War and Peace

     Naturally the posting "Colombia: the Hard Reality" aroused much interest among Colombians. Mario Augusto Gutiérrez wrote a long response expressing his deep concerns. A little history is necessary. Colombia had a period of violent unrest (1899-1902) known as the War of a Thousand Days." The continuing unrest gave the U.S. a reason for intervening in Panama. In 1944-45 I traveled throughout a Colombia a peace. The murder of the Liberal Mayor of Bogotá Luis Eliécer Gaitán triggered "the violence" which, then as now, forced many Colombians into exile. I received Luis Enrique Osorio and others at Stanford. In 1985 a guerrilla group known as the M19 seized the Palace of Justice. Troops stormed the building, which was completely destroyed, and over 90 people were killed. Mario Augusto was a student at the National University at the time; The government arranged for a soccer match to be broadcast so as to distract attention from the violence. Mario Augusto attributes the violence to the misery of the people. However, seizing the Palace of Justice was no more a solution to this than the seizing now of the National University of Mexico. Mario Augusto asks me if I know who controls the press in Colombia. I was long connected with Eduardo Santos and the group of El Tiempo, the foremost of Colombia's excellent newspapers. Mario Augusto denounces the corruption in Congress and other institutions. Undoubtedly it exists, but such accusations are commonplace. They must be pinpointed to precise cases. I have no evidence of widespread corruption in the Pastrana administration or in the Colombian Army. Without order and peace, the well-being of the people will not improve.

Ronald Hilton - 3/31/00