The Reality

     Tom Marks has just visited the war zones in Colombia, and he is impatient with politicians and with journalists who base their articles on their statements. He has written an article which is appended as an attachment. He is eager for those who follow the situation closely to comment on it before it go to print. I am sending it to Colombianos@stanford, since they are the ones who should be best qualified to comment. Tom writes:
     I wonder if the 2,000 figure I use for Patriotic Union activists assassinated is the best available. Article (Pt I) by Alma Guillermoprieto's NY Review of Books has 3,500. Of course, some of the information in that piece is clearly a result of sloppy journalism, so I'm not sure whether to trust the figure. It is worth noting that what I say about Colombian attitudes towards our aid package is quite at variance with what is in Alma's article -- but I think she cut some real corners and didn't actually talk to anyone "real" before she wrote that part about all the salivating and excitement at the aid package. I sure didn't find any of that; quite the contrary, as I indicate. I will allow that there's a split between the politicos, who want UN positions or the Nobel Peace Prize, and those who have to do the dirty work. The latter see clean through our skewed priorities and motives.

Ronald Hilton - 4/19/00