Quarterly Newsletter of the Clerics of St. Viator Volume 7 Number 2
Fall 2002
Army) 4,000 armed olidarity involves men, developed at the walking with one's neighbor. same time as FARC. These men are highly Colombia is our neighbor educated. Yet, they and her people have are also forcing people experienced 20 years of off their land. They civil war. They need friends to walk with are taxing buildings them as they continue to and companies and resorting to pray for peace and work for stability. kidnapping of police Colombia has a in small towns to Libano, Colombia: These are the makeshift homes of the displaced. finance their war. population of 42 million. 3. AUC: (United Auto 2.4 million have been displaced from their homes since 1985, Defense of Colombia) a most of them from small paramilitary group which began in the 1980's. They have pueblos. These small rural areas are manned by 5-6 8,000 soldiers and are the archpolicemen. The warring enemy of the other two factions come into these little groups. Their vigilantism has areas, kill the police and burn also forced people from their down the homes, forcing the homes. 4. AFC: (Armed Forces of people to flee for their lives. These are the displaced Colombia.) 140,000 soldiers. refugees who move to cities and They are responsible for the Children at school enjoying daily hot lunch set up shacks on the sides of the protection of the citizens of Colombia. hills using any material they can However, because of all find. By the end of 2000, 342,000 four of these groups, Colombia more were displaced, and by the end of 2002 there will be another has been cited as having the worst 50% increase. human rights violations in this There are 4 significant hemisphere. warring groups active in The Colombian Bishops Conference has called for Colombia today. 1. FARC: (Armed Revolutionary international support in its Forces of Colombia) 18,000 men demand for a balance in funding Inside the home of a displaced famil y from peasant roots. They are of military and socio-economic fighting against state inequalities aid. their campaign against the The 2002 Viatorian as revolutionaries. They are government. They practice forced responsible for human rights Assembly held on July 8-9, 2002, recruitment of children. violations and are using the drug hosted Mr. Carlos Sanchez, from 2. ELN: (National Liberation trade and kidnapping to finance the Catholic Relief Services,
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