Monday, March 3, 2008

Today’s Video: The Shining Path

The death of senior FARC official Raul Reyes and the subsequent diplomatic spat has served to show that some guerilla and paramilitary movements have made their mark on Latin American history. This week’s video theme will look at some of these groups and their respective historical impacts. They have often resorted to bloodthirsty levels of violence by killing thousands of innocent people in order to advance their warped ideologies.

Today’s video is a Spanish-language documentary which examines Peru’s Shining Path (“Sendero Luminoso”) based on the findings of that country’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission. The documentary includes the Shining Path’s history as well as massacres committed in Peruvian villages.

(Video link):

Sources- Wikipedia, The Latin Americanist

3 comments:

redwood said...

you're confusing me as to who the actors were and what the nature of the action was in Ecuador, Erwin:

(1) the actors: paramilitary or actual Colombian military?

(2) the action: killed FARC in their sleep, right? So who are the "bloodthirsty" ones? and

(3) "these groups"? you sound like some 19th Century wanna be British Imperialist. Get real. but for the US aid, whoever governs Colombia from Bogotá would not be there now.

Truly, his is a time for cooler heads to prevail, isn't it, especially among reporters. It is not a time for inflammatory and contemptuous language.

the questioning ought to go along the lines of confirming (or not being able to confirm) Correa's claim that he was about to get the hostages released:

""I can tell you we were involved in very close conversations with the guerrillas, and we were very close to gaining the release of 12 captives, one of them Ingrid Betancourt," Ecuadorean President Rafael Correa told reporters."

If that's true, there are a slew of problems with the Military summary executions.

Erwin C. said...

Allow me to clarify:

The reason I mentioned the situation regarding Reyes' death was because it inspired me to come up with this week's theme of guerillas and paramilitaries. Their impact on history will be looked at this week.

One can condemn the FARC and their previous actions yet the details of the attack on Reyes and subsequent row involve governments who do not always have the people's best interests in mind. For example, the attack by the Colombian army on Ecuadorian territory brings up issues of sovreignty. Many claims have been made (like Correa's quote) that need to be cleared up as soon as possible.

redwood said...

"The reason I mentioned the situation regarding Reyes' death was because it inspired me to come up with this week's theme of guerrillas and paramilitaries. Their impact on history will be looked at this week."

that connection wasn't unclear. what troubled me was that upon learning of the government's summary executions of what amounts to prisoners, you were inspired to think of the victims in terms of their bloodthirstiness.

And there's no doubt one can condemn FARC. the Colombian military just proved that, though I admit I don't know what the clause "...yet the details of the attack on Reyes..." is doing. He was condemned too.

And I wouldn't presume to know what the Colombian people's best interest is. But yes, what's happening here is internationally way significant.

Bush's preventative strike precedence is expanding with historical force into Latin America.

It appears that Crude Uribe didn't even consult the UN, as the US did on Iraq. Colombia should have given Correa a chance to save face.

Now, Correa is asking for a mere apology? Shrewed guy. He lowering the bar just low enough so that he can drive wedges among nations who side with the pre-emptive provisions and those who mis-givings about it.

Now, he can't let this stand without of formal apology and promise never to it again.

dangerous times, Erwin. keep us posted. thank you.