Colombia:

1. Colombia: Dynamics of a Drug War

2. Statistics at a Glance • Colombia produces two-thirds of the world’s cocaine supply • Colombia produces roughly 90 percent of the cocaine and a significant amount of heroin that is sold in the United States. • The United States contributed over 4.5 billion dollars in aid to Colombia to help stop drug production and trafficking. www.southercenter.org/material _updates.html#Latin_America

3. NARCOTERRORISM • Narcoterrorism is understood to mean the attempts of narcotics traffickers to influence the policies of a government or a society through violence and intimidation, and to hinder the enforcement of the law and the administration of justice by the systematic threat or use of such violence. http://www.answers.com/topic/narcoterrorism

4. The Beginning • La Violenica • era of civil conflict in Colombia between supporters of the Colombian Liberal Party and the Colombian Conservative Party, a conflict which took place roughly from 1948 to 1958 • During "La Violencia", several members of the Colombian Liberal Party and of the Colombian Communist Party organized self-defense groups and guerrilla units, which fought both against those of the Colombian Conservative Party and among each other. http://www.answers.com/topic/la-violencia

5. Key Players Evolve • FARC - Stands for Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) - Manuel Marulanda Velez is the founder and leader of FARC -Military segment of the Colombian Communist Party -responsible for bombings, murder, kidnapping, extortion, hijacking, as well as guerrilla military action against Colombian political, military, and economic targets. http://www.answers.com/topic/revolutionary-armed-forces-of-colombia

6. 2.AUC - Stands for Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (United Self-Defense Groups of Colombia) - Paramilitary organization, formed in 1997, which mission to protect economic interests and combat insurgents locally. - AUC is supported by economic elites, drug traffickers, and local communities lacking effective government security -AUC political leader Carlos Castaño has claimed 70% of AUC's operational costs are financed with drug-related earnings http://www.answers.com/topic/united-self-defense-forces-group-of-colombia-auc-autodefensas-unidas-de-colombia

7. 3.ELN - Ejercito de Liberacion Nacional (National Liberation Army) -Colombia's second-largest rebel group influenced by Che Guevara and Castro 4.ELP -Ejercito Popular de Liberacion (Popular Liberation Army) -Followers of Mao Zedong (Communist China) 5.M-19 - Movimiento 19 de Abril (19th of April Movement)

8. Drug Lords & Cartels Drug cartels are known for paying off guerilla, paramilitary groups, and government officials for protection 1.Medellín Cartel (was headed by Escobar) • Pablo Escobar (killed in 1993) • Ochoa brothers (Jorge, Juan David, and Fabio Ochoa turned themselves into the Colombian government in the early 1990’s in exchange for lighter terms) 2. Cali Cartel • Ran by Rodriguez Orejuela brothers and Santacruz Londono • More business sophisticated and less flashy than the Medellin Cartel

9. Cali Cartel goes after Pablo Escobar by forming group known as the PEPES (from Spanish: Perseguidos por Pablo Escobar, "people persecuted by Pablo Escobar"). • Cali Cartel also gave up information on Pablo Escobar to the DEA and Colombian government • Cali Cartel still runs, but not on such a large scale

10. The Drug Game Today • After the demise of the Cali and Medellin cartels, lieutenants started to form smaller organizations less vulnerable to investigation by the United States and Colombian government. • These smaller groups include: those who control of the jungle labs, transportation of coca from the farms to the labs, drug smugglers www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/drugs/business/inside/colombian.html

11. Current Drug Threat 2002 Regional Distribution Patterns http://www.dea.gov/programs/forensicsci/microgram/mg0303/mg0303.html