...Origins and Timeline. FARC, is known as Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia. FARC is Colombia's biggest and foremost equipped group. It has about eighteen thousand people in the group. The FARC manages about half the country. They are also responsible for most kidnappings in Colombia. FARC is known to aim at wealthy landowners, domestic officials and foreign tourists. They are also known for airline hijackings, assassinations and extortions. The State Department added FARC to the list of foreign terrorist organization, it is also the largest rebel group. In 1964, Manuel Marulanda Velez and Jacobo Arenas to formed FARC known the Revolutionary Armed Forces. They were land workers and farmers who were working as a...
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...Latin America & Caribbean Studies 16 December 2013 FARC: Terrorist Group or Freedom Fighters? The ever-on going debate regarding whether or not the FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) are terrorist or freedom fighters has not yet been settled, after careful evaluation it is very clear. According to Webster's dictionary, a terrorist is “someone who uses the deliberate creation and exploitation of fear to promote political change.” All terrorists commit violent acts. A freedom fighter is “one who seeks political change for their people and use violence only as a stirrer.” So how can we differentiate the FARC in order to know if they are actually helping or hurting the country of Colombia? Colombia today is in a major crisis. Guerrilla groups, approximately 20,000 guerrillas in arms and only 7,000 to 11,000 paramilitary members, control large areas of the countryside. The government has no legitimate monopoly of force and is extremely weak; it does not and cannot effectively protect its citizens. Colombia has been in tumult with the Marxist-Leninist group called FARC (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia) for almost fifty years. The FARC was founded in the 1960s, but its roots are found further back from the Violence. From 1948 to 1958, supporters of the Liberal and Conservative parties fought a civil war that killed some 200,000 people. The horrific violence of the period was only nominally about partisan politics. Mainly rural, Violence was...
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...Introduction Colombia is a country with a vast history that is most associated with drugs and violence. This started with the influx of drug trafficking in the 1970s. This has allowed drug cartels and guerilla militias to flourish since then to the present time. In the sections below, I will show how current events and threats have occurred and will conclude with my short and long term assessment of what the state of Colombia will be in the future. Current Events Even though President Juan Manuel Santos, the President of Colombia, has been undergoing peace talks with the FARC in Cuba, there has still been ongoing attacks by the FARC that continue to make negotiations difficult. This was the fourth attempt at peace talks between the FARC and...
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...The landmine problem exists in Colombia for more than twenty years ago, but in the last four years, instead of decreasing, it has increased disproportionately. In fact, Colombia is the only country in Latin America and one of the few in the world where more and more mines appears every day. Thus, in the period between 1998 and 2004, there were more than 1,829 accidents, which mean an increase of 568% in the number of accidents per year. In the last ten years 2,185 accidents recorded, as a result which left 5,051 victims. Where 38% were soldiers, 62% were civilians. The ELN exceeded by more than 20% to the FARC in laying mines, although the size of the ELN was three to four times less than the FARC. This means that the ELN planted mines four times more weapons per combatant in the FARC until this...
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...Peace is defined as “a state of tranquility or quiet” (Merriam) but as well is “a state or period of mutual concord between governments” (Merriam). Colombia has been trough for 52 years of armed conflicts between the Colombian government and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). Also, these years of conflict have been affected the lives of Colombians, living immense rates of rapes, dies, kidnaps, extortion, and production and distribution of illegal drugs (The Economist). In 1964, the Marxist Guerrilla was established as a communist and pro-rights movement to fight against the violence and the corrupt government in Colombia. Time later, the FARC’s behavior of anti-imperialism, that fought in favor of justice and equality, was corrupted...
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...A02-01-0021 American Mining Company (AMC) in Colombia AMC Moves to Colombia By the end of 2000, the American Mining Company (AMC) had finished moving nearly all of its coal operations from the southern United States to its premier mine in Northeast Colombia. Despite telling its workers that the company would not transfer its operations abroad, AMC closed nine mines over a five-year period, firing over 5,000 United Mine Workers. Only one surface mine and one underground mine were left operational in the US, with plans to close both by 2003. AMC was one of the leading coal mining companies in the United States for the previous half century, with coal holdings of over 1.3 billion short tons and revenues of nearly US $1 billion. Worldwide, AMC enjoyed a reputation of providing high quality coal, reliable delivery, and excellent service. Before the shift to Colombia, AMC was one of the top 300 largest private companies in the United States. The company had also begun diversifying into real estate developments on both the US east and west coasts. Colombia provided numerous advantages for AMC. First, the country’s low wages provided a much cheaper labor force in comparison to the high hourly salaries of the US mine workers. Wages for Colombian mine workers, for example, ranged from $500 to $1,000 a month, while US mine workers received over $3,000 monthly plus benefits. Moreover, the company would also not have to contend with the burdensome labor restrictions of the US mine union...
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...INTRODUCCIÓN Actualmente, Colombia está pasando por un proceso en el cual se están generando diálogos de paz con uno de los grupos insurgentes al margen de la ley, las FARC-EP (Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia – Ejército del Pueblo), para dar una solución al conflicto armado que hoy en día tiene lugar en el país, principalmente causado por grupos subversivos como las FARC y el ELN (Ejército de Liberación Nacional). En el siguiente documento, se contextualizará un poco acerca del comienzo de los conflictos armados en Colombia y una breve descripción de estos dos grupos insurgentes. Después de esta contextualización histórica, se dará paso a desarrollar el tema de los procesos y negociaciones de paz que ha llevado a cabo el Gobierno Colombiano a lo largo de la lidia con estos grupos armados. Para esto, el documento estará basado en escritos, revistas, y libros de algunos autores que han hecho estudios e investigaciones en cuanto a esta temática. EL CONFLICTO ARMADO El conflicto armado en Colombia tiene sus inicios en el siglo XIX, cuando los partidos políticos liberales y conservadores no hallaban otra solución a sus diferencias ideológicas, más que utilizar la violencia. Estos dos partidos políticos limitaban a la política en Colombia, al servicio de los intereses de la elite, y excluían totalmente a la sociedad. Fueron entonces estas situaciones las que llevaron a la conformación de grupos insurgentes al margen de la ley como las FARC y el ELN, ambos creados...
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...Juan Hernandez Prof: Anna Krift Global Crisis in Response Feb 16 2014 Colombia´s conflict For many years Colombia has been characterized as a country of drugs and violence marked by internal conflict that lasts until today. This conflict has claimed the lives of about 2 million people, which the population of Colombia today is 47 million, within that internal war has killed 4,2% of the current population (NoticiasCaracol,1). It is a very high percentage with regards an internal war of 60 years. That's why Colombia has suffered from armed conflict for several years and it has negatively impacted the country's development. To understand the issue it is necessary to see the origins of this conflict and also how this has affected the country. The conflict dates back to 1946 when it began a civil and political conflict between supporters of the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party for taking control of the State Power. But the outbreak was the assassination of the Liberal presidential candidate Jorge Eliecer Gaitán. Gaitán was the leader of poor agricultural producers and represented the interests, created jobs and economic opportunities for them to take advantage (Downing,1). But since the death of Gaitán, farmers lose their representation in politics and its future had been vanished. Because of the economic problems and tensions between liberals and conservatives, Colombia entered a period called "La Violencia " (The Violence) which lasted from 1948 to 1960 until they...
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...have of Latin America were developed over 18 years of immersion as a local. Social awareness, familiarity of speech, understanding of issues that matter in the region vs. issues important outside of the region are second nature to me. I was born and raised in Colombia, and finished high school in Panama. The political environment of Colombia and Panama shaped my cultural awareness and political understanding of these two countries’ overall climate as well as neighboring countries in the region. My understanding of Latin America is complemented by 23 years in the United States, including 21 years of service as a Marine. The Marine Corps has a culture all its own, which I understand well through 7 years of enlisted and 14 years of commissioned service. My first-hand exposure and experience in foreign countries have left a continuing personal interest in following social and political events in Panama, Colombia, and Latin America as a whole. I follow significant events pertinent to the region. Many have impacted the economy and security of the United States as well. The transition of operations and management of the Panama Canal to Panama in December 1999, and current efforts by President Santos against the FARC are among them. The transition of the Panama Canal and its surrounding territories marked a historical event for Panama and the U.S. Panama’s political position strengthened in relation to its Latin American neighbors by assuming responsibility of managing...
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...have of Latin America were developed over 18 years of immersion as a local. Social awareness, familiarity of speech, understanding of issues that matter in the region vs. issues important outside of the region are second nature to me. I was born and raised in Colombia, and finished high school in Panama. The political environment of Colombia and Panama shaped my cultural awareness and political understanding of these two countries’ overall climate as well as neighboring countries in the region. My understanding of Latin America is complemented by 23 years in the United States, including 21 years of service as a Marine. The Marine Corps has a culture all its own, which I understand well through 7 years of enlisted and 14 years of commissioned service. My first-hand exposure and experience in foreign countries have left a continuing personal interest in following social and political events in Panama, Colombia, and Latin America as a whole. I follow significant events pertinent to the region. Many have impacted the economy and security of the United States as well. The transition of operations and management of the Panama Canal to Panama in December 1999, and current efforts by President Santos against the FARC are among them. The transition of the Panama Canal and its surrounding territories marked a historical event for Panama and the U.S. Panama’s political position strengthened in relation to its Latin American neighbors by assuming responsibility of managing...
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...Relations November 30, 2013 Colombia and its government Colombia is a small country located in South America. This country has suffered with different problems related to education, economy, a civil war and drug trafficking for many years. It is better now than it has been in the past but the problems are still there. The government of a country is its nucleus, the only way in order to achieve stability. If the country has a good government that knows how to manage it they would reach the “well-being” of its people. A good government in Colombia is the only thing that can make their problems disappear. The government had enhanced a lot over the years but they still need to improve very much. Education should be looked as one of the most important things in everyone’s eyes. The kids are the future of the country. They can be presidents, part of the government, doctors, lawyers, etc. In their hands is the future and that’s why they need to know what they are doing. Beginning with the fact that Colombia has a democratic government, it means that the civilians get to choose their president. The person that would represent them and would make important choices for the country. In order to make a great vote education is completely necessary. The people that are not educated vote because the things that they gave them when they were on campaign or because they think that one candidate is handsome than the other. Jalil 2 The public education in Colombia was really bad. The teachers...
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...Blood Bananas – Chiquita in Colombia Introduction: Banana is a serious and a complicated business when it comes to producing and delivering it to the consumers all around the world. As most of the banana production takes a place in the tropics, the largest consumers are the U.S., the European Union and Japan. Chiquita, Dole and Del Monte who are also known as “the big three” control 60 percent of the global banana trade. Dole was founded in Hawai in 1851 and had reported revenues of US $6.9 billion in 2007, being the largest producer and marketer of high-quality fresh fruits and vegetables. Del Monte is one of the largest and well known producers, distributors and marketers of premium quality, branded food and pert products for U.S. generating US $3.4 billion in net sales in 2007. Chiquita which has been the largest employer in Latin America for many years, was founded 1899 and is known for revolutionizing the banana trade by using refrigerated ships for the first time. In 2007, Chiquita was the leading distributor of bananas In the United States with annual revenues of US $4.7 billion. Chiquita and terrorist ties Chiquita has been known as a rapacious multinational corporation for a long time. Company has been blamed for having farmers work for long hours in dangerous conditions, contaminating water with agrochemicals and harming tropical forests for expansion. Its operations in Colombia have been the most controversial topic for a long time due to the instability...
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...In the past, Ecuador and Colombia used to be part of the same nation but once Ecuador obtained their independency the border problems continue, even to this day. One of the main reasons is the fact that Ecuador’s weather allows for the coca leaf to grow in abundance. Today, there are many reasons why people want to cross the border to Ecuador. Some are just escaping the civil war or the drug war in Colombia, others are trying to capitalize of the natural resources and join the drug lords of the region. Another issue is that many people that are migrating to the United States are getting stuck or being sent back to Ecuador. Many getting stuck in Colombia or Panama and they are sending them back to their original point of entry. Panama has officially...
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...each day. As a result of this success, the McDonald’s firm is looking to continue their expansion into the global marketplace. After consulting with experts, McDonald’s has agreed to seek their expansion into Colombia, South America. Their goal is to enter the Colombian marketplace and offer the McDonald’s experience to the Colombian people and market. Many countries already enjoy the McDonald’s experience and famous food products that are eventually adopted as staples in their fast food runs- no matter the country. McDonald’s has been successful in entering foreign markets and adapting their business to local markets and have the local population call McDonald’s their own versus an American product that has come to their country. This is one of the keys to the success that McDonald’s has mastered. Naturally, they have the resources, monetary and information power to enter foreign markets, however there are some attributes that Colombia has that must be taken in to consideration. Columbia is considered an emerging market in the world’s view and the best strategy for McDonald’s to enter their marketplace should be a intelligently strategic one. II. Columbia’s attributes to consider During the 16th century, Bogota was named the capital of Colombia; it was also during the late 1700’s that protests against the Spanish inhabitants started to occur. Dissatisfaction against rising taxes and slavery prompted the Colombian population to wage battles against...
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...Summer 2013 Summer 2013 Case Report: Blood Bananas: Chiquita in Colombia BUSA 4980 Chiquita Brands international was founded in 1899 after the merger of United Fruit Company and the Boston Fruit Company. As bananas be came more of a staple in every home so do Chiquita Bananas. Bananas are know to mainly grown in tropical places like Central America, Africa and Southeast Asia. Chiquita decided to have operations out of Colombia. During this time there was turmoil in Colombia and different terror groups form “against the government” & other wealthy people in the country. Some of these groups settled in the areas where Chiquita had facilities. Chiquita run into problems with theses groups around 1997, mainly with FARC (Revolution Armed Forced of Columbia) and AUC. They began to kidnap and kill employees of this company. The terrorist groups began asking for money in turn they would stop harming their employees. For Chiquita this decision to pay the AUC seem to be an easy one because or the lack for government and the lack of laws in place. There are many key issues that lead Chiquita Banana’s decision to pay the terrorist groups the FARC & the AUC. One key issues the increasing demand for bananas in new countries like Russia, China and other countries in the Middle East. Chiquita felt as if it had pressure to obtain and grow in these markets. Along with those new markets, Chiquita had their current demand in established markets like the United States and...
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