Colombia: FARC Feels The Heat

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June 6, 2007: Although the government is in the midst of releasing 200 FARC prisoners, FARC refuses to reciprocate and free any of its 60 high ranking hostages, and is holding out for a "liberated zone" free of government security forces. FARC needs this liberated zone desperately, for continued army pressure on FARC is forcing the organization out of the country. The prisoner release is not popular with most Colombians, and the FARC refusal to reciprocate does little for FARC popularity, at home or abroad.

June 5, 2007: In the south, FARC kidnapped a police commander, in an area they are trying to have declared a "liberated zone", free of government security forces. Another letter bomb went off in the capital, in a government building.

June 4, 2007: The deputy education minister was injured by a letter bomb. No one took credit for it.

June 1, 2007: The economy continues to grow, as does the value of the peso, which increased in value against the dollar (1890 per dollar) to its highest value since 2000. Inflation continues to go down, along with unemployment. With FARC no longer menacing so many of the nations highways, trade and travel are possible, and with that comes economic growth.

May 31, 2007: Troops discovered an abandoned FARC camps where kidnapped officials had recently been held. DNA evidence confirmed the identity of those who had been there. The army is capturing more FARC controlled territory every day. The leftist rebels and drug gang partners are constantly moving around their drug operations to avoid police and army sweeps. The drug gangs have to grow more coca, and ship more cocaine, in order to maintain past levels of deliveries to North American and European customers. More and more coca crops are being destroyed, and cocaine being seized while in transit. Even with that, the business is still profitable.

 

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