U.S. suspends intel aid to Colombia

For all the praise surrounding Colombian president Alvaro Uribe what is often overlooked are the corruption problems that has hampered his administration. One of these is the serious accusation against Colombia’s intelligence agency (DAS, in Spanish) of illegally wiretapping and spying on politicians, journalists, and judges. The chuzadas has even caught the attention of allies in Washington and has led to a major decision from the White House.

According to U.S. ambassador to Colombia William Brownfield the U.S. will temporarily cut economic aid to the DAS. Though he admitted that authorities where looking into whether the agency “engaged in illicit activities” Brownfield also noted that orders were made to shift aid from the DAS to the Colombian police and Prosecutor General’s Office. The ambassador added that the chuzadas scandal was hurting U.S.-Colombia relations yet left the door open for a renewal for aid if Colombian intelligence were to be reorganized.

The Uribe administration replied by emphatically denying the wiretapping allegations though one local news network added fuel to the fire:

Colombian news source CM& claimed to have access to documents proving that information collected through the surveillance and wiretapping of judges, journalists and politicians conducted by security agency DAS was passed on to members of the government…

Among the documents is allegedly a file labeled "President Uribe," which was used by the DAS officials to collate "documents of interest to the Colombian president."

A second document allegedly shows evidence of the surveillance of journalist Holman Morris by the security agency, including an apparently illegally-obtained email written by Morris.

Opponents to the Uribe administration have not been immune to accusations of corruption; charges may be brought against Sen. Piedad Cordoba for allegedly overstepping her bounds as a hostage negotiator with the FARC.

Image- Tribuna Latina (DAS headquarters in Bogotá, Colombia)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Colombia Reports, Caracol, El Tiempo, RCN Radio, El Espectador

Colombian soldier freed by guerillas

Reunited and it felt so good:

Colombian Army Private Josue Daniel Calvo was freed yesterday after spending roughly eleven months held against his will be the FARC guerillas. Calvo hugged several family members shortly after stepping off a Brazilian army helicopter and appeared to be in satisfactory health after previous reports claimed that he was seriously injured in the April 2009 battle that led to his capture. Nevertheless Calvo is currently at a Bogota military clinic where he allegedly told doctors that the rebels carried him in hammock during his first seven months in the jungle.

Calvo was handed over in a publicly unknown part of southeastern Colombia by the FARC to a commission that included the International Red Cross and Senator Piedad Cordoba. Cordoba- who has served as a liaison in previous liberations- called on the guerillas and the government to make a more serious effort at seeking a peaceful solution:

The senator referred to a new call by the citizen movement Colombianos y Colombianas por la Paz (Colombians for Peace) for a humanitarian exchange between the government and the guerrillas, to secure the release of 21 hostages still held by the FARC.



"We are in the process of writing letters to President Uribe, all of the presidential candidates and the FARC," Córdoba said…

The rebel group also announced that it would deliver the remains of Julián Ernesto Guevara, a police officer who died in captivity in 2006, nearly eight years after he was captured by the FARC. 



The insurgents "told us they have his remains, but that they have not been able to bring them out of the jungle because of the continuous attacks by the army. They asked us to be on the alert," Córdoba added.

Tomorrow the FARC are expected to free Pablo Emilio Moncayo, who has spent 12 years in the jungle. Moncayo’s father, Gustavo, has campaigned relentlessly for his son’s liberation including going on nationwide treks with chains surrounding his body. Unfortunately, Moncayo will likely be the last hostage freed at least until current Colombian president Alvaro Uribe leaves office later this year.

Nearly two dozen police and soldiers have been identified by the FARC as part of a possible prisoner swap that has been downplayed by Uribe.

Online Sources- Xinhua, BBC News, Reuters, IPS, The Latin Americanist, YouTube, CNN

Obama accepts Nobel Peace prize

In a suprising move, U.S. president Barack Obama was named today as the recipient of the 2009 Nobel Peace prize.

Obama won the award months into his presidency and his bid was one of a record 200+ for the prestigious award. "Only very rarely has a person to the same extent as Obama captured the world's attention and given its people hope for a better future," said a statement emitted by the selection committee. Obama accepted the prize but confessed that he didn’t “deserve to be in the company of so many transformative figures that have been honored by this prize."

Zimbabwe’s Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai and Afghan human rights activist Sima Sama were among the favorites as well as Colombians Piedad Cordoba and Ingrid Betancourt. Ultimately, however, Obama became the third sitting U.S. president to win the award in a decision that one reporter worried was “aspirational (and) not based on accomplishments.”

Despite not being selected, Cordoba extended her congratulations to Obama:

Colombian opposition Senator Piedad Cordoba Friday congratulated U.S. President Barack Obama for being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Cordoba had been tipped as one of the most probable to win the prestigious award.

On her twitter page, Cordoba congratulated Obama and wrote that "with or without the Nobel I will continue to do the same I have done all this time. Work for peace in Colombia."

Obama’s record regarding Latinos and Latin America has been mixed so far. He has been praised for his push towards multilateralism during the Summit of the Americas, desire to close the Guantanamo prison camp, and attempt to breach the political gap with Cuba. But he has also been blasted for waffling on immigration reform, tabling several free trade deals, and (depending on who you believe) either aiding or strongly opposing Honduras’ de facto regime.

Image- ABC News
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Reuters, BBC News, YouTube, Huffington Post, Colombia Reports, Vivirlatino

Nobel Prize to Piedad Cordoba?

One of the most controversial figures in Colombia may be an odds-on favorite to win one of the world’s most prestigious awards.

Piedad Cordoba has served as an opposition senator for several years but more importantly has acted as a broker for the liberation of hostages held by Colombia’s FARC rebels. Her work as liaison has also helped distribute videos of hostages still held captive deep in the jungle and has brought hope to dozens of families anxiously awaiting their loved ones.

Cordoba has also received plenty of flack from her critics; she has been looked upon with suspicion over her seemingly close political ties to Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. At times she has locked horns with Colombian leader Alvaro Uribe though tensions seem to have simmered down lately. Such is the disdain for her that she was “showered…with insults and threats” by passengers at Bogota’s main airport last year.

Love her or hate her, Cordoba may soon get the ultimate recognition for her efforts:

Colombia Senator Piedad Cordoba and Afghanistan’s Sima Samar, two women promoting peace and human rights in conflict zones, are among the top contenders for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, the International Peace Research Institute in Oslo said…

Cordoba, 54, “is the most likely candidate,” said Kristian Berg Harpviken, head of the
institute which each year lists potential winners. “She has been able to carve out an independent space for herself in a conflict that’s very protracted. Samar certainly has a very strong personality and played a major role in the Afghan context.”

Image- El Pais
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, Colombia Reports, New York Times, Bloomberg,

Colombian rebels release more hostage videos

Colombia’s FARC guerillas released videos of ten soldiers and police officers who have been held captive for over a decade.

The arresting footage (which you can view here) showed the hostages looking tired with shackles and chained around their necks. They delivered brief messages pertaining to their health, and called for their prompt liberation. One of the kidnapped policemen gave his thanks to his loved ones, the local media, and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez for his earlier work in securing hostage releases.

Previous video was publicized via Sen., Piedad Cordoba who has served as the liaison between the guerillas and the government. The latest video, however, was uncovered when an accused FARC courier was nabbed by police over the weekend.

The news was met with relief by families of the kidnapping victims including some who participated in a small march in Bogota calling for a “humanitarian accord” to be reached. Over the weekend, one of the most vocal activists ended his latest personal trek for the hostages’ freedom:

The father of army Cpl. Pablo Emilio Moncayo, who has been held hostage by Colombia’s FARC guerrilla group for almost 12 years, arrived in Bogota after a foot journey of more than 100 kilometers (62 miles), during which he symbolically crucified himself on the cross of bamboo which he carried during his long march…

“Let the kidnapped people regain their freedom, (let) we Colombians be able to live in a different way and let there be no more anxiety of kidnapping,” (Gustavo) Moncayo said.

Image- Al Jazeera English
Online Sources- Reuters, BBC News, The Latin Americanist, LAHT, YouTube, AP

Colombian rebels release hostage videos

In a developing story, Colombia’s FARC guerillas released video of nine hostages held against their will.

The three soldiers and six policemen were kidnapped between 1997 and 1999 by the rebels and little had been known of their condition until today. The information was presented at a news conference currently going on by the head of a local group representing the families of some of the hundreds of those kidnapped and held hostage deep in the Colombian jungle.

The videos of the nine hostages come on the heels of information recently released by the FARC of two other soldiers kidnapped in 2007 and 2008, respectively. Those videos (image) and today’s footage were publicized via opposition Sen. Piedad Cordoba who has previously worked to broker hostage releases by the FARC.

Speaking of the FARC, it’s worth checking out this article in the Huffington Post of a teen who had previously served as a guerilla. The eye-opening interview describes the horrors of war as well as how easily the now-19-year-old former rebel was recruited at the age of eight:

(…) The FARC banks on the fact that many children in the poor rural areas of Colombia dream of the security, adventure and thrill of being in a military force. Schooling is difficult for poor rural children (Maria had to walk three hours to get to school), and food, nurture and comfort hard to come by. Family abuse is also typical: Maria's own father had beat her.

"I wanted to be a guerilla," Maria told me smiling, her hair pulled back neatly in pink barrettes. "I dreamed of holding a gun. Then a FARC guerrilla came to recruit me, offering me an iPod, so I left my father and stepmother."

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, CNN, El Tiempo, Canal RCN, Huffington Post

Daily Headlines: August 18, 2009

* Colombia: Proof-of-life videos of two hostages held by the FARC rebels were released yesterday with the possibility of more videos to be given later this week.

* El Salvador: The amount of remittances sent to the Central American country dropped by 11% this year according to central bank figures.

* Cuba: A group of Catholic bishops are visiting Cuba this week with the hope of improving relations between the island and the U.S.

* Latin America: Mexican president Felipe Calderon urged local and Brazilian business interests to back a proposed bilateral free trade pact.

Image- BBC News
Online Sources- BusinessWeek, MSNBC, Bloomberg, Reuters

Colombia: Uribe OKs Cordoba as hostage mediator

In what could be a promising sign for dozens of Colombians held captive by rebels, President Alvaro Uribe okayed Sen. Piedad Cordoba to serve as a mediator.

Cordoba- who had previously helped arrange the unilateral liberation of several hostages- had been barred from helping arrange the freeing of Colombian soldier Pablo Moncayo. Uribe's initial move- which had been denounced by Moncayo’s relatives- was reversed at a news conference on Wednesday. Cordoba will thus share her mediating duties with the International Red Cross and the Colombian catholic diocese.

Uribe conceded to the FARC guerillas’ demands that Cordoba serve as a liaison but on the condition that they also free 24 kidnapped policemen and soldiers. In addition, he called on the rebels to hand over the bodies of three hostages who died while in captivity.

Uribe had accused Cordoba of using the hostages for her own political gain though she has not expressed running for a political office higher than senator. The disdain for Cordoba’s role in the previous freeing of hostages even led to an investigation against her for supposed illegal ties with the rebels. She has vehemently denied these charges which she has deemed as a “political farce” against her.

The rift between Uribe and Cordoba symbolizes the dangerously divisive nature of Colombian politics. This has not only caught the attention of casual observers but even officials at the U.N.:

The director of the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights (UNHCR) in Colombia told BBC Mundo that he is "concerned" about increasingly polarized views on human rights and peace in the country.

Christian Salazar, who has just started as director of the UNHCHR in Colombia, said extra judicial execution committed by the army, illegal wire-tappings, forced displacements and paramilitary violence are of primary concern to his office.

He said that Colombia was "divided and polarized" over key issues such as peace and human rights.

Image- El Mundo
Online Sources- LAHT, The Latin Americanist, Colombia Reports, AP

Colombia: Soldier kidnapped since ’97 to be freed

Colombia’s FARC guerillas announced that they would free a soldier held captive since December 1997.

The communiqué to the “Colombians for Peace” group said that the rebels would “unilaterally free (Corporal Pablo Emilio Moncayo) and personally turn him over" to his father, Gustavo, and leftist Senator Piedad Cordoba. (Cordoba has brokered several hostage handovers in the past.)

The letter also claimed that the rebels would be willing to have talks with the government though both the FARC and President Alvaro Uribe disagree strongly on the conditions for negotiations.

The elder Moncayo- a schoolteacher- has been nicknamed as the “peace walker” due to his freedom marches throughout Colombia. As to be expected, he was enthused over the news of the planned liberation of his son:

"I give thanks to God for a moment so infinite, so big," Moncayo said. "There came a moment when the emotion is so big that it clouds my mind, it clouds my feelings. I won't be at peace until I hold my son in my arms".

Image- daylife.com (“In this television frame released by Venezuela's Interior Ministry in Caracas, Friday, March 7, 2008 , Colombian soldier Pablo Moncayo, who has been held for a decade as a hostage of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, is seen during a proof of life recorded message, that was sent to Venezuela's government.”)
Online Sources- Reuters, Colombia Reports, earthtimes.org, Semana, The Latin Americanist,

Another hostage freed by Colombian rebels

Ex-governor Alan Jara was freed this afternoon after being held nearly eight years hostage by Colombia’s FARC guerillas. Jara rejoiced his liberation after being transported by a Brazilian military helicopter along with Senator Piedad Cordoba and a trio of Red Cross representatives. “I’m free!” declared Jara after he reunited with his wife and now-teenage son at the Villavicencio airport.

In a press conference shortly after he was freed, Jara thanked all those who helped in his liberation and also declared his support for the hundreds still held hostage. “You cannot change the country through kidnapping” said Jara in criticism of the FARC though he also emphasized that negotiations “are the only solution” to Colombia’s armed conflict.

Jara was the fifth hostage released this week by the FARC and appeared to be absent of the controversy surrounding the liberation of three policemen and a soldier on Sunday. Former lawmaker Sigifredo Lopez is expected to be freed this Thursday.

Could these series of liberations signal a change in the FARC’s strategy? According to csmonitor.com:

Camilo González, an analyst with the Indepaz peace studies group, said the rebels' decision to do this is part of a FARC effort to regain political relevance. "It is the
FARC's way of trying to recover some political initiative after a disastrous year," he said…

"They may have finally realized that it is politically counterproductive to hold civilians," (political analyst Gérson) Arias says...

But Mr. González argues that the concept of swapping civilian hostages for jailed rebels – which had been central to the FARC's strategy and negotiations for years – has lost relevance.

Image- El Espectador
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, El Tiempo, RCN, AP, csmonitor.com, AFP

Colombia’s Uribe rejects int’l help in rescue

Yesterday we mentioned of alleged plans by Colombia’s FARC guerillas to free six hostages including several politicos and policemen. As part of the exercise to be supposedly done next month, leftist legislator/close Hugo Chavez ally Piedad Cordoba will serve as the liaison.

Colombian president Alvaro Uribe publicly rejected any foreign help (except for the Red Cross) in the possible hostage release. "The government will not permit our foreign relations to be put at risk by involving personalities from the international community," Uribe said in what can be inferred as a veiled threat against his Venezuelan counterpart.

Chavez’ previous gestures helped free several hostages yet relations with Uribe soured months ago over the Raul Reyes diplomatic snafu. Uribe’s comments could also jeopardize gestures made by other world leaders such as French president Nicolas Sarkozy.

The families of the presumably soon-to-be-freed hostages reacted to Uribe’s remarks:

“The president is on call to provide all the guarantees to ensure that there are no errors and our loved ones can safely return home” said Patricia Nieto, wife of hostage Sigifredo Lopez.

“The president has a responsibility to fulfill this humanitarian act and this is what we plead for”…

Image- AFP (“Alan Jara's son Alan Felipe shows to the press letters and pictures of the kidnapped ex-governor.”)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, El Tiempo, El Espectador, Reuters, AP

FARC: We’ll release six hostages

Colombia’s FARC guerillas will release six hostages according to a statement emitted on Sunday. Among those who will allegedly be freed are former governor Alan Jara and regional legislator Sigifredo Lopez who were kidnapped in 2001 and 2002, respectively.

As reported by the AP:

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia said in a statement that the release would happen soon but did not give a date, the ANNCOL agency said…

"As an irrefutable demonstration of our good will and as a gesture aimed at creating conditions favorable to a humanitarian exchange, we announce the upcoming release of six prisoners, in two stages," read the statement, which was dated Dec. 17 but not released until Sunday.

The statement also mentioned that leftist congresswoman Piedad Cordoba would serve as intermediary for the liberation. Cordoba has assisted in other hostage negotiations at times with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez; thus, her role that has landed her in plenty of controversy.

Image- AFP (“Alan Jara's son Alan Felipe shows to the press letters and pictures of the kidnapped ex-governor.”)
Online Sources- The Latin Americanist, CNN, AP, Reuters, CNN

Colombian Prosecutor Wants Piedad Cordoba and Other Colombian Lawmakers Investigated

Is Colombia engaging in a witch hunt? Some may suggest that, especially after Colombian prosecutor Mario Iguaran called yesterday for an investigation into 12 people for alleged ties to the FARC.
Among those he wants investigated include lawmakers Piedad Cordoba (pictured left), Wilson Alfonso Borja and Gloria Ines Ramirez.
The call for an investigation is based on information obtained from those infamous laptops that were seized by Colombia and allegedly belonged to Raul Reyes.

Source : CNN, The Latin Americanist
Image Source : Venezuela Analysis

FARC hostage pleads “don’t let us rot”

While the odds of a prompt liberation of Ingrid Betancourt appear bleak, a video of one Colombian hostage was revealed on Thursday. Former congressman Oscar Tulio Lizcano was been captured by the FARC in 2000 and in his message he emphasized that the Uribe administration needs to seek a political solution:

“To [the Colombian] government I ask to reconsider your stubborn attitude against a demilitarization zone. We ask that you do not consider a military rescue, as we do not want our families to receive us as bones in body bags…”

“I am a sinking ship with its lights on” he said in another part of his message while he was surrounded by armed guerillas. ­– [ed. personal translation]

The video with Lizcano’s message was revealed by Colombian senator Piedad Cordoba. She has become a lightning rod of controversy over her mediatory role between the FARC and the government. Her political relationship with Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez has been of intense particular scrutiny with one columnist going as far as calling her a modern-day Mata Hari.

Sources (English)- Associated Press, Reuters, eitb24.com, Baltimore Sun, Canada Free Press

Sources (Spanish)- Caracol Radio

Image- RCN

Follow-up: Chavez recalls ambassador to Colombia

Earlier today, Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez ordered the country’s ambassador to Colombia to return to Caracas. According to a communiqué by Venezuela’s Foreign Ministry (as reported by Reuters):

"The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, due to recent events and in order to carry out an exhaustive evaluation of bilateral relations, has recalled its ambassador from Bogota," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

relations between the neighboring countries has deteriorated since Colombian leader Alvaro Uribe removed Chavez from serving as a mediator for hostage talks with the FARC guerilla group. Over the weekend, Chavez said that Uribe’s gesture was akin to being “spit” upon and added that political relations between both states were put “in the freezer.”

Meanwhile, Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba- who assisted Chavez in his negotiations- was offered political asylum in France according to the local media. Cordoba was set to appear before a session of the Colombian Congress today after pro-Uribe legislators suspect her of wrongdoing during the negotiations.

Sources (English)- Bloomberg, Reuters, The Latin Americanist, Vheadline.com

Sources (Spanish)- El Tiempo

Image- Al Jazeera