Actualidad Colombiana IN ENGLISH

Bulletin No. 392 Index

September 16 – 30, 2004
Year XXV

Politics
The Watched Society

Human Rights
What Is There about the Case of the Cajamarca Massacre?

Economics
What Does the U.S. Want in the FTAA?

Social Movements
Word of Disarmament

Full Bulletin in Spanish (.html) and in English (.doc).

The Watched Society:

FROM THE AUTHORITARIANISM OF THE EXECUTIVE TO THE AUTHORITARIANISMS OF DIVERSE POLITICAL COLORS

Commentaries on Re-election: The spell continues. The second year of the government of Alvaro Uribe Vélez . A report presented by the Colombian Platform on Human Rights, Democracy and Development

MARÍA EMMA WILLS OBREGÓN
Associate Professor, IEPRI UN

This brief review intends, firstly, to expose the thesis and central supporting arguments of the articles on policy included in the book Re-election: the spell continues. After that brief synthesis, I make some suggestions on how more accurately to capture the complexity of the Colombian situation – a military situation with several armed actors. Finally, these reflections offer some points that are rarely mentioned by those defending a negotiated solution to the Colombian armed conflict.

What Is There about the Case of the Cajamarca Massacre

Because military penal justice is a source of impunity in cases that constitute serious violations to rights, it is imperative that this crime against humanity is known by ordinary justice

REINALDO VILLALBA VARGAS
Collective Corporation of Lawyers “José Alvear Restrepo”

On April 10, 2004, Colombia was affected by the death of five people, among them four minors, at the hands of the Army in an operation that the authorities quickly described as a MILITARY ERROR, without waiting for the results of legal medical opinions.

What Does the U.S. Want in the FTAA?

The Puerto Rico round coming up this week will not have any great surprises, at least not after the United States announced it will not be increasing its import of agricultural products

JAIRO BAUTISTA
Public Accountant Universidad Nacional
– Congressional Assessor of the Republic

The recent round in Lima left bitter experiences and lessons for those sectors of the Colombian economy believing faithfully that the commercial agreement with the United States would be beneficial. First of all, the North American negotiators presented their intentions, clear in principle, with respect to intellectual property, which go beyond including the Doha Round of the OMC and any national regulation in the matter. Secondly, the North Americans are not going to yield as far as agricultural protection is concerned and will harden their position with respect to the non-tariff barriers. Thirdly, the subject of U.S. income will not be up for discussion, since, for them, it is a matter of national, not trade, security.

Word of Disarmament

The hearing implied that a real and lasting peace cannot be had, instead reducing justice to ceremonies of generous pardon for those who have committed many atrocities and over many years, as was the case for the paramilitaries

LILIANA GUARÍN
Planeta Paz

“The map of Colombia is full", according to the gentleman, who began to raise his voice, "with the names of assassinated people from the Patriotic Union." He was one of the police officers that was watching the entrance to the National Capitol on September 6, 2004. A woman, also of the monitoring group, typed on a laptop, apparently in agreement with her companion.