James Bargent
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Colombia, Canada and the Fake Guerrillas
March 23, 2015: In March 2006, 62 fighters from the Cacica Gaitana Front of Colombia’s FARC guerrillas handed in their weapons in the largest rebel demobilization in 50 years of war, and a major publicity coup for the government of then-President Alvaro Uribe. There was just one problem: the Cacica Gaitana Front never existed. The “demobilization” … Continue reading
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January 15, 2015: Burro, or Donkey, as his friends call him because of his large ears and goofy smile, shyly shows off his hands. They’re covered with greenish black stains from the morning’s work – stripping coca leaves – and burns from the chemicals used to process the plant into cocaine paste. “It’s good work,” he … Continue reading
November 17, 2014: It’s a business worth an estimated $6 billion a year. In this special series InSight Crime looks at the links between Colombia’s contraband trade and organized crime. Cucuta: Colombia’s Contraband City The Colombian border town of Cucuta has smuggling coursing through its veins, underpinning its economy and strengthening organized crime, which is raking … Continue reading
James Bargent 