History of the paramilitarismo in Colombia

Abstract

In Colombia, since the eighties of the XXth century, the paramilitarismo has been taking force as a strategy against insurgence, a kind of politics which has not been yet recognized by part of different governments, being expressed State terrorism. It caused the emergence of such a phenomenon named anti-communist ideology, professed by most Armed Forces members, political culture that comes from violence, corruption and clientelism as well as from drug dealing, and external influences, mainly from France and the United States. Paramilitarism has invaded all the different structures of the state power aiming at forming itself as a political, military, social and economic project at national level. According to its mentors, paramilitary groups have resulted from a reaction to the guerrilla movements excesses. Paramilitarism has been choosing, as a fight method, selective massacres, murders and displacements of civil population suspicious of supporting and collabotating with guerrilla groups. President Álvaro Uribe Vélez is accused by his political opponents of sustaining and institutionalizing paramilitary groups.