Santa Marta Colombia
Colombia (02/05)
The Spanish sailed along the north coast of Colombia as early as 1500, but their first permanent settlement, at Santa Marta, was not established until 1525. In 1549, the area was a Spanish colony with the capital at Santa Fe de Bogotá. In 1717, Bogotá became the capital of the Viceroyalty of New Granada, which included what are now Venezuela, Ecuador, and Panama. The city became one of the principal administrative centers of the Spanish possessions in the New World, along with Lima and Mexico City. On July 20, 1810, the citizens of Bogotá created the first representative council to defy Spanish authority. Full independence was proclaimed in 1813, and in 1819 the Republic of Greater Colombia was formed. ... [Read More]
Colombia
The Prosecutor General's Office closed its investigation into the military's alleged involvement in a 2001 paramilitary massacre near Buga, Valle del Cauca department, after finding no evidence of wrongdoing. There was no progress in investigations of the 2000 and 2001 paramilitary murders of members of the "peace community" of San Jose de Apartado, Antioquia department. Peace community leaders accused the military of complicity in the crimes, and were highly suspicious of government investigators and prosecutors handling the cases. Members of the peace community were generally uncooperative and avoided speaking with authorities, severely limiting the Government's ability to make progress in the investigations. In December, an army officer was convicted of collaborating with paramilitaries in the unsuccessful attempt on the life of labor leader Wilson Borja in 2000 (see Section 6.a ... [Read More]
Narcotics Affairs Section U.S. Embassy Bogota Colombia
Port of Santa Marta ... NAS initiated a port security program in 1998 in a difficult environment of police, port officials' and port operators' concerns about their ability to cooperate. That has changed and an effective program is in place. The ports provide funds , the police provide dedicated manpower, and NAS provides technical advice. U.S. Customs provides training and the British, French and Dutch Embassies have contributed training based on NAS recommendations. There are presently key ports in Cartagena, Muelles el Bosque, Santa Marta, Buenaventura and Barranquilla in the program, covering virtually all commercial cargo leaving Colombia for the U.S., Europe, Japan and Asia. For more information see the article Securing Colombia's Ports. ... [Read More]
Aid to Colombia: The European Role in the Fight Against Narcoterrorism
The Colombian Agency for International Cooperation lists five major European multilateral projects in Colombia. These projects have disbursed less than $10 million in the last five years. They include alternative development in the Colombian states of Meta, Caquetá, and Santa Marta; a monitoring system for illicit crops; decentralization of the National Drug Plan; capacity building for control of drugs and precursor chemicals; and strengthening of local authorities in the fight against corruption. These are all projects that clearly are worthwhile and need to be done, but $10 million is not nearly enough to address problems that have a profound effect on Europe. These are all important projects, but we would like to see more. Big problems require uncompromisingly bold solutions. ... [Read More]
Colombia
On May 10, approximately 3,000 Kankuama tribe members from the Sierra Nevada of Santa Marta region in Magdalena department were pressured to leave their community by the AUC paramilitary organization. The AUC was fighting the FARC, ELN, and EPL guerrilla organizations in the region. On March 2, indigenous leader Jairo Bedoya Hoyos disappeared. The OIA held the AUC responsible. In an open letter, the AUC stated that it did not have Bedoya in its custody. ... Armed groups targeted regional ombudsmen. Fourteen regional ombudsmen have been killed since 1998. In July Jose Manuel Bello, the municipal human rights ombudsman in Vigia del Fuerte, Atrato, Antioquia department, reportedly was kidnaped, killed, and dragged into the Atrato River by members of the FARC guerrilla group. In July unidentified, armed men killed Yemil Fernando Hurtado Castano, the human rights ombudsman in Narino municipality, southeastern Antioquia department. The regional ombudsman of Lourdes municipality, Norte de Santander department, was kidnaped and held for 3 days by paramilitary forces. Garcia and two other municipal human rights officials were forced to leave Norte de Santander department due to continued paramilitary threats. ... [Read More]
Colombia
In October presumed paramilitaries kidnaped 13 fishermen in Cienaga de Santa Marta, Magdalena department; the bodies of 6 were found (see Section 1.b.). ... In October presumed paramilitaries kidnaped 13 fishermen in Cienaga de Santa Marta, Magdalena department. By October 10, the bodies of 6 of the kidnap victims had been found (see Section 1.a.), while another 3 hostages had escaped. ... In June journalist Carlos Reina was kidnaped in Yopal, Casanare department. In July Telecaribe journalist Ramon Campo Gonzalez was kidnaped in Santa Marta, Magdalena department. ... [Read More]
Colombia
Prosecutors continued to investigate an April 2000 paramilitary massacre of 21 men at Tibu, Norte de Santander department.The Fiscalia continued to investigate a series of attacks in November 2000 in which paramilitaries killed 27 fishermen in the La Cienaga de Santa Marta area, Magdalena department. The Fiscalia continued to investigate two different massacres near Trujillo, Valle del Cauca department, in 1989-90 and 1994. The authorities held one accused paramilitary in custody and had outstanding arrest warrants for three others. One paramilitary suspect was killed while in custody. The Fiscalia reopened an investigation into the 1990 killing of presidential candidate and former M-19 guerrilla Carlos Pizarro after AUC leader Carlos Castano confessed to the killing in memoirs published in 2001. In June prosecutors requested that Castano be tried in absentia and sentenced to 60 ye ... [Read More]
Dirección de Asuntos del Hemisferio Occidental: Información general-- Colombia
La nueva República de la Gran Colombia abarcaba todo el territorio del antiguo Virreinato. El primer presidente electo fue Simón Bolívar, y su vicepresidente, Francisco de Paula Santander. De los conflictos entre los seguidores de Bolívar y Santander y sus respectivas visiones políticas surgieron dos partidos políticos —el Conservador y el Liberal— que desde entonces han dominado la política en Colombia. Los partidarios de Bolívar, que luego formaron el núcleo del Partido Conservador, abogaban por un fuerte gobierno centralizado, una alianza con la Iglesia Católica Romana, y una representación electoral limitada. Los partidarios de Santander, precursores del Partido Liberal, abogaban por un gobierno descentralizado, un control por parte del Estado y no de la Iglesia, en materia de educación y otros asuntos civiles, y un sufragio más amplio. ... [Read More]
U.S. Government Assistance
On October 4, 2003, JIATF South air assets, acting on information provided by the Cartagena Resident Office (RO), detected a go-boat fast boat approximately 100 miles northwest of Santa Marta, Colombia. Following notification of the go-fast location, the Cartagena RO directed Colombian Coast Guard (CCG) and Colombian Air Force (CAF) assets to the area. After a lengthy pursuit, the go-fast boat was forced to beach near the coastal city of Sabanilla, Colombia. The operation resulted in the seizure of approximately 270 kilograms of cocaine and two arrests. The remainder of the cocaine was observed being thrown overboard by CCG and JIATF air assets while the pursuit was underway. ... [Read More]
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