Ojala, I wish I had my camera today. For about twenty minutes there was a long line of buses driving up the highway that runs by my classroom window.
These buses were filled with now ex-paramilitary soldiers who turned their weapons into the government this morning in a massive declaration of peace.
The paramilitaries were set up some years ago to protect the Colombian citizens from the guerilla forces. Common rumor has it that current President Alvaro Uribe was one of the driving forces behind their formation.
This is an understandable maneuver because the government military was not competent enough to deal with the rebel forces; however, the paramilitaries soon became as deadly as those they were supposed to fight.
Over the last few years the "Paras" have been responsible for thousands of deaths and the destruction of pueblos throughout the country.
When Uribe was elected, his primary goal was to stop the four sided civil war that has been debilitating the country for years. Today he appears to have achieved the first step in attaining that goal.
The other two rebel forces involved in the conflict are the FARC and the ELN. Although these forces claim to be fighting for people's rights, it has become increasing clear that they simply exist to further their drug-trade agenda.
I'd like to post a link to a news source, but it appears that this has not yet been mentioned in the English speaking online media.
Consider it a first from ScribeCentral.com
