Colombia is the original El Dorado: rich in gold, other minerals, oil, cocaine. But why go to a country which has become one of the most dangerous in the world? Because the Clinton administration had just voted 1.3 billion dollars of our tax money to wage a “War on Drugs” in Colombia. The current administration continues to pour money into Colombia, extending its program to cover the entire Andean Region, and substituting to the now suspect label “War on Drugs” the newly popular one of “War on Terrorism.”
Why is this happening? Why do the media seem either silent or unreliable on the issue? This was true at the time of my trip and it is just as true now. While our attention is distracted by Bin Ladden and Saddam Husein, I feel that the Andean Region is the real Vietnam waiting to happen. We were too wounded to object to our involvement in Afghanistan. Having somewhat recovered, objection to a war with Irak is gathering force. But what about our own backyard in Central and Latin America? My own growing conviction is that there are clear connections between all these flashpoints of impending or probable war.
I am looking forward to sharing with you the experiences of my trip to Colombia and the thinking that resulted from it.
Rise and Shine: Galina DeRoeck's Website 