Colombia's Kidnapping Industry

Colombia has been plagued by communist subversive movements for more than four decades. This problem was compounded by the growth of powerful drug cartels two decades ago. The Colombian drug cartels came to dominate the cocaine markets worldwide and have lately branched out to the production of opium based products.

The cartels reacted vigorously, unconstrained by legal niceties. They are still in conflict in areas of the country where the drug barons invest in prime cattle raising land. But they have entered into an uneasy alliance in coca growing areas. Initially in these remote areas, the guerrillas were content to "tax" growth and processing but they eventually became involved in the business directly.

This involvement greatly increased the guerrilla groups' income. Their kidnapping activity did not diminish. As a matter of fact, kidnap victims can be held with impunity in these areas of coca growing activity. The Colombian conflict is not well understood in the United States or Europe. Scholars, politicians and the general public in the developed world are subjected to the propaganda of the left which portrays the Colombian subversive movements, including their armed components, as well meaning idealists fighting for the poor. Although idealism and in some cases legitimate grievances gave rise to the subversive movements decades ago, today their main motivation has become simple greed. A negotiated peace settlement is thus very difficult.

No amount of political concessions, short of handing over the government are likely to satisfy a leadership used to a huge inflow of money from drugs, kidnapping and extortion.

The author has based the story on extensive interviews and research touching most of the actors involved in typical kidnapping cases. We at the Center believe that she has managed to portray the human drama as well as the weaknesses of the Colombian state that allow the "kidnapping industry" to prosper.

The success of kidnapping by the guerrillas in Colombia has inevitably produced an awareness by other criminal groups of the potential profits involved. Not only have common criminal gangs in Colombia followed suit, but kidnapping is also a growing problem in Colombia's neighbors, Brazil, Ecuador and Venezuela, as well as in México. The world paid much attention to kidnapping in the Middle East, but ¡s largely unaware of the extent of the problem in Latin America. Statistics, however, are cold.