In Colombia, biofuels push inspires land grabs, violence
In case you need more evidence that biofuels are not the Big Green Conscience-Easing Solution: a disturbing pattern has emerged in Colombia, where vast palm-oil plantations are taking the place of tropical forests and farmland. Aid organizations working in the area say paramilitary gangs are seizing land for biofuel conglomerates, using threats and violence to evict rural residents. President Alvaro Uribe has pressed palm producers to more than double their acreage in the next four years, and concerned observers say his push has encouraged the illegal seizures. "The paramilitaries are not subtle when it comes to taking land," says Dominic Nutt of Christian Aid. "They simply visit a community and tell landowners, 'If you don't sell to us, we will negotiate with your widow.'" Aren't you glad we're washing our hands of that other strife-ridden fuel? Alternative energy is on the docket at this week's meeting of the Organization of American States in Panama City. So they'll probably fix all this.
straight to the source: The Sunday Times, Tony Allen-Mills, 03 Jun 2007
straight to the source: Voice of America, Brian Wagner, 04 Jun 2007
see also, in Grist: A special series on biofuels
Cautious optimism for Copenhagen deal as Barcelona climate talks end
Another coal plant bites the dust
Comments
View as Flat
jljonathan Posted 2:34 am
12 Jun 2007
Permalink
debroberts54 Posted 3:20 pm
12 Jun 2007
Permalink
gringoparker Posted 12:47 am
11 Jul 2007
For Americans the whole thing is very confusing. There is constant talk about the left-wing terrorists FARC. Billions of American taxpayer money has gone to fight this drug-dealing enemy. It is true they have kidnapped people, they have blown up things in Colombia and they even admit to taxing cocoa growers. The group says they are fighting to help the people. Others say that they just use that as an excuse to make money. But in the article it is the paramilitary who is mentioned. This is the right-wing group, the group supposedly organized to fight the FARC. Reports by various international human rights groups and Conflict Analysis Resource Center (CERC) conclude that the paramilitary is responsible for the majority of the cocaine being shipped to the USA, have massacred far more innocent civilians than the FARC and are responsible for the majority of the over 3 million displaced persons in Colombia. This is the group that has been linked to the Colombian government. Eleven Colombian congressmen are in jail for working with them. The former director of DAS (Colombia's equivalent of the FBI) has been charged with providing names of union leaders to the paramilitary, all of who were soon murdered or threatened. The vast majority of the arrested congressmen are supporters of Colombian President Uribe. The DAS director served as Uribe's campaign manager.
President Uribe likes to state that over 30,000 members of the paramilitary have been demobilized under the Justice and Peace law. Human rights groups call the law and demobilization a shame. The regular soldier serves no jail time and actually receives monthly government money. The leaders need serve only eight years instead of fifty years. Not all paramilitary have demobilized. Many have remobilized into smaller groups and are said to be responsible for the increase in extortions and other things in such places as Cartagena. Phone taps have shown that the jailed paramilitary leaders have continued commanding their drug business and ordering murders from their country club type prison. Priests and others in communities have stated that though the paramilitary have given up their guns, they have not given up their power. Under the same law giving leniency to the paramilitary, land is to be returned to the millions from which it was taken. However those advocating for return of their land have been murdered by the paramilitary.
Fifty two percent of the money in Colombia is controlled by twenty percent of the families. The CIA web site states that 55% of Colombians live below the poverty level. The paramilitary and government help keep it that way. An economist from the United Kingdom recently analyzed the Free Trade Act with Colombia. His conclusion was that as written it does not help the majority of Colombians and seems to benefit mostly medium size industries located in President Uribe's hometown of Medellin.
In the mid 1990's a survey showed that 75% of the Americans thought the Colombian government corrupt. The country then spent over $3.1 million in commissions with an American PR firm to make the government look like a victim of the FARC. It worked. President Clinton started and President Bush continued the now over $4 billion in money to the country. Yet, reports have shown that cocaine has increased the last three years. Investment has increased in the country and the economy has gained. But the number of displaced people has increased and poverty has not decreased.
Recently the Democratically controlled congress cut a percentage of the Plan Colombia money and has put the FTA on the back burner. The Colombian government hired another American PR firm to change that. Their craftily worded missives are already showing up in publications and as news articles missing author's names. Americans need to pay close attention. Getting tough on the terrorist FARC does not mean the paramilitary has ceased helping the rich and elite steal land or there will be a decrease in drugs. Demobilization of the paramilitary does not mean that they have given up their control or they will do time for their crimes. Greater investments and economic gains do not necessarily equate to a reduction of people living below the poverty level or better living conditions for a majority of the citizens. A massive amount of American money alone does not mean the many years of bloodshed will suddenly stop.
Permalink