Anastasia Moloney in Bogota tag:frontlineclub.com,2008-10-08:/blogs/anastasia//51 2008-12-23T15:54:06Z Movable Type 4.23-en Looking back at 2008 in Colombia tag:frontline.headshift.com,2008:/blogs/anastasia//51.3095 2008-12-23T15:49:46Z 2008-12-23T15:54:06Z The global financial meltdown dominated the news headlines across the world this year. But in Colombia it was, as always, the country's armed conflict.What Colombians will remember 2008 for:The death of FARC's iconic founder and leader, Manuel Marulanda, who led... Anastasia Moloney
What Colombians will remember 2008 for:

  • The death of FARC's iconic founder and leader, Manuel Marulanda, who led the guerrilla group for over 40 years.
  • The death of Raul Reyes, Farc's no.2, who was killed by Colombian armed forces in Ecuador.
  • The freeing of Ingrid Betancourt and 14 other hostages held in Farc hands, following a daring rescue operation carried out by Colombia's special forces disguised as foreign aid workers.
  • A human rights scandal involving members of the Colombian armed forces, who murdered young innocent civilians and then passed them off as guerrillas killed in combat.
  • The collapse of dozens of pyramid investment schemes that caused widespread looting and protests and forced local mayors to impose curfews. Around 4 million Colombians invested in these scams, and many have lost their life savings. The issue that will dominate in 2009 in Colombia.
  • Will President Uribe, one of Latin America's most popular leaders, decide to run for a third consecutive re-election in 2010? To do that, Congress will have to approve changes to the constitution that would allow immediate re-election. What to watch out for in Latin America in 2009.
  • The emergence of Brazil as the leading voice for Latin America and its growing status as a diplomatic heavyweight in the region.
  • The effect of low oil prices on Hugo Chavez's grip on power in Venezuela.
  • Drug violence in Mexico getting worse. Colombians - and they've got experience of this - say this is just the beginning of Mexico's violent drug wars.
  • A shift in US policy towards Cuba.
  • First time President Obama steps foot in Latin America will be at the Summit of the Americas meeting, which gathers 34 regional heads of state, in Trinidad and Tobago in April.
]]> Farc are weakened but prospects for peace remain remote tag:frontline.headshift.com,2008:/blogs/anastasia//51.2689 2008-08-03T16:29:53Z 2008-12-19T15:09:55Z There's been much speculation in Colombia and among international pundits about whether the Farc are on their way out. Thomas Shannon, US assistant Secretary for Western Hemisphere Affairs echoes the views of many, when he recently said the Farc... Anastasia Moloney
Many signs point to the Farc's gradual demise. Guerrilla commanders are finding it increasingly difficult to communicate with one another for fear of being detected by state intelligence agencies. Growing numbers of desertions are leaving some Farc fronts across the country exposed and on the brink of collapse. According to the government, in 2001 the Farc attacked and took control of 39 villages, while last year they did not seize any. The Farc's new chief leader, Alfonso Cano, finds himself increasingly under siege. Perhaps more importantly, the Farc have lost support abroad and can no longer rely, at least in public, on the backing of Venezuela's Hugo Chavez, who has called on Latin America's oldest guerrilla movement to lay down their arms.

Hopes were raised in Colombia that a weakened Farc and the loss of its high-profile hostages would mean better prospects for peace. There was expectation that the Farc would be forced to come to the negotiating table and begin peace talks, a strategy that the Colombian government is betting on. But the latest comments from Ivan Marquez, a member of Farc's ruling body, have dampened any such hopes.

The Farc, it appears, have no intention of conceding defeat, at least while President Uribe remains in power. The armed struggle is very much alive and will continue, says Marquez. "A political solution to the conflict is only possible with another government," Marquez recently told a Venezuelan news channel, Telesur. He also defended taking hostages as a justified means to secure the release of guerrillas held in state jails. Since Ingrid Betancourt was freed, the Farc have continued to take hostages.

This is not the first time that Farc have insisted that peace talks with the Uribe government are impossible. Marquez's comments may just be bravado but it serves to show that a demoralized Farc, who have suffered a series of heavy setbacks in the recent months, are not about to change their course of action. Marquez's statements further strengthen President Uribe's popularity (he currently enjoys 80% approval ratings). Colombians back a government that is focused on defeating the Farc by military means. Marquez's views also serve to reinforce what many Colombians believe, that the Farc have no intention of seeking peace. While such attitudes remain, the prospect of peace in Colombia remains, as always, remote.]]> Live tonight: Is this the end for FARC? tag:frontline.headshift.com,2008:/blogs/anastasia//51.2688 2008-07-10T12:52:26Z 2008-12-19T15:06:38Z With the recent release of Igrid Betancourt, we'll be discussing the future of the FARC at the Frontline Club tonight. Please come watch, listen and join in live on the Frontline Club live broadcast channel. We go live at... Mr Graham With the recent release of Igrid Betancourt, we'll be discussing the future of the FARC at the Frontline Club tonight. Please come watch, listen and join in live on the Frontline Club live broadcast channel. We go live at 7.30pm GMT. The question up for discussion is,
Will the release of Ingrid Betancourt - arguably the world's most famous hostage, and FARC's main bargaining chip - along with 14 other hostages - mean the end of FARC and the beginning of serious peace negotiations with the Colombian government? more info link
Taking part will be: Malcolm Deas, from Oxford University), Andy Higginbottom of the Colombia Solidarity Campaign, Hernando Alvarez, a Colombian journalist and BBC Latin American Service and Alice O'Keefe, from the New Statesman. Please tune in LIVE at 7.30pm GMT Apologies for stepping in for Anastasia and crossposting on the main Frontline Club blog, but this is the Colombia section of Frontline :) UPDATE: Here's a recording of the debate - it was very good.]]> Those left behind in the jungle tag:frontline.headshift.com,2008:/blogs/anastasia//51.2687 2008-07-03T23:25:21Z 2008-12-19T15:03:48Z The rescue of 15 hostages from the clutches of Farc guerrillas is probably the most important event in years in Colombia. It's also probably the biggest political triumph of President Uribe's six years in power.Colombia is rejoicing and enjoying a... Anastasia Moloney
Colombia is rejoicing and enjoying a rare respite from its ugly and unrelenting conflict. The next couple of weeks will be filled with celebration across Colombia. The arrival of freed soldiers to their home towns, families being reunited and fathers finally able to embrace their children, some of whom were born while their fathers were in captivity, will dominate the news.

There is a newfound sense of optimism that the Farc guerrillas can be defeated. Across Colombia, there is restored faith in the country's armed forces who pulled off an extraordinary rescue operation that led to the release of Ingrid Betancourt, 3 Americans and 11 soldiers and policemen. The victory however is bitter sweet. There are still political hostages being held by the Farc (including 27 policemen and 3 politicians). Some families fear that the guerrillas will carry out reprisals against their family members held in jungle camps and kill the remaining high-profile hostages. Others fear that the liberation of Betancourt (a French-Colombian citizen) and the three Americans means international pressure to secure the release of hostages and media coverage of the plight of those kidnapped will gradually disappear. They are probably right.

Unfortunately for Gustavo Moncayo, his son, Pablo Emilio Moncayo, was not one of the 11 soldiers and policemen rescued. Moncayo is a well-known activist in Colombia and has spent years trying to secure the release of hostages. His son, a policeman, was captured during a guerrilla ambush on a police base more than 10 years ago. A recent proof of life video shows Pablo encouraging his father to keep up his spirits. Despite Moncayo's efforts, including his long march across Colombia last year and meetings with government officials in Europe, his son has not returned home. Moncayo and many Colombians continue to pray for the safe return of all the remaining hostages.]]> What doesn't make the headlines tag:frontline.headshift.com,2008:/blogs/anastasia//51.2686 2008-04-21T17:39:47Z 2008-12-19T14:58:46Z Colombia is often misunderstood and misspelt. Here is a list of things about Colombia (the good and bad) that I believe don't get the media attention they deserve and may even surprise you.Colombia is home to the second largest internally... Anastasia Moloney
Colombia is home to the second largest internally displaced population in the world, after Sudan. There are about 4 million displaced people in Colombia, the majority who live in slums and abject poverty to the indifference of the Colombian government, society and media.

Today, 62 Colombian lawmakers are being investigated by the country's attorney general and supreme court. They are accused of conspiring with illegal right-wing paramilitary groups and receiving funds from the militias during election campaigns.

Probably the biggest problem facing Colombia today is rampant and widespread corruption fuelled by the drug trade. No state institution is immune.

Medellin, the country's second city, boasts the world's only mass urban transport system that uses cable cars.

Every Sunday morning, the main streets of Bogota are closed to traffic and taken over by cyclists, roller bladders and joggers.

The only positive consequence of a 43-year-old conflict is that Colombia's national parks and rainforests remain largely unspoilt and unexploited.

One of the main environmental problems facing Colombia in the future will be the lack of water and droughts.

Relatively few foreign tourists visit Colombia but there is a growing sex tourism industry in Cartagena, the country's top tourist destination.

Despite billions of dollars of US aid to stop coca production over the past decades, Colombia still produces about 70% of the world's cocaine.

The Norte de Valle drug cartel is the most powerful drug organization in Colombia today. Recently, several of its kingpins have been killed and arrested but the cartel remains the most feared in Colombia. A former boss alias Chupeta(lollipop) is in prison in Brazil. This month his belongings went on auction, including his Hello Kitty boxer shorts.

There are no passenger railways in Colombia due to a lack of investment and security concerns.

Colombia is littered with landmines.

The Farc forcibly recruits children. It is estimated that roughly 40% of its soldiers are under 18, and a large proportion are girls.

Property and lands belonging to drug barons that have been confiscated by Colombian authorities are rarely distributed to those in need.

About 3,000 people are being held captive by various armed groups, mostly by the Farc. Some policemen have been held hostage for 10 years. Ingrid Betancourt, who is being held hostage by the Farc, has tried to escape at least three times.

Colombia is a major emerald producer. Blood emeralds would be an apt description of this industry.

Despite what Hollywood films would lead you to believe, Bogota is not hot or tropical. It is Latin America's third highest city, so it can get cold and hail storms are not uncommon.

The UK is a major donor of foreign aid to Colombia and British intelligence services train Colombian troops in counter-insurgency operations.

Many of the flowers on sale on UK supermarket shelves come from Colombia.
]]> Getting into Colombia's top security jail tag:frontline.headshift.com,2008:/blogs/anastasia//51.2685 2008-03-06T02:44:55Z 2008-12-19T14:51:38Z Contacts are often made at the bar after a few stiff drinks (well, that's what I tell myself) but in this case, it started on the golf course. I'd promised The Financial Times to get an interview with any... Anastasia Moloney an interview with any one of Colombia's notorious ex-paramilitary warlords who were in jail. "That would be gold dust," said an FT editor. After speaking to the editor, my immediate reaction was - how the hell am I going to get into that prison?

Gaining entry into Itagüí, one of Colombia's maximum security jails, is not such an easy task. The warlords only speak to journalists when they want to and foreign press permits are not easy to come by. The way in, is to be personally invited by one of the paramilitary chiefs. One Sunday my husband returns home after playing golf at one of the dozens of country clubs in Bogotá, where can you usually bump into the country's movers and shakers unwinding at the weekend. "I've just played a round of golf with one of the lawyers who's defending several of the paramilitary bosses. He says he'll get you any interview you want," he nonchalantly declares.

The lawyer turns out to be a big fish and has a direct line with some of the top ex-paramilitary commanders. Just the contact I needed. He arranges for his driver to meet me at Medellin airport, from where it's about an hour's drive to Itaguii prison. The jail houses Colombia's most wanted, including top guerrilla commanders, paramilitary bosses and drug barons. I had been given few instructions. Just turn up at the prison before midday and you'll get in no problem, the lawyer said. Sounded too good to be true. He says my name will be on the list of visitors, and gives me the name of an inmate that I'm to say I'm visiting. I'm going in as his "friend". The inmate will then put me in contact with one of the paramilitary chiefs who is expecting my visit. I later learn that the inmate is an ex-paramilitary, alias the "the account", who controlled paramilitary finances and bought arms from Bulgaria in exchange for cocaine during the 1990's.

I join a queue at the prison gates. Families with children and women carrying bags of food and holding babies in arms are patiently waiting to get in. I later realize that because of security regulations, no-one is wearing proper shoes and everyone is in flip flops. I've got my Nikes on and I feel out of place. At the first security checkpoint, I meet an Italian lawyer dressed in an expensive 'Our man in Havana' suit who is having trouble getting in to see his client who is an ex-paramilitary chief. I don't get much hope from that. My name is not on the visitors list. I'm not that surprised. But I insist and wait for about an hour.

The guard is in a good mood and accommodating. He lets me enter the main part of the prison. I then make it past another three checkpoints and metal detectors along a steep hill. So far so good. I cross the final checkpoint and enter a small courtyard. I think I've made it through. A man dressed in casual clothes approaches. "How can I help you miss?," he asks with a friendly smile. "I'm here to see Mr....", "And how to do you know this man?" "Well, you know it's a long story," I reply. "I've got time, tell me this long story." I begin rambling and my Spanish rapidly starts to deteriorate. "We met in a bar, we became friends, and now I'm visiting him today". (I'm annoyed with myself for not having rehearsed a script beforehand).

This friendly man turns out to be the new prisoner governor and he's keen to play by the rules. Not surprisingly, he's not buying my tenuous story. "Miss, all press passes are issued in Bogotá after requesting formal permission in a letter stating the purpose of your visit," he explains. "But I'm not the foreign press, I'm just here to visit a friend," I insist. "I suggest you contact the prison press office in Bogotá and then we can help you." "Let me accompany you to the entrance gates, I'm going there myself just now," he said in the most charming way.

So I was politely escorted out of the prison. I phone my contact. He assures me that I can get in tomorrow and that he'll send someone to escort me in. An unassuming, Mr average kind of guy (they usually are) with at least 5 mobile phones in his pocket turns up the next day to meet me. He's the political advisor to the paramilitaries. He asks me to wait outside the jail while he goes in to make sure I'm on the list. I wait and wait and watch the constant flow of traffic go in and out of the prison. Four hours later he comes out and says I can't go in today because family visiting hours are over. Another day lost and I'm still not in. My chaperone into the jail promises me that I'll get in tomorrow.

So the next day I arrive at the prison early and wait. He finally shows up three hours later. "No problem today, I've made some calls. They're expecting you. Best not to talk too much when going through. If anyone asks say you're coming in with me as a helper in our 'foundation'. (I have no idea what he's talking about but smile and nod). With him as my guide, I breeze past security and am barely frisked.

Being 6 months pregnant at the time, the male prisoner guards treat me as a curious anomaly and with particular care and great respect. It appears that the ex-paramilitaries have been working the phone and the prison governor is nowhere in sight. No questions asked here, it's been an easy passage through. I still have no idea which paramilitary chief I'm going to see, there are dozens of them in the same prison block. I'm just told I'm going to see one of the bosses. I'm shown into a tucked away inner courtyard within the prison block walls. It's known as the "annex" and is reserved for the most special and politically sensitive of inmates.

The infamous Don Berna is waiting for me in his pleasant den. He's been associated with a bit of everything throughout his checkered past, including drug trafficking and massacres. Don Berna has prepared for the interview and has some notes at hand. He's keen to get his message across. I'm served coffee by his assistant. In a kitchen, a woman is preparing food and the smell of a tasty lunch wafts through this so-called prison cell. I breathe a sigh of relief. I've finally made it in.]]> Colombians mobilize. tag:frontline.headshift.com,2008:/blogs/anastasia//51.2684 2008-02-01T16:29:20Z 2008-12-19T14:45:52Z Millions of Colombians are expected to take to the streets on Monday in a protest march organized by several young Colombians on Facebook. The country's main squares and thoroughfares will be filled with marchers dressed in white by midday. Joining... Anastasia Moloney Facebook. The country's main squares and thoroughfares will be filled with marchers dressed in white by midday. Joining Colombians, the march organizers say they have over 200,000 people signed up to simultaneously march in 131 cities around the world. Official march banners declare "no more kidnappings, no more lies, no more deaths, no more Farc." The message on government billboards in Bogotá is "No more terrorism".

But the event has already become politicized and attracted criticism. Some say that it should not just be against the Farc but should be a mass protest against violence in general and include all of the country's illegally armed groups, such as the ELN guerrillas and paramilitary groups too. For some, it will be a chance to show their support for President Alvaro Uribe and his tough stance against the Farc (he currently enjoys a record high 81% approval rating).

While other Colombians will be marching to express their solidarity for the some 750 hostages held in Farc hands and to put pressure on the guerrillas and government to agree to a humanitarian exchange that would involve swapping some 44 political Farc hostages for hundreds of imprisoned rebels. In the past, Colombians have tended to be apathetic to the plight of its thousands of hostages. Increasing international pressure and the recent release of two female captives held by the guerrillas has put the country's tragic hostage crisis on the political agenda and in the public spotlight. Whatever the different reasons why people will take to the streets on 4 February, the event will be a big one.]]> Letters from the jungle tag:frontline.headshift.com,2008:/blogs/anastasia//51.2683 2008-01-17T21:57:34Z 2008-12-19T14:44:00Z Ingrid Betancourt, a former presidential candidate who has dual French-Colombian citizenship, is perhaps Colombia's most well-known hostage. She was kidnapped along a motorway with Clara Rojas, her aide, six years ago while on the campaign trail. Her two children continue... Mr Graham Ingrid Betancourt, a former presidential candidate who has dual French-Colombian citizenship, is perhaps Colombia's most well-known hostage. She was kidnapped along a motorway with Clara Rojas, her aide, six years ago while on the campaign trail. Her two children continue to campaign for her release.

Last October, Ingrid wrote a letter to her mother in Spanish. It's a poignant reminder of the harrowing plight faced by hostages in guerrilla jungle camps. Here are some parts I translated, the Washington Post translates the whole letter. The letter reveals an overwhelming sense of despair and a woman on the verge of losing the will to live.

Her soul, she says, rains like the jungles of Colombia. She survives by not allowing herself "the luxury" of believing that she can be free one day. She finds bitter-sweet solace from listening to the weekly messages that her mother and children send via a radio programme dedicated to Colombia's kidnap victims.

She gives thanks to Chavez and Sarkozy, among others, for their efforts in trying to get her released. The original letter is published in La Semana magazine. There's also a photo of Ingrid from a recent proof of life video tape that caused much soul-searching in Colombia.
"I'm tired mother, tired of suffering, I've been or have tried to be strong. These almost six years in captivity have shown me that I'm neither so resistant, so strong, nor so intelligent, like I once thought.

I've fought many battles here, I've tried to escape several times, and I've tried to keep up hope, keep my head above water. But mother, I'm almost giving up. I would like to think that one day I'll get out of here but I realize that what happened to the other deputies (they were taken hostage by the Farc and killed) could happen to me at any moment. I think it would be a relief for everyone.

Mother, this is a difficult moment for me... I'm not well physically. I've haven't started eating again. I don't have an appetite. My hair is falling out in great quantities. I don't feel like doing anything. And I think that not wanting to do anything is the only thing that is ok: not to want to do anything. Because here in the jungle the only answer is "NO". So then it's better not to want anything so that one can at least be free of desires. Like I've said before, life here is no life. It's a dismal waste of time.

I live, or rather I survive, in a hammock hung between two sticks, coverered by a mosquito net and a tent on top which serves as a roof, with this I can think that I've got a house. I've got a shelf where I put my stuff, that's a backpack with clothes and the Bible, which is my only luxury. Everything is ready just in case we have to leave the camp on the run. Here nothing is your own, nothing lasts, uncertainty and precariousness are they only constants. At any moment, they (the guerrillas) can give an order to pack up and one sleeps in any hole, kept in any place, like any animal. Those moments are especially hard for me...

The marches are an ordeal because my stuff is very heavy and I can't handle it. Sometimes the guerrillas carry my stuff to help with the load and they leave me with "the rubbish" which is what weighs the most. But all this is stressful, they lose my things or take them away from me, like the blue jeans that Mela gave me as a Christmas present, which I was wearing at the time when I got kidnapped. The only piece of clothing I was able to salvage was a jacket, which has been a blessing because the nights are freezing and I don't know what else to put on top of me so as not to feel the cold. Before I used to enjoy going to bathe in the river.

As I'm the only woman in the group, I have to bathe practically dressed, in shorts, a bra, a shirt and boots... I used to get into the habit of spending a couple of hours doing some exercise during the day. I invented an apparatus... made out of sticks, like a step machine... The advantage was I didn't need much space do the exercises but sometimes the guerrillas make the camps so small that you're left practically on top of another prisoner. But since they separated the groups of hostages, I haven't been interested in or had the energy to do anything. I do some stretching because the stress makes my neck seize up and it hurts a lot and with the stretching exercises, the splits and other things, I can alleviate the tension in my neck a bit. I try to keep quiet, and speak as little as possible to avoid problems.

The presence of a women in the midst of prisoners who have been held captive for 8 and 10 years is a problem. I hear bits of RFI and the BBC, I write only a bit .. On top of the searches, they (the guerrillas) take away what one loves the most. A letter that you once wrote to me .. after the last proof of life video clip in 2003, photos of Mela and Lon... Every day there is less of me... It's important that you dedicate these words to those who are my light, my oxygen, my life. Those who allow me to keep me head above water and don't let me drown in the oblivion, the nothingness and the desperation.

As I've told you before, for years I couldn't think about the children because of the horrendous pain it caused me not being with them. Today, I can now listen to them and feel more happiness than pain. I seek them in my memories and I nourish myself with the images of them as they grew up, which I keep in my memories. When it's their birthday, I sing them "happy birthday". I ask (the guerrillas) permission to make a cake. Before they used to help me out with this and I did something to mark their birthdays. But for the last three years, I've been asking for permission and the answer is no. In any case, if they bring me a biscuit of whatever food like rice and beans, which is the usual, I pretend it's a cake and I celebrate their birthdays in my heart..."
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