When Western and even Christian media cover the situation in
Colombia they invariably focus on the terror and violence perpetrated by the
Leftist guerilla groups – such as the FARC. This is true enough but they
consistently misrepresent the story. There are cycles of violence and terror
and the reason many among the rural poor gravitate toward the Left is due to
the violence of Right-wing paramilitary groups which are often unofficial arms
of the state and in other cases are effectively private armies funded and
backed by Western corporations. And it must be remembered that groups like the
CIA are always in the background pulling strings and attempting to manage the
situation.
The Right-wing groups are guilty of terror, assassination and
the like and by some accounts have proven worse than groups like the FARC. This
doesn't excuse any of it but it is problematic when one sees how skewed the
reporting is – reporting that affects the way American Christians give to
ministries and lobby their government. In more than a few cases some of the
Christian ministries involved in reporting on the situation have engaged in
what can only be described as the manipulation of facts if not outright deceit.
As far as those seen as 'sympathetic' to the Left, this
touches on an oft-repeated pattern seen even in places like Vietnam and
Afghanistan. It's often not a question of villagers being 'sympathetic' but
rather a case of survival. In other instances neutrality is not permitted. The
villagers may despise all involved but unless they're willing to 'throw in'
with the Right-wing groups (or the Left-wing for that matter) they are seen as
sympathizers and collaborators and face retribution. It's a murderous cycle and
one repeated throughout much of Latin America. This also fuels immigration as
people attempt to escape these impossible situations. In not a few cases the
situations have been created or at the very least exacerbated by American policy
and actions. And then when they arrive in El Norte (The United States) they are
treated once again as beasts, imprisoned, locked in cages, separated from
children, whipped, and despised. It's an incredible and deeply tragic pattern
and frankly it's no wonder that some of the men become hardened, sociopathic,
fatalistic, and violent. For some they have nothing to lose as life has been
little more than being kicked over and over again in the face. Treated like
beasts, they become beasts.
There's another layer to the story which the Al Jazeera
reports only hints at – it must be read between the lines. Drugs overshadow
this and everyone from the paramilitaries to criminal cartels, to state actors,
rely on the industry to fund their operations – and that would include those
groups backed by the United States. The record here is long and well
established and is hardly limited to Latin America. But as always it's a game
of musical chairs as groups and individuals often pursue their own interests
alongside that of their backers. And it's not always clear their backers are
acting at the behest of powerful state interests. Little empires and would-be
emperors rise and fall. Once powerful men connected to the state and the
judiciary fade from the scene, retire, and die and those in the theatre of
operations who relied on their patronage are left exposed. There are the
various law enforcement agencies involved who often work at cross-purposes to
the intelligence agencies and militaries and sometimes there are sacrificial
lambs as it were. The music stopped and they didn't have a chair and so they
are caught in the web. Some escape and some don't. How bitter these men must be
– at one time they thought they have legitimate powerful interests behind them
– backing them to do the 'dirty work' that couldn't be done in the open. But
then when things enter a new phase, everything folds up and manifests itself
once again, recast in a new place or under a new name. And yet every time there
are those left behind, left exposed and they fall prey to the law enforcement agencies
who are engaged in a futile project but have to justify what they do and the
budgets they receive. They too are just cogs in the big machine, playing the
same pointless, self-interested, and destructive game.
And the article also reveals that though peace deals have
been signed, there are still the hardcore elements plotting and planning more
war and assassinations. The situation is volatile to say the least.
And as one who consumes the many reports coming out of this
region and the literature put out by the various 'ministries', I have to wonder
sometimes if the testimonies of Christians are edited or at the very least they
are encouraged to be selective in what they say and who they condemn. These
ministries also rely on political connections. Sometimes it seems as if no one
can be trusted, but again when large sums of money are involved and when one
considers even the large salaries of those involved in these 'ministries', it
must engender some scepticism – nothing should surprise us.
Pray for the believers caught in these war zones and pray that they would be granted leaders with true Biblical discernment, leaders who would not fall prey to the temptation of money flowing from the coffers of apostate American Evangelicalism.
See also:
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2019/07/vom-and-colombian-half-truths.html
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2019/10/rolling-back-pink-tide-scandal-in.html
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2015/03/the-wasting-of-colombia-profiting-from.html
https://pilgrimunderground.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-labyrinth-of-drugs-and-weapons.html
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