Ingrid Betancourt, kidnapped Colombian ex-reform party presidential candidate , was liberated last week, along with fifteen other hostages, from six years captivity at the hands of FARC. These recently freed hostages have been the FARC's major bargaining chips for a few years and the subjects of ongoing controversies––these were the hostages who Chavez was mediating talks about freeing between the Colombian military and the FARC. The official story is that the Colombian military rescued the hostages in an operation which involved soldiers disguised as FARC members and tricking the captives' guards into handing over the hostages to be taken to another FARC camp. There have been rumors circulating that the U.S. and Colombia secretly paid 20 million ransom for the hostages, although both U.S. and Colombian reps have vehemently denied that any ransom was paid.
Taking into account the usual bumbling incompetence of the Colombian military, it's difficult to pay no heed to these claims. Also, as I've stated here before, Colombia (as an unofficial colony of the U.S.) is a country so in tune with the vicissitudes of American politics that the release of these high-profile hostages could be connected to the upcoming regime-change here in the states. It's in right-wing president Alvaro Uribe's best interests that the Republicans win the 2008 elections. McCain visited Colombia July 1st (just two days before the release of the hostages) to promote the free-trade deal he's been trying to get approved by Congress (with strong opposition from Obama and other leading Democrats like Nancy Pelosi). McCain flew to the resort town of Cartagena to give a speech warning Colombia to clean up their (completely appalling) human rights record so that this free-trade deal could be passed. With so much of Colombia-U.S. relations being one extended p.r. campaign staged for the public to hide what deals are going on beneath the seamy surface, this really makes all parties involved look a little too photogenic.
Daughter of the Colombian oligarchy–Betancourt has gotten the lionshare of media attention since the hostages were freed because she was the most high-profile of the detainees, and her story has been particularly big in France. Betancourt is a citizen of both France and Colombia, due to her previous marriage to a French diplomat. On a visit to Paris to meet Sarkozy, Betancourt stated, “I owe everything to France. France is my home. You are my family.” Well, at least we know that she's still Colombian enough to consider herself French. The whole thing could not be any less maudlin.
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Hi Laura,
I´m in Caracas right now and this whole event is being talked about endlessly. Everything about Colombia in recent years confuses me almost as much as stuff here in Venezuela. One thing that´s clear to me, though, is that Chavez has been giving money and probably shelter (in Venezuela) to the FARC for several years now. (I see the FARC, by the way, as nothing more than gangsters.) Meanwhile here in Caracas we have anywhere from 30 to 50 deaths by homicide every WEEK. (Not to mention the secuestros express, kidnappings, home invasions, etc.) That´s for a city of 8 million or so. The government long ago stopped providing official numbers for these violent deaths, so newspaper reporters have to depend on sources within the morgues to get numbers. Just a few months ago, one of Chavez´s ministers was trying to claim that the assaults & murders happening on buses were the result of CIA agents disguised as gangsters trying to create instability. Just a couple weeks ago that same minister claimed that any violent deaths that occur in Caracas between gangsters have no effect on public safety, since these are problems between gangsters. Of course, he elides the fact that innocent bystanders get shot all the time during these battles. That minister was videotaped by in January telling the FARC who handed over Clara Rojas and 5 other hostages: "Keep up the fight, your cause is ours," or something along these lines. Chavez only recently claimed the FARC share his same Biolivarian ideology (whatever that mish-mash of far left and fascist ideologies might actually be. He changes the definition every month.)
Whatever violence Colombia was suffering under has now migrated north to Venezuela, and it will only get worse under Chavez, as he has yet to do anything to stop this exponential increase in violent crime in his 10 years in power. In fact, many of us think this violence is part of a concerted plan by Chavez to leave the country in ruins so he can rule unhindered (and it seems to be working). Most of these crimes take place in the ghettos but no place in Caracas is ever really safe and paranoia has become an everyday presence for everyone except for the government ministers and assorted "revolutionaries" who always go around with several bodyguards.
I´m sure Uribe is fucked up, but Chavez is much worse because he claims to be leading a "progressive" movement, while in actuality he has transformed Venezuela into the most violent country in Latin America. I guess that´s not saying much, both men have innocent blood on their hands. It´s probably pointless of me to compare evils, anyways.
As for literature, however, Venezuela is undergoing a rennaissance of sorts. Lots of young poets & fiction writers are very active and the bookstores here are a pleasure to visit, with lots of book presentations, readings and lectures every week. (I´m in hog heaven in that regard.) Most of this literary activity is happening outside of government funding for the arts. Maybe that´s one of the few things Venezuela and Colombia can be happy about these days: a thriving literature with a growing interest among readers & writers.
Best wishes,
Guillermo
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