Colombia's Dirty War Is America's War Too

Colombia's Dirty War Is America's War Too

If Colombia is to have any hope of truth and reconciliation, the role of the United States must be part of the conversation.

By Sarah Lazare/AlterNet
October 7, 2016

Now that the plebiscite has narrowly rejected a peace deal between the government of Colombia and Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), those on on the frontlines of the country’s 52-year-old war are grappling with an uncertain future.

Amid this climate, a key party to the country’s war—the United States—has largely avoided scrutiny. The biggest outside player in Colombia, the U.S. government has spent decades bankrolling the Colombian military and directly intervening in the country, securing access to seven military bases and maintaining close relationships with heads of state as they committed gross war crimes.

“In terms of the process we are facing now, as we move towards a real justice with peace, it will be important to know the truth, to understand what happened,” Lyda Fernanda Forero, a Colombia-based researcher with the Transnational Institute, told AlterNet. “The history has been monopolized from one side to minimize the role of the United States. It is important to rebuild the truth, rebuild our memories, so that we can start the process of reconciliation.”

More:
http://www.alternet.org/world/colombias-dirty-war-americas-war-too