Page 99 - Marlie Burton Roche : Landscape and Bread
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is indeed a challenging area for Uriba’s and resulted in much closer cooperation
‘rehabilitation’ project in Colombia. This is an between the two insurgency factions. In
area populated by refugees from the political contrast, apart from seizing a few outlying
violence in the 1950s and it has been acutely towns in the demilitarized zone, the U.S.-
receptive to guerrilla influence. The National Colombian offensive has suffered several
Liberation Army ELN, a revolutionary strategic defeats and there have been a
organization operating in conjunction with significant number of fatalities in the military
the FARC insurgency, has worked in this sponsored paramilitary death squads.
region ideologically for some time and enjoys
significant support of the population as well Given the formidable strength and prolonged
as the affinity of the local government. experience of the FARC and the strategic
adroitness of its leader, Manuel Marulanda,
Without a doubt the ambition to construct an and his high command, the U.S.-Colombia war
empire by way of direct economic domination will undoubtedly be a long one, characterized
faces an immense array of political, social, by intensified intervention on the part of
and military impediments in Colombia and United States, more and more paramilitary
the imperial quest for power is a long way terror, and extensive undiscriminating
from realization. Immense popular opposition bombing of civilians. The nightmare of
to the civil-military regime is found in the Vietnam comes to mind.
very powerful multi-sector agricultural
movement which includes farmers, peasants, We live in a period marked by U.S.
and rural workers, who have been prejudiced sponsored military-political offensives,
by cuts in government credits, the open door military coups or attempted coups, and
policy towards cheap U.S. food imports, and political polarities countervailed by mass
the low price of their export commodities. direct action. The acceleration of the popular
Opposition is also seen in the militant trade socio-political movements and revolutionary
union struggles, particularly evident in the oil, insurgencies has exposed the true character
public employee, agricultural, and industrial of the imperial enterprise. But the political
sectors. In fact, imperial multilateral outcomes are not yet determined. Vassal
economic institutions are losing their capacity presidents surface and succumb as new
to control macro-economic policy in the face replacements are decreed, while deficiencies
of mass opposition. and shortcomings of reformist policies have
once again brought socialism to the forefront
But the most powerful and well-organized as the revolutionary movements continue
guerrilla movement in present-day history, to ascend. However, there is no assured
FARC and ELN, constitute the most or precognitive result. Political awareness,
cogent oppositional force. The U.S. led mindful organizing, and courageous human
tactics to negate the peace negotiations intervention are requisite to effectuate a
and to militarize the neutral zone ended up genuine overturn of the ongoing imperial
contributing to one of the most successful offensive and bring about a well-fortified
counter-offensive victories for the guerrillas socialist revolution.
LANDSCAPE & BREAD MARLIE BURTON-ROCHE 95
