military and police in colombia 3/31/2010. military spending in colombia 2010 national budget 27.3%...
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Military Spending in Colombia
2010 National Budget 27.3% Debt Service 19.9% Social Protection 14.2% Defense and
Security 13.9% Education 7.0% Housing 3.9% Interior and Justice 2.8% Transportation 2.3%Action and Social Aid 1.7% Environment and
Development 1.6% Mines and Energy
The Colombian Military: FunctionThreats to State Sovereignty and Security The government lacks a monopoly on power and
violence within its territory, esp. in the interior Insurgency Narco-State
Crime Homicides (2008): 16,140 (33/100,000
inhabitants) Kidnapping (2008): 437 (total +/-1,500 held in
2009)Threats to Human Security: Between 3 and 5 million Internally Displaced
Persons (6% to 10% of the total population) Poverty 46% Unemployment 12%
National Police Armed force under
the Ministry of Defense
Personnel: 143,557 (2008)
Armed Forces Army: 230,373 Navy: 28,796 Airforce: 8,227
The Colombian Military: Corruption Inflating Military Success
29 Oct 2008: 3 Generals and 24 other officers were fired and face criminal murder charges for their involvement in a scheme to murder poor, unemployed young men and pass them off as guerrillas killed in combat with the army
Complicity with Right-Wing Paramilitaries Organizational support Deliberately fail to take action to prevent abuses or massacres Participation in abuses or massacres
Complicity with Left-Wing Guerrillas and Drug Cartels Deliberately fail to take action to prevent abuses Information sharing
Human Rights Abuses The military is responsible for over 300 "extrajudicial executions”
each year. Oct 2008: Police opened fire on thousands of Indian marchers
demanding land, killing two protesters.
Paramilitary Actors in Colombia Other Military-Like Organizations
Paramilitary Police: Colombian National Police; Personnel: 143,557
Paramilitary Groups; Personnel: 129,000 Groups:
Leftist Guerrillas: FARC-EP, ELN Right-Wing Paramilitary: AUC Drug Cartels: Medellin, Cali
Private Security Companies CONVIVIR: a self-defense and intelligence gathering group;
when Congress restricted their operations in 1997 they reorganized as the illegal AUC
US companies are contracted to carry out counternarcotics activities and support activities in Colombia.
DynCopr Petroleum companies hire private security to protect pipelines
and other infrastructure (the military and paramilitaries also play a role here)
Timeline: Colombia
2002: Uribe elected President 2004: Ammendment to the Constitution
allows Uribe to run for a second consecutive term
2005: Justice and Peace Law 2006: Uribe reelected
Timeline: Colombia
2008: Extradition of 14 right-wing paramilitary leaders to the
US on drug charges Three of FARC's seven-man secretariat are killed
Raul Reyes is killed by a Colombian bombing raid on his camp in Ecuador
Ivan Rios is killed by his bodyguard leader Mr Marulanda dies of a heart attack
Betancourt and 14 other hostages are rescued 2009:
Illegal phone and email eavesdropping by the Administrative Security Department (DAS)
Signes bases agreement with U.S. 2010 Constitutional Court rejects a re-election law
that would have allowed Uribe to run for a 3rd term
Demilitarization v. Armed ConfrontationDemilitarization Weakens the military’s ability to intervene in
politics History of failure Risks legitimizing paramilitary activity Progress:
The AUC reached agreement with the government in 2003 (implementation in 2005) to demobilize. By 2006 31,000 paramilitaries had demobilized and the
AUC as a formal organization ceased 92% are covered by an amnesty declared by presidential
decree The remaining 8% come under the Justice and Peace Act
and are eligible for reduced penalties and sentences There have been four major peace processes involving
the guerrilla groups, all of which have failed.