The Leonard Lopate Show

I visited Colombia about 15 years ago. The family I was with made me leave my passport at home and pretend to be mute when we travelled together, in case we were stopped by rebels. At the time, I thought they were joking. After returning home, I learned Americans were being kidnapped.

A taxi Driver in Colombia told me;

There is no peace in Colombia because the armed forces keeps a ruling called

“Emergency situation” A situation that the army will get 50 % more money during those periods

So they will do anything to keep like that

Plan Colombia was bad enough under Clinton--what's happened to it under Bush?

(Sorry if you've covered this already--I got a phone call & missed some of the interview.)

Your guest Miz Paternostro is not saying anything. She evading your question by saying all is nuanced.

I have not learned a thing about what is Columbia. What are the social and historical dynamics that have brought this country to violence, corruption and dysfunction

Your speaker fails to mention that the regionality of Colombia began with the creation of Colombia as a nation state over one hundred years ago. It is a racial/regional geography as you might find in India, only that it was developed by a small group of men of letters who were the political elite. I feel it's an important part of understanding Colombia.

Furthermore, the displacement in Colombia, is a phenomena that has happened for years. In fact, the over one hundred years of violence has to do with land distrubition or violent re-distribution. It's not simply someone's home getting destroyed. What the speaker refers to as "feudalism" is changing. That has a great deal to do with el desplazamiento.