Excerpt: "While the peace process in Colombia has been welcomed by broad sections of Colombian society, the demobilization of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia has brought with it the swarming of paramilitary groups to rural regions the rebels left behind."
A paramilitary group in Colombia. (photo: Justice for Colombia)
Colombia: Right-Wing Paramilitaries Are Flooding Zones Vacated by the FARC, Expert Says
29 July 17
Right-wing paramilitary forces continue to operate throughout the country inflicting terror on social and political movements, as well as on the civilian population.
hile the peace process in Colombia has been welcomed by broad sections of Colombian society, the demobilization of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia has brought with it the swarming of paramilitary groups to rural regions the rebels left behind.
According to Leon Valencia, director of the Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation, there are whole families who are currently at risk due to the expansion of right-wing military groups who had once been deterred by the presence of the left-wing guerrilla group.
A month ago, the FARC handed in the last of its weapons to United Nations officials effectively ending 53 years of military war with the state. Many expected the demobilization of the country�s largest and most influential rebel group to mark the end of the devastating violence that has ravaged the country for decades.
However, the reality is that right-wing criminal bands continue to operate throughout the country inflicting terror on social and political movements, as well as on the civilian population in general.
According to Periodistas en Espa�ol, for example, paramilitary groups have only recently re-entered San Jose de Apartado, a village that 10 years ago was the victim of one of Colombia�s worst modern day massacres at the hands of armed right-wing groups. Their presence in the area has been attributed to the FARC�s demobilization.
What�s even more concerning is that local military forces have been seen acting in cooperation with the paramilitaries with local residents reporting �commonplace meetings� between the two forces.
At a press conference Monday, FARC leader Ivan Marquez warned that the government�s lack of commitment to security protocols established in the peace accord was giving way to a resurgence of a �dirty war� by the ultra-right.
Since the demobilization process began, six demobilized rebels have been assassinated by paramilitary forces raising the concern of a repetition of the violence inflicted on the Patriotic Union party in the 1980s and 90s.
Juan Manuel Santos' government, which has previously denied the existence of paramilitary groups in the country, could eventually seriously dent or even lose the hard won peace agreement due to its failure to act to stop these increasingly destructive terrorist elements.
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I think a minimumly bureaucratized single payer (such as a less bureaucratic Medicare) would be very good. However, I think the best system probably would be Germany's--whic h had the world's 1st national health care system. It is based on private NON-PROFIT health insurance companies. Even though they are non-profit, in Germany and France, they are highly competitive in the "perks" offered to policy holders. By law, EVERYONE must have health insurance, primarily provided through employers who must include retired workers. The German government pays premiums for anyone incapable of working who otherwise does not have health insurance and for the unemployed until they gain a job and coverage through their employer. Health care costs are regulated by a board consisting of representatives of numerous different groups--governm ent, health care providers, insurance companies, unions.
From Germans I know, the system is not nearly as complicated as it may seem from the discussion above. The bureaucracy is not as heavy-handed as with Medicare in the U.S.
Also in the latter, doctors are paid well -on a parallel with other college-educate d professionals like Engineers and architects- but not the huge sums doled out to MD's here along with an almost God-like status.
Doesn't that just tickle y'all to death?
and "support for the public option was. . .simply dismantled. . .when Obama put through his own program." It was "dismantled" because Obama shut out anyone from the discussion who was in favor of a public option and instead packed the committee with supporters of the pharmaceutical and insurance industries.
In short, Dems didn't opt for a public option from the very beginning because the pharmaceutical and insurance industries put many of them in office and were pulling their strings. Unfortunately, that is still the case.