The LA Times published an excellent interview with Colombia's defense minister Juan Manuel Santos today.
The interview focuses on Plan Colombia, which has failed in terms of coca crop eradication, but which has, as Santos states, allowed the Colombian military to "retake control of our territory."
Many simply call that military occupation.
Santos continues to explain that he's not worried about the fact that Obama has never been to Colombia, because "Vice President-elect Joseph Biden was one of the fathers of Plan Colombia and he promoted it a lot."
Another gem from Santos: "I have no doubt that the Colombian army is receiving more human rights training than any army on Earth."
Now that's a scary thought.
A Colombian military parade in Medellín. Photo by Michael von Bergen.
The Dominion is a monthly paper published by an incipient network of independent journalists in Canada. It aims to provide accurate, critical coverage that is accountable to its readers and the subjects it tackles. Taking its name from Canada's official status as both a colony and a colonial force, the Dominion examines politics, culture and daily life with a view to understanding the exercise of power.