Increased danger in Colombia

[Wayne]

I was wondering if any of you have an increased concern about the political situation in Colombia.  How many guys are heading down there right now?  My wife thinks it is really dangerous down there right now, and actually has cancelled her trip to see her best friend get married in April because of the risk.  She told me that over 50 cities currently have no water, electricity, or phone because of numerous attacks and bombings.  What do you guys think?

Wayne

[Traveller]

... in response to Increased danger in Colombia, posted by Wayne on Feb 28, 2002

I haven't seen or heard of anything really out of the ordinary in Cali. No one here has mentioned anything about car bombs. I go from one side of the city to the other on a regular basis and meet with people who live in the four corners of town and no one has an overly heightned state of mind. Well, nothing out of the ordinary. 50 cities without power and water? Where are they? Maybe some little pueblos up in the moutains, but not a "City."
One point I would like to make about Calenas. A lot of them are afraid of shadows, thinking they are ghosts. Just last week, I heard one commenting about how cool it had been recently. She attributed this to, "The Dead Walking the Streets." The girl she was talking to appeared to believe every word too. They'll hear a sound and immediatley believe it must be someone in the house, looting it. In fact, the dog may have bumped a chair or the wind may have knocked something over. I have met a lot of people down here and at with at least a lot of Calenas, this seems to be common. Yes, they got that way for a reason, I understand this. "Tengo Miedo," is something you hear alot around here.
Now, why is Cali unsafe concerning the FARC?  You guys coming down for the first time, I understand this is probably a bit of a change for you. But, you are not going to get kidnapped off the streets of Cali. This place has a lot of security. Not only do you have a pretty good size police force, but you have armed security guards everywhere. In the Malls, at a lot of restaurants, in front of banks, etc. On top of that, you have the 3rd Brigade here. Do you know, they have squad size units making patrols through the residential areas now? I thought that was kind of interesting. Yes, again, there is a reason for it, but it is doing what it is intended for, deterrence. Car bombs? Well hey, that's something harder to track down, but like I said earlier, I haven't heard anything about them, so if they happened, it couldn't have been that big a deal. I remember a report when I had my house here. I was here when this happened. On CNN, it was reported that bombs blew up in front of government buildings in Colombia. That was about all the report said. Come to find out, it was a pipe bomb in front of a federal administration building at about 3:30 am. No injuries and except for a broken window and some screwed up paint, that was the extent of damage. But, that was worthy enough to make CNN. Rumours fly down here. Especially, with Colombians. For example; and this is a good one. Did you know the "World bank" told Pastrana not pay the workers and fire as many as he could so that Colombia would save money? This came from several college students. I asked another friend who goes to an entirely different University and he believed the same thing. Interestingly enough, none of them could tell me where the "World Bank" resides. Another one: When President Bush was trying to get a coalition to fight terrorism, it got back to me by a Colombian, who had watched CNN Espanol, that there was a Coalition against the United States and that we were now at War with this Coalition. He got it totally backward, but he told me I was wrong and that the were a bunch of Countries ready to wage war against the U.S. When we watched CNN in English and he got the facts straight, his excuse was, "that's what CNN Espanol said."
I can write a novel on some of the stuff you hear from people down here. I guess, I am somewhat cynical of what people say here.
Look, yeah there is stuff going on down here. Has been for a long time. Yeah, the FARC are kind of backed into a corner and we all know what that can lead to. No, it is not 100% safe. But, I walked from Chipichape down Six Av. got my haircut, had lunch, looked at shops, had some beers at a street bar, went down to Barclay's after that, then went to Blues, did a little dancing then went home. All of this was done out in plain view. No one has given me a lick of trouble since I have been here. That was 7 months ago.
I guess, I wrote all of this to say, don't believe everything you hear. Some of the things you hear from a Colombian maybe anchored in fact, but a lot of times, they will get it mixed up. That is not entirely a generalization, but believe me, I speak from experience. I want to write a book one of these days called, "Colombianisms."  LOL! Nuances of the culture I suppose.
Well geez, there is the article for the night. Got to finish my book. HODA, I need another one, Please.....
Talk to you guys later,
Keith

[bogota vet]

... in response to Re: Increased danger in Colombia, posted by Traveller on Mar 3, 2002

Keith doesn't standout as gringo, you can see several photos of him onthe LatinLove.net website

A Senator was killed a couple of days ago outside Bogota.

The big Hotel Torre in Cali was car bombed a litle while ago, the doorman lost his eyesight.

[El Diablo]

... in response to Re: Re: Increased danger in Colombia, posted by bogota vet on Mar 5, 2002

He looks like a gringo to me and his gringo buddies at Blues Brothers do also.  (-:

[Cali vet]

... in response to Re: Re: Increased danger in Colombia, posted by bogota vet on Mar 5, 2002

I read today the FARC blew up an electric tower in La Cumbre. A lot of calenos have weekend houses up there. This is just outside and north of Cali. Said electric was knocked out in various surrounding towns but didn't say which.

[Hoda]

... in response to Increased danger in Colombia, posted by Wayne on Feb 28, 2002


shooting themselves in the foot, with latest round of B.S. They have blown it off entirely. Scared civilians will remain so, but for only so long. Let'em keep pissing off the people, they claim to be representing. The bullet that takes them out, may come from within their own ranks or a little old man, who has seen them (FARC) kill off his family....

[Michael B]

... in response to Increased danger in Colombia, posted by Wayne on Feb 28, 2002

I was talking with a lady in Cali Saturday and she told me there had been two car bombs there that week.

[Cali vet]

... in response to Increased danger in Colombia, posted by Wayne on Feb 28, 2002

I think a lot of guys are going down soon myself included. Maybe I'll pack a couple of candles and some bottled water.

[BubbaGump]

... in response to Increased danger in Colombia, posted by Wayne on Feb 28, 2002

I think they already have the highest murder rate in the world.  If I were going to Columbia, that girl better be darn good.  Bush should send the marines down there to eliminate some druglords after the Arab terrorists are toast.  Otherwise it's going to be civil war til the druglords win.

[Chris F]

... in response to Increased danger in Colombia, posted by Wayne on Feb 28, 2002

I am going to Cali for the first time in three weeks!  Not thrilled about the current situation in Colombia. A special calena who I am in contact with several times a week is keeping carful track of the situation in Cali. She does not want me to come either if she feels I am going to be in danger. She did mention that I should not venture out of Cali on the trip.  ( I feel this has always been the case for gringos down there!)  If I end up not going to Cali because of her request due to my safety I am will let everyone know on this board.

[Hoda]

... in response to Increased danger in Colombia, posted by Wayne on Feb 28, 2002


Until my lady tells me not to come or American Airlines stops flying there....

OUR PLANS ARE STILL ON GO-AHEAD!!!

[Zorro]

... in response to Like a said before...., posted by Hoda on Feb 28, 2002

Where is it you're going, Hoda? I haven't looked at any of the Colombian papers today or any of the sites like colombiatimes.com, but is there anything significant happening in any of the larger cities yet, such as Bogota? I know they keep trying to knock out the water supply for Bogota, but so far have failed. And there are things happening fairly close to Bogota. But any other news... any of you down there now? It has seemed like most of the action has been in the small towns.

[Zorro]

... in response to Re: Like a said before...., posted by Zorro on Feb 28, 2002

This following article sums up the situation pretty well:

Bogota reportedly targeted in Colombia attacks

AP [ FRIDAY, MARCH 01, 2002  1:03:59 AM ]

OGOTA, Colombia: Rebels intensified their campaign to bomb Colombia into darkness on Thursday by sabotaging several power stations, knocking out electricity to hundreds of thousands of people.

The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, plans to attack electricity and other infrastructure targets around this Andean capital of 7 million, according to a reputed rebel conversation over two-way radio.

"You've got to hit them with everything, so everything falls: bridges, electrical towers, the reservoir," a rebel commander who goes by the nom de guerre Romana was heard telling another guerrilla on Monday.

"You've got to deliver an urban blow, so the oligarchy feels the war," Romana said, according to a transcript of the intercepted conversation reported in the country's main newspaper, El Tiempo, on Thursday.

While rebel attacks have left many parts of Colombia without electricity, telephone or water service, Bogota and other large cities have thus far been spared. Though electric towers and a reservoir near the capital have been attacked, officials have been able to maintain uninterrupted service.

Security has been stepped up, with army troops guarding bridges and reservoirs in the capital.

One week after the government broke off peace talks and launched a military offensive into a former rebel safe haven, evidence of military successes were scant.
Military commanders said it was too dangerous for ground troops to do a body count of rebels killed in aerial bombardments. Gen. Hector Fabio Velasco, the head of the Colombian Air Force, said the military has located several top commanders of the FARC. "We know where they are, in various locations and not all in the former safe haven, but capturing them will require some time, and patience," Velasco said in a radio interview.

He said that Colombia would, at least for now, have to fight the rebels on its own. US military aid to Colombia is mostly limited to counternarcotics missions and Washington has not granted Colombian requests to lift restrictions on the aid.

"We have not received one bullet or one bomb from the Americans," Velasco said. Rebels blew up transmission towers overnight Wednesday and early Thursday, cutting electrical power to Casanare state in eastern Colombia, and to the 39,000 residents of the city of Arauca, in
northeast Colombia's Arauca state.

Since rebels began attacking the country's infrastructure, they have blown up about 70 electrical transmission towers and tried to sabotage reservoirs that supply water to Bogota. There have been power outages in the states of Caqueta, Cauca, Caldas, Boyaca, Guajira and Meta.

Fighting has occurred as close as 16 km from Florencia, the capital of Caqueta, unnerving residents. There has been no phone service for days. Only cellular and satellite phones work. At night, people use candles or generator-powered electricity for lights. "The people here are full of anguish and uncertainty," Fabian Marulanda, the bishop of Florencia, told The Associated Press over his cell phone.

Marulanda said truck drivers are reluctant to drive to Florencia through areas where rebels maintain a strong presence. Flights were planned to bring sugar, eggs, rice and other staple foods to the provincial capital, Marulanda said. TV footage showed tanks and riot police in the streets, an anti-looting measure.

Rebels also detonated explosives Thursday at a bridge on a road between Florencia and the town of San Vicente del Caguan, making it impassable to vehicles. "Food is not coming in to San Vicente del Caguan, and lots of businesses are closing," said Nestor Ramirez, mayor of the town, which had been the largest in the rebel safe haven.

The rebel safe haven was located in Caqueta and Meta states for three years. President Andres Pastrana revoked it on Feb. 20 after the rebels hijacked an airliner and kidnapped a senator who was aboard.

[Hoda]

... in response to Re: Re: Like a said before...., posted by Zorro on Feb 28, 2002


Zorro,

My lady lives in Cali. She's staying on top of the news first hand for us. In regards to the word in the subject area. While reading the news coming from S.A. for the past couple of months. I noticed how the word "oligarchy" has creeped into FARC's recent vocabulary, after alleged encounters with Chavez of Ven. Oligarchy, is Chavez's favorite word to describe the forces he believes are working against him in Venezuela. If FARC continues on it's current campaign, they'll have more than the Colombian military & AUC to be concerned about. FARC is only hurting the people they "Claim" to represent. With FARC, it's never been about the people, it's always been about the drugs & money....

[Hoda]

... in response to Like a said before...., posted by Hoda on Feb 28, 2002

n/t