Colombia: Rebel Submarine Seized Off Pacific Coast

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March 17, 2006: FARC has decided to battle the government, mainly because major FARC factions cannot agree to work out a peace deal with the government. FARC is still very strong, with over 10,000 armed men, operating in hundreds of smaller groups throughout the country. But the army tactics, and increased cooperation from Colombian civilians, has increased pressure on the rebels. As long as FARC can keep getting the drugs out, they have the cash to buy weapons and pay their gunmen. But there are a lot more seizures of cocaine, and interruption of coca (the crop used to make cocaine) production.

March 15, 2006: In the last few days, troops killed about 15 FARC rebels in several actions.

March 12, 2006: National elections gave president Uribe's seven party alliance 70 percent of the votes.

March 10, 2006: The navy seized a 57 foot long fiberglass submarine 45 kilometers off the Pacific coast. The sub was built for, and used by, drug smugglers, to get the drugs to high speed boats off the coast, which would move the cocaine north, towards Central America, and eventually the United States. The sub was carrying four tons of cocaine. The drug smugglers have used such submarines before, to get drugs past navy boat and air patrols.

March 11, 2006: Another 2,500 gunmen belonging to the AUC, have handed in their weapons and accepted the amnesty. With this surrender, the AUC is almost gone, although a few years ago it had 27,000 men under arms.

 

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