Colombia: A War against Civilians

Considers the evolution of the armed guerrilla conflict in Colombia since the 1980s. Initially, actors fighting in the war were guerrillas, but soon, paramilitaries became involved in a more complex struggle, the result of a "strategic rupture." After citing statistics on the growth & power relationships of the armed groups, their sociospatial control tactics are discussed, including the expansion of the territorial network, exploitation, & dominion over local economic resources, & control over the indigenous population. Because of the war's great flexibility in the evolution of the military geography & in power relations between armed participants, this war is atypical in its rural roots, & in its terror campaign against the civilian population. 23 References. J. Sadler