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Venezuela Welcomes Drug Gangs
September 17, 2005: Venezuela is sending another 7,000 soldiers to guard the
Colombian border. This will put 22,000 Venezuelan troops along the 2,219
kilometer border. However, this effort is seen as more to keep Colombian troops
from pursuing leftist rebels into Venezuela, than for keeping those Colombian
rebels out in the first place. It's also been noted that Venezuela is a major
conduit of illegal drugs, and does little to impede this traffic. Colombia's
efforts against drugs have been more successful, which has driven some of the
drug smuggling to a more hospitable Venezuela.
September 16, 2005: FARC
has refused to trade 500 captured FARC men for several dozen high profile
kidnapping victims. Such a trade would be the start of negotiations for a peace
deal. FARC is composed of many factions, and the consensus is that it's better
to fight, to preserve their drug and criminal enterprises, than negotiate to go
straight. FARC has lost most of its popular appeal by turning into a large
criminal organization.
September 13, 2005: The government is freeing ELN
leader Gerardo Bermudez Sanchez, as part of a deal to get peace talks started
with the rebel organization. ELN has about 3,000 armed men and is basically
fighting to establish a communist dictatorship.
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