Back in the 1980's, The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, a paramilitary group that called themselves the AUC, arose to defend the government against rebel kidnappers. This right-wing group was composed of drug traffickers and ranchers, and became increasingly brutal to both rebels and civilians as time progressed. These people have even been labeled as terrorists by the United States government, and are wanted on charges of drug trafficking. The leftist rebels groups, The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and The National Liberation Army (ELN), began focusing their attention on attacks directed at the AUC. Thirty-eight years later, they are still fighting that same fight. All of that could change within the next f

In talking about all the violence in Colombia, we are leaving out one very important group of people: the ordinary citizens. The men and women who want to live their lives in peace, but are afraid to even walk down the street. Many of these people are given the stigma of drug-dealer, criminal, and terrorist, because of the country they live in. Crime is a way of life in Colombia, and most people have come to accept that. As a man in the book by Susan Rotker said, "I thought we are so screwed in this country that the only option left to us in the end is thanking the thieves" (137). The crime is sudden, intense, and impersonal, and normal people like you and I are faced with it every day. They go home at night and are just happy to be alive, and the only thing they hope for is to survive one more day. Even though the book by Susan Rotker says that Columbia is headed toward an institutional collapse and it doesn't seem as though peace talks and a cease-fire will be enough to save Colombia, for the sake of the innocent people, I hope that the paramilitary groups have the right idea. I hope peace is in the future.

Carlos Castano, who commands about 70 percent of all paramilitary fighters including the AUC, has declared a cease-fire against the rebel groups. He claims the cea

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Approximate Word count = 869
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)