Juan Manuel Santos, notorious Defense Minister in the regime of outgoing President Alvaro Uribe and closely identified

with high crimes against humanity “won” the recent Presidential elections in Colombia, June 2010.

By Prof. James Petras

June 28, 2010 "Information Clearing House" -- The major electronic and print media CNN, FOX News, Washington
Post, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and the once liberal Financial Times (FT) hailed Santos election,
as a great victory for democracy. According to the FT, “ Colombia not Venezuela is (the) best model for Latin America
” (FT 6/23/2010 p. 8). Citing Santos “overwhelming” margin – he garnered 69% of the vote, the FT claimed he won a
“strong mandate” (FT 6/22/2010). In what has to be one of the most flagrant cover-ups in recent history, the media
accounts exclude the most egregious facts about the elections and the profoundly authoritarian policies pursued by
Santos over the past decade.

The Elections: Guns, Elites and Terror

Elections are a process (not merely an event) in which prior political conditions determine the outcome. During the
previous eight years of outgoing President Uribe’s and Defense Minister Santos’ rule, over 2 million, mostly rural poor,
were forcibly uprooted and driven from their homes and land and displaced across frontiers into neighboring countries,
or to urban slums. The Uribe-Santos regime relied on both the military and the 30,000 member paramilitary deathsquads
to kill and terrorize entire population centers, deemed “sympathetic” to the armed insurgency, affecting several million
urban and rural poor. Over 20,000 people were killed, many, according to the major Colombian human rights group,
falsely labeled “guerrillas”. Santos as Defense Minister was directly implicated by the Courts in what was called “false
positives”. The military randomly rounded up scores of poor urban youth, shot them and claimed a resounding victory
over the FARC guerrillas.

Several of the most important captured paramilitary deathsquad leaders testified that over 60 of the congress people
backing Uribe – Santos were on their payroll and they “ensured” votes from regions under their control. Faced with
damaging testimony, Uribe-Santos double-crossed their narco-deathsquad comrades and “extradited” them to the U.S.
where the judicial process excluded evidence linking them to the mass killings at the behest of Uribe-Santos.

Over two thousand trade unionists, human rights activists, journalists and congress- people critical of Uribe-Santos were
murdered by deathsquad hit-men serving the regime. The world’s major trade union confederations have sent missions
and published reports condemning Colombia as the most dangerous country for workers’ representatives.

In other words all the social sectors with social and political grievances against the regime were terrorized, many of their
local opinion leaders, killed, displaced or driven into exile … undermining the possibility of sustained independent socio-
political organization.

Pervasive state terror led to few local leaders surviving, undermining the electorate’s capacity to exercise a free and
independent organization.

On election day, the regime mobilized over 350,000 military and police officials, many involved in the decade long
repression, to “oversee” the elections and to remind the voters of the force behind the “official candidate” (La Jornada
5/30/2010).

The electoral outcome was far from the “mandate” of the Colombian people as claimed by the mass media. The ‘winner’
was the “abstentionists” with 56% of the electorate, the position advocated by the FARC. Now clearly the majority of
the abstentionist vote did not reflect support or sympathy for the FARC; rather it reflected disaffection with the regime’s
violent repression, massive dispossession of millions and its total failure to deal with the under and unemployment
affecting 40% of the economically active population.

In fact Santos received 30% of the vote of the electorate, hardly a mandate. If we examine the social-ecological
background of the voters, it is clearly a mandate from the elite. The highest levels of abstention were among several
distinct groups. Among the shanty towns and rural areas suffering from repression and neglect, abstention rose to over
80%. In contrast, in the middle and upper class sectors of the major cities, over 60% voted for the candidate of the
regime. Uribe-Santos tried to explain away the massive abstention by citing the weather (rain) and the World Cup soccer
matches .However the low turnout took place throughout the country, in dry and inclement weather. And the games did
not occupy the entire day of voting. The mass media systematically ignored the horrendous crimes under Defense
Minister Santos, his indictment in the “false positive” murders, his long term large scale association with the death
squads and with the Uribe regimes promotion of narco trafficking. They ignored his support for de-regulating the
financial system, resulting in the defrauding of hundreds of thousands of Colombian small investors.
Comparing Colombia to Venezuela

Yet the Financial Times (6/23/2010) favorably compares Colombia under Uribe-Santos against Venezuela under
Chavez, “Crackers about Caracas ? Latin American should be bonkers about Bogota instead”. According to the FT
Venezuela under Chavez is said to be unsafe, authoritarian and economically in decline. The editors of the FT, echoing
the rest of the media, claim Colombia is a prosperous democracy, with a system of checks and balances; with safe and
peaceful neighborhoods … except when the neighborhoods of the poor protest unemployment or the rural villagers
march against land grabs by the landlord funded gunmen. The FT fails to mention the resurgence of paramilitary gangs
terrorizing the Colombian countryside, (La Jornada 5/28/2010) but instead they focus on street crime in Caracas .

The Venezuelan government, contrary to the US media, promotes community based social movements which would be
targets of military raids in Bogota .

The only “paramilitary” groups in Venezuela are cross-over’s from Colombia , pursued and punished by the Venezuelan
National Guard. In Venezuela trade unions participate in the management of major industrial plants, unlike Colombia
where they are murdered including workers in the major Coca Cola,coal, oil and banana industries.

Behind the media lies and falsifications abut Colombia ’s election and its political leaders are several basic
considerations.

1.) Uribe-Santos are feverent free market advocates, eagerly pursing a free trade agreement held up in the
US Congress because of their killing fields.

2.) Uribe-Santos are unconditional clients of the Pentagon, receiving $6 billion in aid and handing over 7
military bases, under US jurisdiction to threaten Venezuela, Ecuador and any other country the Obama
regime deems a hostile to US domination.

3.) Uribe-Santos recognized the Honduras regime, product of a US backed military coup in mid 2009 –
contrary to the rest of Latin America .

The fact that the mass-media have so enthusiastically embraced a regime with the worst human rights record since the
fall of the military dictators of the 1970’s - 1980’s (La Jornada 6/17/2010) is indicative of the right turn under the
Obama Wall Street regime. According to the White House and media, deathsquad democracies like Colombia now
qualify as “role models” for Latin America . The problem is that neither the vast majority of Latin America citizens, nor
most of the democratic parties in the region are buying: they prefer democracies without deathsquads, foreign military
bases and narco-dealing Presidents. At present, the White House’s three leading allies in the region, Colombia , Peru and
Mexico produce and sell 80% of the cocaine in the region. Will this appear in the media’s salutations to newly elected
presidents?

James Petras is a Bartle Professor (Emeritus) of Sociology at Binghamton University, New York. He is the author of
more than 62 books published in 29 languages, and over 600 articles in professional journals, including the American
Sociological Review, British Journal of Sociology, Social Research, and Journal of Peasant Studies. He has published
over 2000 articles in nonprofessional journals such as the New York Times, the Guardian, the Nation, Christian
Science Monitor, Foreign Policy, New Left Review, Partisan Review, TempsModerne, Le Monde Diplomatique, and his
commentary is widely carried on the internet.

Login
Comments (8)
Sort by: Date Rating Last Activity

Hammurabi · 3 weeks ago 0

Of course Dr Petras, the "news factory" you mentioned will support their man. Chavez is not their stooge. Santos is.

Reply Report

humbaba · 3 weeks ago 0

This the Neo Cons 'Plan Colombia' at work. Fully supported by our 'elected' officials and Murdoch's Fascist Media.
Is it any wonder that I have unpluged my television set?

Reply Report

isegrim · 3 weeks ago 0

Another Ally of the Neo Cons is providing 96% of all the Heroin in the world, namely Mr Kasrzai in Afghanistan.

Reply Report

Bill Johnson · 3 weeks ago 0

 The world iis ruled by a brutal Capitalist class dictatorship, much like Israel's 'democracy'. In the west its called 'democracy' in
the east its generally called 'Communism' or 'Socialism'. Neither exists anywhere in the world due to the money and property
based economy of 'production for profit' to enhance the grossly parasitic interests of the Capitalist-class. At the sole expense
of the lives and labors of the historically dispossessed 95% working-class.

To achieve a real functioning Democracy. The workers of the world, need to unite and organize democratically. To abolish
Capitalism while taking Common possession of the earth and all its natural and man made resources. Voluntarily directing it to
abundantly and sustainably, satisfy All humanities needs. Within a democratic, production FOR USE money-less, not for the
profit of a minority economy as it is today, worldwide! Providing 'Free Access' to All Humanity without age, sex or color
discrimination. Go to; http://www.worldsocialism.org/

Reply 1 reply · active 3 weeks ago Report

Ironhead · 3 weeks ago 0

Hello Bill, it's good to see U

~!~

Reply Report

Follow the Facts · 3 weeks ago 0

…it will never be "easy" to read James Petras…his style is like driving on cobble stones...

"…a mandate from the elite…"

…which is of course the model the US crypto-fascistas are deftly approaching...

"…receiving $6 billion in aid…"

…? – …how often..? Mr Professor, how often…? (…unbelievable…)…oh, a one time event…?

"…they prefer democracies without death squads,…"

…no "curlies" on "democracies"..? – …a bad, bad mistake, by a professor….(in my opinion).
(Democracy – The Greatest Threat to All Life on Earth.)

Reply Report

Follow the Facts · 3 weeks ago 0

...yeah, well, the "socialistic idea" has proven itself to be a great generator of authoritarian minded individuals and the
governments they tend to form. It's an unsustainable proposition, in that the success for the "socialistic struggle" quickly
establishes new elites....with all that the follows...
The problem with ALL societal constructs is the slowness with which they recognize and act on emerging systemic pathologies.
The destructive forces are given time enough to achieve "critical mass" and then, it becomes very difficult and draining to deal
with them.
Only those societies where a "sound balance" is maintained, can progress and "build" in a harmonious and satisfying way. –
There are few such societies.

Reply Report

Drew · 3 weeks ago 0

Authoritarian Socialist systems are still preferable to Neo-liberal Capitalist regimes, despite their flaws. Socialist societies have
all at least tried to redistribute wealth and provide social welfare systems. Corruption amongst Socialist elites is and has been
miniscule compared to their capitalist counterparts. A Soviet poliburo member wouldn't have been able to own factories, keep
obscene profits in off shore accounts etc like the elites in the west.
And taking into account the statstics on health, education and poverty for example, one would have conclude that the corrupt
soviet system was better than the corrupt capitalist regime they have in Russia today.
What are your examples these "few such societies" where a "sound balance" is being kept? I would say Cuba.

Reply Report

Post a new comment

Enter text right here!

Comment as a Guest, or login:

Name Email

Displayed next to your comments. Not displayed publicly.

Subscribe to Submit Comment

Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate material will be removed from the site.
 Comments by

Social Trackbacks
Retweet this Post

Click on "comments" below to read or post comments Top 10 Posts

Audio of incident between
Canadian citizen and US
immigration officer. (306
comments)
Comments (1)
America: The Grim Truth:
Information Clearing House -
Click here to learn how to post a comment .Comments that include profanity or personal ICH (298 comments)
attacks or other inappropriate material will be removed from the site. See our complete
The Imminent Crash Of The Oil
Comment Policy. Supply : Information
Clearing Hous (218 comments)
Rarely Published Pictures Of
The BP Disaster : ICH -
| More Information Clearing House
(191 comments)
Sign up for our Daily Email Newsletter Israel Kills 20 : Attacks Gaza
Aid Fleet : Information
Clearing House (159 comments)
Noam Chomsky Has ‘Never
Please help Support Information Clearing House Seen Anything Like This’ &nb
(149 comments)
One-Time Donation
The U.S. Middle Class Is Being
Wiped Out : ICH - Information
$
Clearing House (144 comments)
: ICH - Information Clearing
House (142 comments)
Gaza Flotilla Drives Israel Into
Recurring Monthly Donation a Sea of stupidity :
Information Cle (124 comments)

$ 76 US Senators Sign on to
Israel Letter : Information
Cle (110 comments)

Comments by IntenseDebate
Thank you for your support

In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a
prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. Information Clearing House
has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is Information ClearingHouse endorsed or sponsored
by the originator.)

Search Information Clearing House

HOME

COPYRIGHT NOTICE