Recent content by jroa99

That would be the case if all of these accusations were true, which is one of several possibilities, but that's also why I would honestly like to see Venezuelan judicial authorities, for example, actually investigate the matter and if necessary prosecute those officials responsible. The fact...

You should know this already, but a number of Uribe administration officials and/or its political allies have actually been formally accused of being involved in such crimes and others, as the so-called "parapolitics" scandal has shown, including some high ranking individuals. The difference is...

This subject is certainly more complex than what it seems like on the surface but then again, that also goes for pretty much every other issue mentioned in this discussion topic. Chávez is no demon. In some ways, I continue to respect what he represents in terms of providing different forms...

I am happy, but just as I won't rush to make up some sort of glorified conspiracy theory, which is likely to show up sooner or later...I still think there are more than enough reasons to criticize the Uribe administration's polices and actions, despite their recent and undeniable successes in...

Ignoring the fact that this shouldn't be taken seriously in the first place and is terribly superficial... The average guerrilla, or Colombian for that matter, doesn't look as "nice" as that. But if all you can think about is who to "hit", you'd be better off hanging around some druglords than...

And FARC is not horsehockey, corrupt and oppressive in its own way? Or is it helping people to not live in poverty? Mass poverty is widespread throughout Latin America, by the way, it is not something exclusive to Colombia. To pretend that any one government, as flawed as it may be, is responsible...

FARC seems to have confirmed it, not that unexpectedly, to Venezuelan TV, so that's all that needs to be said. There goes another one then. Whatever anyone else may think, I do not lament this in any way, shape or form.

I could question that interpretation and that comparison, since that's not exactly what happened "last time" (it was a small exchange of ostensibly sick prisoners, shortly followed by the additional unilateral release of a couple hundred soldiers, and the exact figure isn't "300" either, though...

Right now, Chavez is doing one hell of a job on TV, throwing personal and character attacks against Interpol's top officials, among others, without actually addressing the actual points of the report. Oh joy He calls the whole thing a show, but he's not exactly that serious to begin with. I...

Actually, that depends on what you want to focus on. They can deny (or withhold) certain kidnappings, for example, apparently when they actually kill the person(s) involved: http://www.hrw.org/reports/2001/farc/Formatted%20FARC-Eng%208-241-02.htm#P155_22204

But they do point out several activities where FARC, or the guerrillas in general, are more to blame than the government. Land mine use, using indiscriminate weapons or child recruitment, for instance. Not to mention the obvious fact that you are comparing two very different entities...

Well, duh. But you know, or should at least, that Colombia is not the only link in that chain...and that breaking that link won't stop the problem either. It'll just go elsewhere, just like killing one or two or three big drug lords doesn't stop the drug trade (and it won't, but that's another...

First, it's not like Wikipedia, of all imaginable places, has the most complete, updated, accurate, balanced and detailed information about the relevant subjects. And I'm being generous here, as there are other ways to describe its varying quantity and quality of information. Second, there...

A quite confusing but apparently positive series of events has occurred at the Rio Group summit. At the very least, tensions seem to be grinding down to a halt, at least rhetorically speaking. Also, seems the other FARC leader was killed by his own men, cutting off his hand as proof, in an...

Latest reports / rumors / misinformation or whatever you want to call them: http://www.miamiherald.com/915/story/447987.html http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080307/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/colombia_venezuela_56