... and they will probably find them in (guess where) ... Venezuela!









While Colombia is known for one of the worst human rights records in the world, it remains a top recipient of US military aid and enjoys uncritical press coverage in Western media--all while Trump threatens military intervention against Venezuela over unsubstantiated allegations.





Abby Martin spoke to human rights attorney Dan Kovalik, who has recently returned from both countries. Kovalik spoke about many interesting aspects, among them, the pretenses used historically by the US to operate paramilitary groups, (in other words, death squads), inside the Colombian soil, and what will be probably the new pretense for continuing to support these groups.





As he said:





At first, it began in 1962, with the National Security doctrine. And the idea - at least claimed - was to fight Communism throughout Latin America, beginning in Colombia.





As we know from general William Yarborough and the things he said at the time, he was the American sent by John F. Kennedy to Colombia, to begin the National Security doctrine, which was a doctrine also built around Yarborough's idea for paramilitary groups. He said we needed these extra paramilitary groups that could give 'plausible deniability' to the US and its allies, in carrying out the war against Communists. But he was clear, when he said Communists he meant trade union leaders, peasant leaders, Catholic priests who advocated for the poor, etc. And that's who we've been fighting in Colombia. In fact, the FARC didn't even exist till two years after the National Security doctrine.





But then ever since 1964, we have alternatively claimed we were there to fight guerrillas, and we were there to fight drugs. But, of course, if you look at the numbers, the drug numbers have actually gone up in terms of coca production and cocaine trafficking from Colombia. After ten million dollars we put in there to fight drugs, the drugs were at an all-time high!





And now, of course, the FARC is gone, is not a military organization, they've now disarmed. So, now what is the justification? I don't think they've given us one yet. I think they've working on what the new justification is going to be, though I do think part of it will be Venezuela, in the need to bolster the Colombian military against Venezuela.









Today, especially after FARC disarmament, things seem to getting worse in Colombia. As mentioned , it seems that the void left by FARC has been occupied by new paramilitaries on behalf of big corporations. Atrocities, assassinations and human rights violations continue against anyone who dares to question the corporate authority.



