Obama downshifts American imperialism in Colombia

[Judi Lynn]

Obama downshifts American imperialism in Colombia
Submitted by Joshua Reese on Sep 3 2010 08:13

It can be argued that the U.S. owes a collective “morality debt” of diplomatic reparations for centuries of state-sponsored terrorism and deplorable interventionism in and around the Republic of Colombia. Numerous “banana republics” joined Colombia, resulting from 500 years of “gun-point capitalism” fueled by the U.S. State department at the behest of multi-national corporate interests.

Since the arrival of Christopher Columbus, after whom Colombia takes its name, an utter disregard for the democratic interests of Latin American citizens has been the only constant down through history.

Colombia has had to endure an unending tug-of-war between heavily militarized, rival political factions, ravaging a democratic system long fraught with corruption, often marked by human rights violators on all sides; persistently enhanced by external forces (the U.S. government notwithstanding).

As leftist guerrillas and right-wing paramilitary groups leave the countryside drenched with civilian bloodshed, cocaine distribution maintains virtual “shadow governments” either in league with, or in spite of, traditional local law enforcement. Any and all outside attempts to evolve these truisms ceaselessly serve to only further exacerbate the seemingly insurmountable chaos that is life in Colombia.

Barack Obama’s presidency has successfully managed to “downplay” U.S.-Colombian relations, which can only serve to help dissolve the perceived “Faustian coalition” of ex-Presidents Alvaro Uribe and George W. Bush. Political discussions turn to feeding frenzies in the U.S., dominated by domestic difficulties, draining much of the administration’s focus away from foreign policy goals, in favor of scrutinizing “homeland concerns” and rampant joblessness. With backsliding economic conditions spurring fears of a “double-dip recession”, 2010’s midterm election season forces a “protectionist” backdrop on the national discussion over trade agreements and treaty signing; a predictable development during times of fiscal difficulty.

More:
http://libcom.org/news/obama-downshifts-american-imperialism-colombia-03092010