Explaining that Venezuela has already left and that Bolivia is thinking of following, Miguel Buitrago says that most of the achievements of The Andean Community (CAN) are only observable on paper. Movimiento 13 de Abril, quotes Chavez (ES) in his announcement at the Community's recent summit in Paraguay: “CAN serves...
Colombia: Uribe's Ppponents’ Security Problem
Adam Isacson explains why President Álvaro Uribe's popularity is based on one single issue.
Colombia: The DAS Scandals
Adam Isacson breaks down the DAS scandals.
Colombia: FARC and Uribe
Why are Colomabia's leftist rebels helping their conservative President in the upcoming elections? Adam Isacson explains the contradiction of last week's violence.
Colombia: Bus Bombings
Western Hemisphere Policy Watch reports on two bus bombings in the Colombian capital of Bogota, noting that “had these attacks taken place in Baghdad, Bali, or Tel Aviv, the ‘mainstream’ U.S. media would have plastered images all over the news …”
Colombia, Venezuela: Targeting Chavez
Oil Wars translates an article from the Colombian news weekly Semana, in which an ex-employee of the Colombian Department of Security Administration (DAS) claims that “plans that were hatched to assassinate various Venezuelan government officials, among whom were the Venezuelan president.”
Colombi: Notes from last week
Adam Isacson has an informative ten-point review of the last week in Colombia.
Colombia: Leads World in Land Mine Deaths
Steven Taylor laments Colombia's dubious distinction as country with the most landmine deaths in 2005.