Murder and Corruption in Colombia

THE WEEK IN RIGHTS | MARCH 15, 2018 Interview: Murder and Corruption in Colombia

Photo © 2009 Stephen Ferry When people think about violence in Colombia, the drug kingpin Pablo Escobar or the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia’s (FARC) guerrillas might come to mind. But fewer know about the paramilitary forces that killed, tortured, and raped their way across the country starting in the late 1990s. While the paramilitaries portrayed themselves as “self-defense” forces, fighting the guerrillas, they were also among the country’s biggest drug traffickers. Over time, it became clear that they were colluding with significant sectors of Colombia’s military, wealthy business people and about 30 percent of the country’s Congress. Amy Braunschweiger talks with Maria McFarland Sanchez-Moreno about her new book “There are No Dead Here,” which details the reign of the paramilitaries and their continuing influence. Read the full interview »

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Quote of the Week Stephen Hawking, 1942-2018 "The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge." Renowned physicist Stephen Hawking passed away this week, at a time when facts matter more than ever. RIP.

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