Bush pays brief call on Colombia

[maddezmom]

Bush pays brief call on Colombia By TOM RAUM, Associated Press Writer
7 minutes ago

BOGOTA, Colombia - President Bush renewed U.S. support to Colombia, a strong but drug and violence-plagued U.S. ally which receives more U.S. aid than any country outside the Middle East and Afghanistan.

Bush arrived in the nation's capital on Sunday to meet with President Alvaro Uribe in a show of confidence for Uribe and Colombia's battle against narcoterrorists. But the stop was clouded by a political scandal involving Uribe, and security jitters had Bush staying only about six hours.

Colombia was the third country on the president's five-nation tour of Latin America. He began his journey in Brazil, flew here from Uruguay and was headed later Sunday to Guatemala. Bush last stops in Mexico before returning to Washington Wednesday.

Despite close ties between Uribe and Bush, the U.S. president's visit has generated considerable criticism and strong protests. Police put down violent demonstrations here ahead of Bush's arrival.

more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070311/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/bush_latin_america

CNNInternational announced he just arrived

[Judi Lynn]

1. God, what a spin AP's writer, TOM RAUM threw into his article. Holy smokes!

Tom's epic article:

The paramilitaries, which gained control of the entire Caribbean coast during the past decade, demobilized two years ago under a peace pact with Uribe's government. The paramilitaries arose in response to kidnappings and extortion by leftist rebels.
(snip)

What on earth have we been hearing all this time about continuing paramilitary violence? Where does THAT come from? Does Tom Raum not know, somehow? Here's what the Christian Science Monitor says:

from the March 12, 2007 edition

Paramilitaries reemerge in pockets of Colombia
Increased activity among armed rightist groups coincides with reports of their links to top politicians.
By Caleb Harris | Contributor to The Christian Science Monitor

BARRANCABERMEJA, COLOMBIA - Sandra Gutierrez Torres has a dangerous job. She helps run a grass-roots human rights organization in Colombia's oil capital, Barrancabermeja, and last month her work may have cost the life of her sister.

Katherine Gonzalez Torres disappeared days after a new right-wing paramilitary group calling itself the "Black Eagles" e-mailed a death threat to more than 70 rights groups nationwide: "We will finish with you by means of your families ... your families will pay dearly."

Nothing has been seen or heard of Katherine since. Her family thinks that she's become a victim of a rising tide of organized violence in pockets of the country. The spike in attacks attributed to supposedly demobilized paramilitaries coincides with a growing scandal linking them to some of Colombia's top politicians.
(snip)

But Soto refutes this. " had to disarm a strong part of their military structure so they could reintegrate their chiefs into civilian life," he says "but there are thousands of paramilitaries active around Colombia, and the massacres are continuing." He estimates that 40 to 50 percent of paramilitaries are still active. But he warns that the problem they represent to critics of "para-political" corruption is the same as before demobilization, Now, he says, it's more terrifying because it's clandestine. So, he says, "the effects on the people are the same."
(snip/)

http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0312/p04s01-woam.html?page=2

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Please see Amnesty International's website, take a moment to see their very short "cartoon," "Colombia Clean," which has Uribe's government hopping mad, posted by Say_What:

http://www.amnestyusa.org/countries/colombia/index.do

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AP writer Tom Raum closes his masterpiece with this misleading paragraph:

Meanwhile, three Americans have been held by rebels for more than four years in Colombia without the Bush administration taking routine steps toward freeing them, current and former U.S. officials say. Family members have cautioned the U.S. on a rescue attempt that could bring the hostages' deaths.
(snip/)

These three "Americans" are American contractors from the Northrop Grumman Corp., not three bumblef#cks who innocently stumbled in there on vacation.

[Bacchus39]

10. the FARC is active on the coast in the Santa Marta region

including Tairona National Park, the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, where the "Lost City" is located.

[struggle4progress]

2. Colombians protest against Bush visit, trade pact

Sunday, March 11, 2007
From correspondents in Americas, 10:30 PM IST

Bogota, March 11 (Prensa Latina) ...

Security measures in the capital were strengthened with more than 20,000 police officers and thousands of soldiers deployed to ensure law and order during Bush's visit.

In addition, 10 helicopters were flying over the Colombian capital and operations at the Eldorado International Airport was to be suspended. Traffic on two major Bogota avenues was also stopped ...

The security measures include prohibitions to carry weapons, even by those who have a license, transport debris and gas canisters, and ride motorcycles.

Sales of alcoholic beverages were to be suspended from early Sunday to early Monday.

http://www.indiaenews.com/america/20070311/42616.htm

[maddezmom]

3. more on the security/visit

he should have just called him. :eyes: Gotta wonder how much this little visit cost us and them.

An air of tension prevailed in the city of 7 million, where strict security measures were in force over the weekend. Checkpoints surrounded the presidential palace and the U.S. embassy, the only locations he was to visit during his 7-hour stay. Museums were closed and cellular telephone usage was blocked in some areas.

There were 21,000 police on duty, including 7,000 to guard the Bush motorcade route from El Dorado airport to the presidential palace in downtown Bogota. As the motorcade approached the presidential palace, it was escorted by mounted police in ceremonial dress.

The purpose of Bush's visit was to reassert his support and friendship for Uribe, his best ally in Latin America, and his anti-violence program known as Plan Colombia. Colombia receives more than half of all the U.S. aid sent to South America, much of it military assistance to help Colombia combat rebel groups and narcotics trafficking.

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-bush12mar12,1,3258718.story?track=rss

[IndianaGreen]

4. CNN and Faux could not longer ignore the demonstrations

CNN had a live report at the top of the hour about a violent demonstration still going on a mile away from the Presidential Palace. The CNN correspondent had to acknowledge how much the Colombian people dislike Bush.

[Judi Lynn]

5. And Colombia is the THIRD LARGEST US FOREIGN AID RECIPIENT!

Just think how hostile they'd REALLY be if we weren't pouring all that taxpayer funding into the country to enhance the "lifestyles" of the right-wing government officials.

It must really pain CNN to make that admission. You can be sure they'll try to balance it out during the week with more of their continuing delusional pro-_Bush spin.

[IndianaGreen]

6. Faux showed a video of their correspondent being tear gassed in face

but Faux had to spin the story, the anchorman saying that there were thousands of people with banners in a very festive atmosphere when violence broke out. The anchorman made it sound like the crowds were welcoming Bush, which we know it was the complete opposite.

[Judi Lynn]

8. Sure hope more videos will make it to us on the Bogota stop.

Just found this news video from Colombia, but I can't really follow what they're saying very well. (Their accents sound beautiful to the untrained ear, however!) The last part appears to show the police checking all traffic coming and going south of the city, and there are armed operatives standing all over the hills overlooking all roads leading into town.

Medidas de seguridad en Bogotá por llegada de Bush
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQTT5kjQBSM

[IndianaGreen]

7. Faux showing video shot by correspondent Steve Harrigan of demonstration

People yelling "Fuera Bush" (Bush Out!), and flying beautiful red flags and banners. Harrigan was hit with tear gas in the face. Clearly the Colombian students, workers and peasants hate Bush.

[otherlander]

9. I do hope he studied his Latin.