Reply #14: Thanks for posting this. Hadn't heard enough Colombia's history yet to know about this. [View All]

[Judi Lynn]

Not surprising in any way, either, unfortunately. They are not diversity encouraging people, are they? How right-wing.

The only rebel-related politician I've heard about is Gustavo Petro, as in this report:

BOGOTA, Colombia - The political scandal that forced Colombia's foreign minister to quit and put other close allies of President Alvaro Uribe in jail is being driven in large part by a rebel-turned-senator who has defied death threats to become the opposition's most fearless provocateur.
Sen. Gustavo Petro has relentlessly accused the law-and-order president of letting a poisonous alliance prosper between the political class and illegal right-wing militias, which are responsible for brutal massacres and the theft of millions of acres from poor peasants.

Colombians who fear taking explosive information to police or prosecutors often turn to Petro instead, and the scrappy senator regularly goes public with their allegations, tempting fate in a country where political assassination has a long tradition.

A former leftist rebel, Petro has nine bodyguards, wears custom-tailored bulletproof sport jackets and has a crew of loyalists looking out for him. Twice, he has foiled paramilitary plots to kill him, and he has periodically fled into exile for safety. In an interview with The Associated Press, he casually mentioned that it would be nice to die of old age.

More:
http://www.newsty.com/world/id_77640/



Gustavo Petro