Save
...
Health, Human Rights and Intervention
8A.9 - Military aid and intervention
Colombia: Human Rights - Case Study
Save
Share
Learn
Content
Leaderboard
Share
Learn
Created by
Billy Dudden
Visit profile
Cards (6)
Why it has a weak human rights record
2021-25
- killings of peaceful
protesters
and bystanders
174
acts of
aggression
against human rights defenders
32
murders and
109
death threats
2002-09
-
784
human rights defenders threatened, attacked or murdered
Only
10
convictions
How is military aid justified?
"
War on drugs
"
Economic
benefits
Strengthen
human rights values
Promote professional conduct in the
armed forces
Paramilitary
1985-2018
-
450k
killed,
45%
by paramilitaries
Paramilitary - an organisation that acts like a professional
military
but is not a part of the country's official or legitimate
armed forces
How much military aid US provides and why
2000-2015
-
$10 billion
USA argues its military aid helps maintain
peace
, tackle
illegal armed groups
and fight
criminal organisations
involved in drug trafficking
US governments
argues it had imposed
human rights conditions
on aid payments
e.g. by requiring the
suspension
of military personnel held accountable of committing
human rights abuses
Colombia's drug trade
Cocaine
-
$10 billion
per year
Colombia's share of
coca
production -
43%
of global
Centred in
Medellin
, Cali, Norte del Valle and North Coast
Controlled by cartels in these cities, more recently paramilitary groups
e.g. The
Black Eagles
Perpetuates
social violence
Drug trade and the USA
Cocaine produced at $
1500
/kilo in jungle labs, can be sold on US streets for up to $
50,000
/kilo
US is the world's largest consumer of
cocaine
USA invested
$10+ billion
in
Plan Colombia
to combat drug production
USA has extradited
2500+
Colombian drug traffickers since
1960s
US banks have been implicated in
laundering
cartel money, with
$881 million
traced through
Wachovia Bank