The Military's Human Rights Record and the Peace Process in Colombia
Now, with prospects of peace looming, the military has a number of worries. One is its human rights record and its organic links with the paramilitaries since the 1980s. The military is concerned that if a peace agreement is reached and amnesty is decreed this could be reversed, as were the cases of Chile and Argentina. In these two cases, the amnesties that were decreed in the 1980s eased the transition to electoral democracies, but years later the military was persecuted for crimes committed during their rule. In Colombia, the military committed more human rights crimes than all Latin America dictatorships combined; therefore the specter of a future prosecution is very real. This was illustrated by the retired Colonel Hugo Bahamon who the BBC quoted on October 24saying: look to what happened in Chile and Argentina where former soldiers 70 and 80 years old are imprisoned after reversing their amnesties. A noteworthy demand raised by Bahamon is his call to allow the military personnel to vote. If this were achieved, the military will exercise immense political power far exceeding any other political party or social force considering its size, organizational capacity, and relative ideological cohesion. Consequently, this will provide a further security guarantee to avoid the path of its Latin American counterparts. Ironically, however, is that while in 1958 the dominant parties agreed not to use the military in their infighting, now the military wants to meddle in party politics.By airing these sentiments and desires, the Colombian military is openly expressing its concern and pressing for political guarantees that may go beyond what Chile and Argentina offered their respective soldiers. The coming months will reveal how these issues play out and whether the unmet sentiments will lead the military leviathan to spoil the peace process.Next blog, I will address other equally important factor related to the military size and demobilization. Stay tuned

[ED NOTES;ALSO SEE... Colombia: Extractive Capital and Peace Negotiations  Imperialism and Violence in Colombia: US ... -   No comments - THENAKEDFACTS  (US RESPONSIBLE) Connecting the Dots: Colombian Army officers and civilian killings http://thenakedfacts.blogspot.com/2011/11/us-responsible-connecting-dots.html COLOMBIAN PARAMILITARY MEN WERE ... - THENAKEDFACTS   fbi investigating its multinationals - THENAKEDFACTS Newer Post - THENAKEDFACTS ...I MISS REPORTING ON LATIN AMERICA PALI, I REALLY DO BRO,THE MIDDLE EAST HAS ME LITERALLY BOGGED DOWN,BUT I SHALL RETURN TO WESTERN HEMISPHERE AGAIN SOON ENOUGH ;)