Crime Organisations Based in Colombia - Drug Cartels in Colombia, Paramilitarism in Colombia, United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (Paperback)

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 24. Chapters: Drug cartels in Colombia, Paramilitarism in Colombia, United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, Cali Cartel, Norte del Valle Cartel, Medellin Cartel, Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Cordoba and Uraba. Excerpt: Paramilitarism in Colombia refers to the origins and activities of right-wing paramilitary groups in Colombia during the 20th century. Right-wing paramilitary groups are the parties considered to be most responsible for human rights violations in Colombia during the later half of the current Colombian Armed Conflict. According to several international human rights and governmental organizations, right-wing paramilitary groups have been regularly held responsible for at least 70 to 80% of political murders in Colombia per year, with the remainder committed by leftist guerrillas and government forces. The first paramilitary groups were organized by the Colombian military following recommendations made by U.S. personnel sent to Colombia during the Cold War in order to combat leftist political activists and armed guerrilla groups. The development of later paramilitary groups has also involved elite landowners, drug traffickers, members of the security forces, politicians and economic enterprises. Paramilitary violence today is, among others, overwhelmingly targeted towards peasants, unionists, teachers and human rights workers. Paramilitary groups control the large majority of the illegal drug trade of cocaine and other illegal substances, especially trafficking and processing. They experienced enormous growth in the 1980s as a result of cocaine traffickers funding private armed military groups. In October 1959, the United States sent a "Special Survey Team," composed of counterinsurgency experts, to investigate Colombia's internal security situation, due to the increased prevalence of armed communist self-defense co...