August 16, 2007: A navy
admiral was removed from his job when investigators found connections with drug
gangs. The admiral had commanded forces patrolling the Caribbean coast. The
drug gangs are constantly attempting to buy the services of senior military,
police and other officials. Part of the government comeback against the drug
gangs are more effective monitoring for corruption. Despite this, nine senior
army and navy officers are under investigation for taking bribes. Even more
non-military government officials are being investigated or prosecuted. Despite
the risk of prosecution, the money offered by the gangs is often irresistible.
The gangs also try threats, including threats to kidnap or murder family
members. This often backfires, with police and military attention being focused
on the group making the threats. But all the gangs use bribes. It's less messy
and more, well, "businesslike."
The government has recognized
that it's the gangster culture that has cursed Colombia with all these drug
gangs, and the lawlessness and violence that accompanies them. Colombia is
unique in that it has been in the midst of a civil war for the last sixty
years. Too many Colombians are unable to work out their political problems
through negotiation, and instead have made Colombia the most violent country in
the Western Hemisphere (which is more violent than the rest of the world, but
that's another story).
The breakdown in law and order
gave the drug gangs an opportunity, and they took it. Unprecedented prosperity
in North America and Europe over the last four decades increased the demand for
illegal drugs. Lawless Colombia was the easiest place for gangsters to produce
cocaine in the coca growing region of South America. Other countries in this
region were able to repulse the drug gangs, but not Colombia. Now that is
changing, and the drug gangs are fighting to the death. None of the other
countries in the region are as hospitable to the cocaine business. If Colombia
succeeds in making the cocaine business much less profitable, which is already
happening, the drug business will flee to adjacent nations. This is already
happening. The neighbors don't like it. No politicians will admit it, but
Colombia's neighbors prefer most of the drug business to stay in Colombia,
along with all the gang violence and corruption. No one expects the cocaine
trade to disappear anytime soon, but Colombia is determined to make its
neighbors share the pain, so that Colombians can suffer a little less.
