January13, 2007:
Colombia and Ecuador have settled their differences over aerial
spraying of coca crops, sort of. Colombia will notify Ecuador in advance before
fields along the border are sprayed. Colombia has optimum conditions for
growing coca, and turning it into cocaine. But the growing success of military
and police operations against the drug gangs, has led to more of the drug
growing and refining moving to neighboring countries like Ecuador. Meanwhile,
the battle in Colombia shifts more to economic matters. Much of the unrest and
rebellion in the region springs from stagnant economies and poverty. This makes
the criminal life more attractive, and provides the drug organizations with
quality recruits. An improved economy, and more effective security operations,
has driven about a third of the Colombian drug operations to neighboring
countries in the last six years. But about half the world's cocaine is still
coming from Colombia, and that means Colombia has plenty of work for gangsters
and thugs. The drug cartels don't go to court to settle their disputes, they go
to the streets and start shooting. Replacing the rule of the gun with the rule
of law means changing the economic conditions first.
January
9, 2007: A third round of peace negotiations with the ELN began. The ELN
leaders know that if they, like the AUC, surrender, that will leave only FARC
out there. FARC has been getting weaker year by year, but being the only rebel
group left, will make FARC the sole target of the security forces.
January
6, 2007: A politician, Fernando Araujo, kidnapped six years ago (December,
2000), escaped his FARC captors during a raid by marines and soldiers. The
location of the FARC camp was provided by an informant, and the raid led to a
marine and six rebels killed. Araujo walked through the jungle for five
days until he reached a town and contact with the army. Araujo is one of
sixty prominent Colombians and foreigners held by FARC, which is trying to
arrange a swap, that will get several hundred FARC members (most already
convicted) released.