By Nas & Steph

Colombia: Drug Wars

History (6) Since Colombia gained its (1)

independence from Spain in 1819, the country has been plagued by (2) economic inequality and weak governments

(3) Civil war has mainly been fought between the Guerillas and the Paramilitaries, which are unofficial armies

The armies have used the growth, processing, and distribution of the coca leaf (cocaine) to gain more wealth and membership starting in the 1980’s

http://www.sweetmarias.com/coffee.southamr.colombia.php

Origins (6) The War of a Thousand Days

was fought between the Liberal and Conservative parties to determine the amount of power that the central government should have

After a short span of peace, a radical Liberal president was elected who passed reforms that angered the conservatives

This new time of war was called La Violencia

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/colombia/3537081/Mass-desertions-from-FARC-as-Colombia-government-seeks-to-end-conflict.html

La Violencia (6) During this time, peasants united

in order to fight powerful landowners These peasants fought in guerilla-

style warfare The Colombian army

overpowered these peasants, leading them to flee their homes and form (4) independent republics

Plan LASO (Latin American Security Operation) was used to try and crush the peasant groups

These groups became dedicated to attacking the government and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) was formed

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/colombia/4582404/Indigenous-Colombians-massacred-in-cocaine-region-by-Farc.html

Drugs & The FARC (5) The illegal drug trade has

strengthened the FARC The FARC protects the drug

lords in order to gain wealth and advanced military equipment

The MAS (Muerte a Secuestadores a.k.a. “Death to Kidnappers”) was formed in order to protect the drug lords and their families from kidnapping

http://www.zmescience.com/medicine/mind-and-brain/cocaine-rat-study-1002201/

Drugs & The Economy (4) Today, Colombia produces 80%

of the world’s cocaine and 60% of the United States’ heroin

Drug earnings remain a source of income for very few citizens

The economy and (5) infrastructure is constantly challenged by illegal drug trading and violence

The (6) unemployment rate is around 11% and (7) poverty remains a serious issue

The FARC considers themselves (8) Marxisthttp://actioncenter.crs.org/site/

MessageViewer?em_id=13001.0&autologin=true&AddInterest=1101

Obstacles (6) The FARC has stated that they

will cease their violence if the government addresses their grievances

If the government fumigates the cropland for drugs, nothing will be able to grow and Colombia’s agriculture will be ruined

Due to the FARC’s relationship with the drug lords, the group has better artillery and more money than the government, allowing them to continue fighting

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/southamerica/venezuela/2100051/Venezuelas-Hugo-Chavez-ends-support-of-Farc-rebels.html

Recent Developments (2)(3) Within the past month, the

FARC leader Oliver Solarte was killed during an attack on rebel positions near the Colombia/Ecuador border Colombian President Santos

said the death was an “important blow” to the group

Hugo Chavez has also publically announced that Venezuela’s support of the FARC has ended

In recent years, the FARC has lost about half its fighters and many of its top commanders (1)

http://wmaracaibo.com/?p=21534

Regional Implications (6) Because the FARC is so

unpredictable, many civilians have been hurt or killed

Even if not physically attacked, Colombians are suffering due to damage inflicted on schools, roads, and sewage systems

Coca farming is illegal, so the farmers use a “slash and burn” technique which pollutes the air

Drug processing labs dump waste into the rivers and streams which people use for drinking water

http://www.travelpod.com/travel-photo/shawnsmith/southamerica-05/1127519220/dscn0887.jpg/tpod.html

Global Implications (6) Coca farming and the

destruction of these farms has ruined many rainforests, which contributes to global warming

The independent armies in Colombia have formed ties with many international terrorist groups

Many international citizens depend on Colombia for its drug production, making it extremely difficult for the government to stop the FARC

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines05/0508-01.htm

Possible Solutions At this point, there does not

appear to be a certain solution to the problems in Colombia

Without the drug trade, Colombia’s economy and infrastructure would likely collapse

The only foreseeable solution would be for the Colombian government to kill or arrest all FARC troops– a feat that may prove to be impossible

The government needs strengthening in order to overpower the drug lords

http://www.france24.com/en/20081212-colombia-extradites-drug-boss-us-

Correlation to AP Geo This is a conflict that affects

the growth and decline of the Colombian population

It involves human decision-making in the face of regional and global conflicts

This conflict heavily impacts the land and physical environment while also shaping the cultural environment

The FARC conflict also impacts the government and the standard of living in Colombia

http://www.conspiracyplanet.com/channel.cfm?channelid=50&contentid=5173

1. BBC. (2011, February 11). Colombia's FARC rebels release two more hostages.      Retrieved April 9, 2011, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/      world-latin-america-12437860

2. BBC. (2011, March 15). Colombia FARC 'drug boss' Oliver Solarte killed.      Retrieved April 8, 2011, from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/      world-latin-america-12754846

3. CNN. (2011, March 16). Colombia military kills FARC leader. Retrieved April 8,      2011, from http://articles.cnn.com/2011-03-16/world/      colombia.farc_1_farc-leader-rebel-leader-drug-trafficking?_s=PM:WORLD

4. CultureGrams. (2011). Colombia. Retrieved April 10, 2011, from      http://online.culturegrams.com/world/      world_country.php?contid=7&wmn=South_America&cid=35&cn=Colombia

5. GlobalSecurity.org. (2011). Revolutionary armed forces of Colombia. Retrieved      April 9, 2011, from http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/      farc.htm

6. World Conflicts Today. (n.d.). World Conflicts Today: Colombia. Retrieved April      10, 2011, from http://www.worldconflictstoday.com/      index.php?page_id=231&menu_id=231&page=landing

References