DOCSLIB.ORG

Colombia April 2004

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Colombia April 2004 COLOMBIA COUNTRY REPORT April 2004 Country Information & Policy Unit IMMIGRATION & NATIONALITY DIRECTORATE HOME OFFICE, UNITED KINGDOM Colombia April 2004 CONTENTS 1. Scope of the Document 1.1 - 1.7 2. Geography 2.1 - 2.2 3. Economy 3.1 - 3.5 4. History 4.1 - 4.6 5. State Structures The Constitution 5.1 - 5.3 - Citizenship and nationality 5.4 - 5.5 Political System 5.6 - 5.13 Judiciary 5.14 - 5.23 Military Justice System 5.24 - 5.25 Legal Rights/Detention 5.26 - 5.29 - Death Penalty 5.30 Internal Security 5.31 - 5.36 Prisons and Prison Conditions 5.37 - 5.39 Military Service 5.40 - 5.41 - Conscientious Objection 5.42 - Draft Evasion and desertion 5.43 Medical Services 5.44 - 5.50 - HIV/AIDS 5.51 - 5.52 - People with disabilities 5.53 Educational System 5.54 - 5.55 6. Human Rights 6.A Human Rights Issues General 6.1 - 6.14 Torture 6.15 - 6.17 Extrajudicial Killings 6.18 - 6.20 Disappearances 6.21 - 6.24 Freedom of Speech and the Media 6.25 - 6.28 - Journalists 6.29 - 6.41 Freedom of Religion 6.42 - 6.46 Freedom of Assembly and Association 6.47 - 6.49 Employment Rights 6.50 - 6.52 - Trade unions & Their Right to Strike 6.53 - 6.57 - Forced or Bonded Labour 6.58 - 6.60 People Trafficking 6.61 - 6.62 Freedom of Movement 6.63 - 6.65 - Overview of Colombia IDP registration System 6.66 - 6.69 - Emigration and asylum 6.70 - 6.72 Colombia April 2004 6.B Human Rights - Specific Groups Introduction 6.73 - 6.74 Ethnic Groups 6.75 - 6.83 Women 6.84 - 6.90 - Women as Heads of Displaced Households 6.91 - 6.95 Children 6.96 - 6.106 - Child Recruitment and Deployment 6.107 - 6.112 - Girls Within Irregular Armed Groups 6.113 - 6.114 - Child Employment 6.115 - 6.117 - Childcare Arrangements 6.118 - 6.120 Homosexuals 6.121 - 6.126 6.C Human Rights - Other Issues Preview of Crime Figures 6.127 - 6.128 Guerrilla & Paramilitary activities and the Humanitarian 6.129 - 6.151 situation Hostages For Prisoners Exchange 6.152 - 6.159 - Persons Targeted by Guerrilla and Paramilitary Organisations 6.160 - 6.179 - FARC 6.180 - 6.202 - ELN 6.203 - 6.210 - AUC 6.211 - 6.218 - The Disarmament Process 6.219 - 6.233 Treatment of Non-Governmental Organisations 6.234 - 6.239 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) 6.240 - 6.247 - Living Conditions of the IDPs 6.248 - 6.253 - Colombia conflict spilling over its Borders 6.254 - 6.255 - Border Areas 6.256 - 6.257 - Ecuador 6.258 - Venezuela 6.259 - Panama 6.260 - 6.261 - Peru 6.262 - 6.263 - Brazil 6.264 - 6.265 Annexes Chronology of Events Annex A Political Organisations Annex B(i) Active Guerrilla Groups and Illegal Organisations Annex B(ii) Prominent People Annex C List of Source Material Annex D 1. Scope of the Document 1.1 This Country Report has been produced by the Country Information and Policy Unit, Immigration and Nationality Directorate, Home Office, for use by Home Office officials involved in the asylum / human rights determination process. The Report provides general background information about the issues most commonly raised in asylum / human rights claims made in the United Kingdom. It is not a detailed or comprehensive survey. 1.2 The Report is compiled from a wide range of recognised sources and does not contain any Home Office opinion or policy. All information in the Report is attributed, throughout the text, to original source material, which has been made available to those working in the asylum / human rights determination process. Colombia April 2004 The Report aims to provide only a brief summary of the source material quoted. For a more detailed account, the relevant source documents should be examined directly. 1.3 The information contained in this Country Report is, by its nature, limited to information that we have been able to identify from various well-recognised sources. The contents of this Report are not exhaustive and the absence of information under any particular heading does not imply that any analysis or judgement has been exercised to exclude that information, but simply that relevant information on the subject has not been identified from the sources that have been consulted. Equally, the information included in the Reports should not be taken to imply anything beyond what is actually stated. 1.4 The great majority of the source material is readily available in the public domain. Copies of other source documents, such as those provided by government offices, may be provided upon request. 1.5 All sources have been checked for currency, and as far as can be ascertained, contain information, which remained relevant at the time, this Report was issued. Some source documents have been included because they contain relevant information not available in more recent documents. 1.6 This Country Report and the accompanying source material are publicly disclosable. Where sources identified in this Report are available in electronic form the relevant link has been included. The date that the relevant link was accessed in preparing the report is also included. Paper copies of the source documents have been distributed to nominated officers within IND. 1.7 It is intended to revise this Report on a six-monthly basis while the country remains within the top 35 asylum producing countries in the United Kingdom. Information contained in Country Reports is inevitably overtaken by events that occur between the 6 monthly publications. Caseworkers are informed of such changes in country conditions by means of Country Information Bulletins. 2. Geography 2.1 The Republic of Colombia was one of three countries that emerged from the collapse of Gran Colombia in 1830 (the others are Ecuador and Venezuela). It is located in the northern part of South America, bordering the Caribbean Sea, between Panama and Venezuela, and bordering the North Pacific Ocean, between Ecuador and Panama. [3](p1) Colombia covers a total of 1,138,910 square miles and has a population of 41,008,227. [3](p2) Return to contents 2.2 The Andes mountain range divides into three mountain ranges (cordilleras) when it enters Colombia. The western two-fifths of Colombia is dominated by the Andes and the coastal lowlands, with the east and south dominated, respectively, by the Llanos (savannah, much of which is flooded for nine months of the year) and Amazonian jungle. The varied terrain gives Colombia a biodiversity reckoned to be second only to Brazil, sheltering in forests that cover almost one-half of the country and on pasture-land that covers about two-fifths. [1](p271) Climate conditions vary with altitude, from tropical in coastal regions, temperate on the plateau to cold in the Andes Colombia April 2004 mountains. [1](p272) (For more information on geography refer to the Europa Yearbook - Regional Surveys of the World - South America, Central America and the Caribbean th 2004 - 12 Edition - Source [1](p271-299)). 3. Economy 3.1 Colombia is a country of significant natural resources, and has a diverse culture reflecting the indigenous Indian, Spanish and African origins of its people. It is the fourth largest and one of the most populous nations. Colombia is endowed with substantial oil reserves and is a major producer of gold, silver, emeralds, platinum and coal. [17] 3.2 Colombia's economy suffers from weak domestic and foreign demand, austere government budgets, and serious internal armed conflict. Two of Colombia's leading exports, oil and coffee, face an uncertain future; new exploration is needed to offset declining oil production, while coffee harvests and prices are depressed. Colombian business leaders are calling for greater progress in solving the conflict with insurgent groups. On the positive side, several international financial institutions have praised the economic reforms introduced by President URIBE and have pledged enough funding to cover Colombia's debt servicing costs in 2003.[3](p5) 3.3 There is extensive illegal cultivation of coca - for which Colombia is the world's leading producer - opium poppies and cannabis. [1](p271) The illicit drugs trade has undoubtedly contributed to the country's economic growth and hindered it. Marijuana and coca have long been grown in the country but the drugs trade really took off with the processing of cocaine from the late 1970s. [1](p278) 3.4 The currency in use is the Colombian peso (COP), which at 18 December 2003 had an exchange rate of 2,855 COPs to US$1. [3](p7) 3.5 (For more information on economy refer to the Europa Yearbook - Regional Surveys of the World - South America, Central America and the th Caribbean 2004 - 12 Edition - Source [1]). Return to contents 4. History 4.1 According to the Global IDP Database - Profile of Internal Displacement: Colombia Compilation of the information available in the Global IDP Database of the Norwegian Refugee Council (as of 4 February 2004), "Colombia has historically been marked by political and social violence. In this century, the phenomena of political, economic, social and cultural exclusion led to the peasants' campaigns of the 1930s and 1940s, and, later on, to a long period of violence between the two traditional parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives. In 1957, by means of a constitutional reform, a system of alternation and parity between these parties was established. This meant that other political sectors were deprived of any share in power. From the 1960s onwards, a guerrilla movement came to prominence and its origins can in part be explained by the context of the polarization and cold war prevailing at that Colombia April 2004 time.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Colombia: Current and Future Political, Economic and Security Trends
    Colombia: Current and Future Political, Economic and Security Trends By Stephen J. Randall, FRSC Fellow of the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute and Director, Institute for United States Policy Research Jillian Dowding, MA Assistant Director, Institute for United States Policy Research December 2006 Prepared for the Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute 1600, 530 – 8th Avenue S.W., Calgary, AB T2P 3S8 www.cdfai.org © Canadian Defence & Foreign Affairs Institute Introduction For some analysts Colombia is seen to be at a crossroads, with the capacity to move beyond more than thirty years of internal conflict and realize its potential, especially in the economic sector. This paper outlines the current political, economic and security situation in the country and explores some of the possible scenarios for the next five to ten year period.1 The authors suggest that it is critically important to examine the ways in which the political and strategic environment has evolved over the past decade in order to understand the current situation and predict where the country will likely move in the near future. Most analysts of Colombia concur that Colombia has not realized its economic potential in the past fifty years because of the internal conflict, a conflict that has its roots in both ideological differences as well as socio-economic inequalities, but which have been greatly exacerbated since the emergence of the narcotics industry in the 1970s. That internal conflict has defeated government after government in its effort to develop a broader vision of the role that Colombia could play in inter-American relations or economically to move into the developed world.
    [Show full text]
  • IFES Faqs on Elections in Colombia
    Elections in Colombia 2018 Presidential Election Frequently Asked Questions Americas International Foundation for Electoral Systems 2011 Crystal Drive | Floor 10 | Arlington, VA 22202 | www.IFES.org May 14, 2018 Frequently Asked Questions When is Election Day? ................................................................................................................................... 1 Who are citizens voting for on Election Day? ............................................................................................... 1 When will the newly elected government take office? ................................................................................ 1 Who is eligible to vote?................................................................................................................................. 1 How many candidates are registered for the May 27 elections? ................................................................. 1 Who are the candidates? .............................................................................................................................. 1 How many registered voters are there? ....................................................................................................... 2 What is the structure of the government? ................................................................................................... 2 Are there any quotas in place? ..................................................................................................................... 3 What is the
    [Show full text]
  • Gold and Power in Ancient Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia
    This is an extract from: Gold and Power in Ancient Costa Rica, Panama, and Colombia Jeffrey Quilter and John W. Hoopes, Editors published by Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection Washington, D.C. © 2003 Dumbarton Oaks Trustees for Harvard University Washington, D.C. Printed in the United States of America www.doaks.org/etexts.html The Political Economy of Pre-Colombian Goldwork: Four Examples from Northern South America Carl Henrik Langebaek Universidad de los Andes Introduction: The Problem ome twenty years ago, Alicia Dussán de Reichel (1979: 41) complained that studies that “set out to place the prehistoric metallurgy of Colombia within a wider context Sof cultural development” were not very numerous. Despite a great deal of research on Pre-Columbian goldwork since, the same observation remains true today. One source of frustration comes from the fact that most archaeologists focus on the study of metallurgy as a goal in itself. Although researchers have produced detailed descriptions about the techno- logical characteristics of Pre-Columbian goldwork (Scott 1981), timelines, definitions of “styles” and “traditions,” as well as correlations among styles across Colombia, Lower Central America, and Ecuador (Bray 1981; 1992a; 1997; Plazas and Falchetti 1983), and identifica- tions of plant and animal species represented in ornaments (Legast 1987), they have rarely placed goldwork within a social context (Looper 1996) or incorporated it in models related to social change. Whatever improvement in the research on Pre-Columbian metal objects there has been, further progress will be limited if it is not aimed at understanding the way societies function and change (Lechtman 1984).
    [Show full text]
  • The Venezuelan Crisis, Regional Dynamics and the Colombian Peace Process by David Smilde and Dimitris Pantoulas Executive Summary
    Report August 2016 The Venezuelan crisis, regional dynamics and the Colombian peace process By David Smilde and Dimitris Pantoulas Executive summary Venezuela has entered a crisis of governance that will last for at least another two years. An unsustainable economic model has caused triple-digit inflation, economic contraction, and widespread scarcities of food and medicines. An unpopular government is trying to keep power through increasingly authoritarian measures: restricting the powers of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, avoiding a recall referendum, and restricting civil and political rights. Venezuela’s prestige and influence in the region have clearly suffered. Nevertheless, the general contours of the region’s emphasis on regional autonomy and state sovereignty are intact and suggestions that Venezuela is isolated are premature. Venezuela’s participation in the Colombian peace process since 2012 has allowed it to project an image of a responsible member of the international community and thereby counteract perceptions of it as a “rogue state”. Its growing democratic deficits make this projected image all the more valuable and Venezuela will likely continue with a constructive role both in consolidating peace with the FARC-EP and facilitating negotiations between the Colombian government and the ELN. However, a political breakdown or humanitarian crisis could alter relations with Colombia and change Venezuela’s role in a number of ways. Introduction aimed to maximise profits from the country’s oil production. During his 14 years in office Venezuelan president Hugo Together with Iran and Russia, the Venezuelan government Chávez Frias sought to turn his country into a leading has sought to accomplish this through restricting produc- promotor of the integration of Latin American states and tion and thus maintaining prices.
    [Show full text]
  • The Drug Trade in Colombia: a Threat Assessment
    DEA Resources, For Law Enforcement Officers, Intelligence Reports, The Drug Trade in Colombia | HOME | PRIVACY POLICY | CONTACT US | SITE DIRECTORY | [print friendly page] The Drug Trade in Colombia: A Threat Assessment DEA Intelligence Division This report was prepared by the South America/Caribbean Strategic Intelligence Unit (NIBC) of the Office of International Intelligence. This report reflects information through December 2001. Comments and requests for copies are welcome and may be directed to the Intelligence Production Unit, Intelligence Division, DEA Headquarters, at (202) 307-8726. March 2002 DEA-02006 CONTENTS MESSAGE BY THE ASSISTANT THE HEROIN TRADE IN DRUG PRICES AND DRUG THE COLOMBIAN COLOMBIA’S ADMINISTRATOR FOR COLOMBIA ABUSE IN COLOMBIA GOVERNMENT COUNTERDRUG INTELLIGENCE STRATEGY IN A LEGAL ● Introduction: The ● Drug Prices ● The Formation of the CONTEXT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Development of ● Drug Abuse Modern State of the Heroin Trade Colombia ● Counterdrug ● Cocaine in Colombia DRUG RELATED MONEY ● Colombian Impact of ● Colombia’s 1991 ● Heroin Opium-Poppy LAUNDERING AND Government Institutions Involved in Constitution ● Marijuana Cultivation CHEMICAL DIVERSION ● Opium-Poppy the Counterdrug ● Extradition ● Synthetic Drugs Eradication Arena ● Sentencing Codes ● Money Laundering ● Drug-Related Money ● Opiate Production ● The Office of the ● Money Laundering ● Chemical Diversion Laundering ● Opiate Laboratory President Laws ● Insurgents and Illegal “Self- ● Chemical Diversion Operations in ● The Ministry of ● Asset Seizure
    [Show full text]
  • Pdf | 271.02 Kb
    United Nations S/2019/1017 Security Council Distr.: General 31 December 2019 Original: English Children and armed conflict in Colombia Report of the Secretary-General Summary The present report, submitted pursuant to Security Council resolution 1612 (2005) and subsequent resolutions, is the fourth report of the Secretary-General on children and armed conflict in Colombia and covers the period from 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2019. The report provides information on the six grave violations against children, on parties to conflict responsible, where identified, and on progress made in the protection of children affected by armed conflict. The reporting period was marked by the implementation of the Final Agreement for Ending the Conflict and Building a Stable and Lasting Peace (S/2017/272, annex II) between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP), which put an end to a five-decade-long conflict. A decrease in the total number of grave violations against children was documented and can be explained in part by the signature of the peace agreement and the subsequent demobilization of the largest armed group in the country. Over the same period, however, other armed groups expanded their territorial presence, including in areas vacated by FARC-EP, and FARC-EP dissident groups emerged. These developments have continued to expose children to grave violations, in particular recruitment and use and sexual violence. Highlighted in the report are the efforts made by the Government of Colombia to strengthen the framework to respond to, end and prevent grave violations against children, including through prevention strategies.
    [Show full text]
  • FULLTEXT01.Pdf
    1 Cover photo: José Ramón Gomez, Arauca, 2012 Front page designed by: Manuela Giraldo 'When an Indigenous People disappears, a whole world is extinguished forever, along with its culture, spirituality, language, ancestral knowledge and traditional practices ... The survival of Indigenous Peoples with dignity is all in our hands.” National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC) "We are not myths of the past neither ruins in the jungle. We are people and we want to be respected…” Rigoberta Menchu Tum 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................................. 5 PREFACE .................................................................................................................................... 6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ 7 ACRONYMS ............................................................................................................................... 8 1.1 Aim and Research Question ............................................................................................ 10 1.2 Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................... 10 1.2.1 Structural Violence ................................................................................................ 11 1.2.2 Civilians Targeted by GAO ML..........................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Representación De La Violencia En La Novela Del Narcotráfico Y El Cine Colombiano Contemporáneo
    University of Kentucky UKnowledge University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations Graduate School 2010 REPRESENTACIÓN DE LA VIOLENCIA EN LA NOVELA DEL NARCOTRÁFICO Y EL CINE COLOMBIANO CONTEMPORÁNEO Claudia Ospina University of Kentucky, [email protected] Right click to open a feedback form in a new tab to let us know how this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Ospina, Claudia, "REPRESENTACIÓN DE LA VIOLENCIA EN LA NOVELA DEL NARCOTRÁFICO Y EL CINE COLOMBIANO CONTEMPORÁNEO" (2010). University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations. 45. https://uknowledge.uky.edu/gradschool_diss/45 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at UKnowledge. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Kentucky Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of UKnowledge. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION Claudia Ospina The Graduate School University of Kentucky 2010 REPRESENTACIÓN DE LA VIOLENCIA EN LA NOVELA DEL NARCOTRÁFICO Y EL CINE COLOMBIANO CONTEMPORÁNEO ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Kentucky By Claudia Ospina Lexington, Kentucky Director: Dr. Susan Carvalho, Associate Provost for International Programs Lexington, Kentucky 2010 Copyright © Claudia Ospina 2010 ABSTRACT OF DISSERTATION REPRESENTACIÓN DE LA VIOLENCIA EN LA NOVELA DEL NARCOTRÁFICO Y EL CINE COLOMBIANO CONTEMPORÁNEO This dissertation analyzes the representation of violence in Colombian novels and films from the last two decades of the XX century. Aided by current theories of violence and representation on the one hand, and an interdisciplinary methodology that analyses the phenomenon of the violence of drug trafficking from different perspectives on the other, my analysis examines the challenges and limits of literary and cinematic representation as it grapples with the extreme realities of life in Colombia’s major cities.
    [Show full text]
  • Nombre Presidente De La República Nombre Ministro De Hacienda
    Período de Nombre Presidente de la Nombre Ministro de Ubicación de la mandato del República Hacienda información Ministro Francisco de Paula Santander José María del Castillo y 1823-1827 Las Memorias en papel se encuentran en la Biblioteca y Rada su copia digital se puede consultar en el catálogo a través de la página web del Ministerio o la intranet Simón Bolívar José Ignacio de Márquez 1828-1831 No hay Memoria José María Obando (encargado Diego F Gomez 1832 marzo No hay Memoria del poder Ejecutivo) José Ignacio de Márquez Domingo Caicedo 1832 No hay Memoria (encargado del poder Ejecutivo) (abril, mayo, junio, julio) Francisco de Paula Santander Francisco Soto 1832 -1833 No hay Memoria Francisco de Paula Santander Francisco Soto 1834 Las Memorias en papel se encuentran en la Biblioteca y su copia digital se puede consultar en el catálogo a través de la página web del Ministerio o la intranet Francisco de Paula Santander Francisco Soto 1835-1837 No hay Memoria Francisco de Paula Santander Simón Burgos 1837 No hay Memoria (abril - 18 septiembre) José Ignacio de Márquez Juan de Dios de Aranzazu 1837 -1841 No hay Memoria Pedro Alcántara Herrán Rufino Cuervo y Barreto 1841-1843 Las Memorias en papel se encuentran en la Biblioteca y su copia digital se puede consultar en el catálogo a través de la página web del Ministerio o la intranet Tomas Cipriano de Mosquera Juan Clímaco Ordoñez 1844-1845 Las Memorias en papel se encuentran en la Biblioteca y su copia digital se puede consultar en el catálogo a través de la página web del Ministerio o
    [Show full text]
  • Colombia: En Búsqueda De Una Política Exterior
    NOTAS COLOMBIA: EN BÚSQUEDA DE UNA POLÍTICA EXTERIOR Por GERHABD DREKONJA KORNAT A. EL «PAÍS ANDINO» Las pocas evaluaciones que existen en torno a la política exterior colombiana van desde el juicio de su «consistencia fundamental» has- ta la opinión crítica de su «fraccionamiento» y hasta su no-existencia l. Por otra parte, cabe observar que quien acometa la tarea de efec- tuar una sobria adición de los elementos de poderío potencial que en- cierra Colombia, tiene que llegar a la conclusión de que este país debería'ser, indiscutiblemente, una potencia regional con un poder negociador de calidad comparable a la de México, Argentina y Vene- zuela2. Con todo, hay analistas que identifican situaciones en las cua- les Colombia ha resultado jugar un papel más preponderante. Tal es el caso de su capacidad negociadora, sobre todo, en el ámbito de los convenios de integración3. Bogotá, que ahora se encuentra cada vez más involucrada en las tensiones caribeñas, ha comenzado ya a percatarse de esta contradic- ción entre la capacidad potencial y la capacidad efectiva. Se suceden las definiciones y las iniciativas por aquello de que el low-profile en materia de política exterior no se debe a máximas de neutralidad ni i En cuanto al argumento de la consistencia, véase BUSHNELL, David: Colombio. In H. Eu. Davis-L. Wilson (eds.) Latin American Foreign Policies. An Analysis. Washington D. C. The Johns Hopkins press, 1975, p. 412. En cuanto al argumento del fraccionamiento, véaso DREKONJA KOBNAT, Gerhard. Colombia Política Exterior. Bogotá, 1982. 3 MUÑOZ, HERALDO: «The Str.-.tegic Dependency of the Centers and the Economlc Impor- tance of the Latin American Periphery», en Latin American Research Review, 16 (1981), 3, página 23.
    [Show full text]
  • Colombia's Peace Process Through 2016
    Colombia’s Peace Process Through 2016 (name redacted) Analyst in Latin American Affairs December 31, 2016 Congressional Research Service 7-.... www.crs.gov R42982 Colombia’s Peace Process Through 2016 Summary In August 2012, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos announced that the government was engaged in exploratory peace talks with the violent leftist insurgent group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), in a bid to resolve a nearly 50-year internal armed conflict. The secret, initial dialogue between the Santos government and the FARC’s leadership led to the opening of formal peace talks with the FARC—the oldest, largest, and best-financed guerrilla organization in Latin America. Formal talks began in Oslo, Norway, in October 2012 and then, as planned, moved to Havana, Cuba, where they continued for more than 50 rounds. Despite more than three years of negotiations, the leader of the FARC, Rodrigo Londoño, alias “Timochenko,” had not met publicly with President Santos. In September 2015, the two leaders shook hands in a televised meeting and announced that the negotiating parties would reach a final accord no later than March 23, 2016. However, that deadline, as many others before it, went unmet. By the end of 2015, the most difficult issue in the peace talks’ agenda, outlined in a framework agreement, was resolved. Government and FARC negotiators reached a partial agreement on victims of the conflict, providing a comprehensive system for reparations, justice, truth and guarantees for non-repetition and outlining a transitional justice system. In late January 2016, the United Nations (U.N.) Security Council adopted Resolution 2261, stating that a U.N.
    [Show full text]
  • Contemporary Muisca Indigenous Sounds in the Colombian Andes
    Nymsuque: Contemporary Muisca Indigenous Sounds in the Colombian Andes Beatriz Goubert Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY 2019 © 2019 Beatriz Goubert All rights reserved ABSTRACT Nymsuque: Contemporary Muisca Indigenous Sounds in the Colombian Andes Beatriz Goubert Muiscas figure prominently in Colombian national historical accounts as a worthy and valuable indigenous culture, comparable to the Incas and Aztecs, but without their architectural grandeur. The magnificent goldsmith’s art locates them on a transnational level as part of the legend of El Dorado. Today, though the population is small, Muiscas are committed to cultural revitalization. The 19th century project of constructing the Colombian nation split the official Muisca history in two. A radical division was established between the illustrious indigenous past exemplified through Muisca culture as an advanced, but extinct civilization, and the assimilation politics established for the indigenous survivors, who were considered degraded subjects to be incorporated into the national project as regular citizens (mestizos). More than a century later, and supported in the 1991’s multicultural Colombian Constitution, the nation-state recognized the existence of five Muisca cabildos (indigenous governments) in the Bogotá Plateau, two in the capital city and three in nearby towns. As part of their legal battle for achieving recognition and maintaining it, these Muisca communities started a process of cultural revitalization focused on language, musical traditions, and healing practices. Today’s Muiscas incorporate references from the colonial archive, archeological collections, and scholars’ interpretations of these sources into their contemporary cultural practices.
    [Show full text]