Since President Andres Pastrana gave a huge chunk of his country as a "demilitarized zone" to Marxist guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in late 1998 as a gesture of goodwill to negotiate a peace agreement, things have grown only worse. The war between the army, left-wing guerrillas and right-wing paramilitary squads has killed an estimated 40,000 people in the past ten years alone. U.N. peace envoy to Colombia, James LeMoyne says peace negotiators need more time to prevent a new surge of violence in the country's civil war, which is now four decades old. LeMoyne feels "absolutely convinced that there are forms to solve this current crisis." Still, it is a measure of the gravity of the crisis that the United Nations has not stepped in to offer its services as a third-party mediator as the two sides are apparently too far apart. What should/can the world community do to assist Columbia, and other countries experiencing similar internal struggles? Peace.
Not much unless we form a real world government with teeth. There is a way though. If terrorists set up their base camp (because of unlimited source of money and civil unrest - a perfect breeding ground), we could go in to clean house. I am sure terrorists will find that place as heaven but unless they themselves become drug lords, there may be a conflict of interest. If they do become friends (both have the same enemy) then it will get sticky.
