Articles written by Anastasia Moloney
By Anastasia Moloney
24 Jan 2012 |
Briefing
The Colombian government is under increasing pressure to crack down on drug gangs and bolster an inefficient judicial system following a recent forced curfew across parts of northern Colombia by one of the country’s main drug gangs. But while the government has vowed to step up its fight, most analysts say it has underestimated the groups' power, reach and ability to instill fear among local communities.
By Anastasia Moloney
08 Feb 2011 |
Feature
More than five decades of fighting among the Colombian military, leftist rebels, drug traffickers and right-wing paramilitary groups have forced millions of Colombians to flee their homes to escape the crossfire. The resulting displacement crisis is inextricably linked to the land grabbing that lies at the heart of the country's armed conflict.
By Anastasia Moloney
05 Nov 2010 |
Briefing
It was all smiles and friendly talk of brotherhood and shared destiny at
the presidential palace in Caracas yesterday, as the leaders of
Colombia and Venezuela met to reaffirm their commitment to fully restore diplomatic ties and put recent bitter disputes behind them. The two leaders signed a bundle of agreements, signalling the end of several years of tense relations
between the two nations.
By Anastasia Moloney
07 Oct 2010 |
Briefing
BOGOTÁ -- The killing of the No. 2 leader
of Colombia's largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces
of Colombia (FARC), has provided a much-needed boost to the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos. But while most analysts agree the FARC will have difficulty recovering
from the loss of such an important military commander, few believe the
armed conflict is over.
By Anastasia Moloney
18 Jun 2010 |
World Politics Review
BOGOTÁ -- Barring a major surprise, Juan Manuel Santos, former defense
minister and heir-apparent to the hardline polices of outgoing
conservative President Alvaro Uribe, is poised to become the next
Colombian president, with the latest polls giving him a seemingly
insurmountable lead over his rival, Antanus Mockus. Santos' greatest challenge seems to be, not Sunday's voting, but what comes
after.
By Anastasia Moloney
28 May 2010 |
World Politics Review
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombians will head to the polls on Sunday,
in what has unexpectedly become an election that is too close to call. Both front-runners promise to continue outgoing
conservative President Alvaro Uribe hard-line security policy. But the mood has changed in a country where unchecked corruption, rising
unemployment, health care and education have now replaced rebel
violence as the top concerns among voters.
By Anastasia Moloney
16 Dec 2009 |
World Politics Review
During the last five decades, Colombia's foreign, defense and strategic
priorities have been driven and determined by the country's internal
armed conflict, with the "War on Drugs" becoming the dominant paradigm
from the 1980s onwards. This, in turn, has defined Colombia's relations
with Latin America -- particularly, in recent years, with its Andean
neighbors, Ecuador and Venezuela -- as well as its relationship with the
United States and Europe.
By Anastasia Moloney
17 Sep 2009 |
World Politics Review
When 200 tax inspectors made a surprise visit last week to the
editorial offices of Clarin, one of Latin America's largest newspaper
and cable TV companies, it was clear that the simmering tensions
between the media giant and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez had
reached new heights. The incident comes at a time when Argentina's Congress is debating Fernandez's
controversial media-reform bill.
By Anastasia Moloney
01 Jun 2009 |
World Politics Review
PEREIRA, Colombia -- Most Colombians either have relatives or know of someone working
abroad. The money these emigrants send back home allows millions of families to remain above the poverty line. Now, as a result of the U.S. recession, remittance flows to Colombia have fallen, and the number of Colombians returning home has risen, creating ripple effects across the region.
By Anastasia Moloney
18 May 2009 |
World Politics Review
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- Over 400 members of Colombia's armed forces
have been detained for allegedly taking part in extrajudicial killings
of civilians in the last two years. The ongoing probe, known locally as the "false positives" scandal, involves charges that security forces murdered
civilians and then passed them off as guerrillas killed in combat in
order to inflate rebel body counts.
By Anastasia Moloney
27 Apr 2009 |
World Politics Review
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- With a U.S military air base in the
Ecuadorian coastal city of Manta scheduled to be shut down later this
year, it looks increasingly likely that Colombia will step in as a new
host for U.S. military assets in the region. But the potential move has raised
controversy in Bogotá, and threatens to strain already fraught
relations with Colombia's neighbors, Venezuela and Ecuador.
By Anastasia Moloney
31 Mar 2009 |
World Politics Review
While reporting her WPR feature story, The FARC's Last Stand,
Anastasia Moloney visited La Macarena, a mountainous jungle region in
Colombia's southern province of Meta. The rebel guerillas have turned
the difficult terrain into their final stronghold in their efforts to
withstand Colombia's increasingly effective counterinsurgency campaign.
By Anastasia Moloney
31 Mar 2009 |
World Politics Review
Colombia's southern provinces are the front line in the U.S.-backed counterinsurgency campaign against the FARC, the site of daily clashes between government troops and rebel guerrillas. It is here, in the jungle that serves as a strategic corridor, that Colombia's largest guerrilla group clings to its last stronghold.
By Anastasia Moloney
17 Mar 2009 |
World Politics Review
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- The drug wars in Mexico "will intensify," says the head of
Colombia's anti-narcotics police, Gen. Álvaro Caro. "It's going to get
worse," Caro said during an exclusive interview about the wave of drug
violence in Mexico. "The Mexican cartels are very structured, well
armed and organized, and have the power to corrupt." Caro called the violence "the price you pay for taking on the cartels."
By Anastasia Moloney
03 Feb 2009 |
World Politics Review
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- The release of four hostages held by the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia over the weekend has
raised much speculation about the group's motives. The
freeing is the first unilateral handover in almost a year. The government claims it's a clear sign that the
guerrillas are sinking under the pressure of daily military offensives, while FARC is billing the release as a goodwill gesture.
By Anastasia Moloney
12 Jan 2009 |
World Politics Review
Presidents Hugo Chávez, Rafael Correa and Evo Morales have become close allies who
often display a united front when it comes to disputes with the U.S. But they do not represent a coherent movement. For all the
beliefs they share in principle, their priorities and versions of the
populist left differ in practice.
By Anastasia Moloney
21 Nov 2008 |
World Politics Review
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- Venezuelans will take to the
polling stations over the weekend in nationwide elections that are
being seen as a litmus test for the future of President Hugo Chávez and
a golden opportunity for the opposition to regain its presence in local
government. The local elections are the first
real test of Chávez's popularity following his narrow defeat in a
referendum on constitutional reform last December. And while the opposition's projected gains might seem modest, they would represent major victories, both politically and symbolically.
By Anastasia Moloney
14 Nov 2008 |
World Politics Review
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- An uncomfortable silence filled the officers'
mess at the Macarena military base in southern Colombia as the
lunchtime news broadcast the purge of 27 high-ranking army officials.
"That's not going to be the end of it," said one army colonel as he
shook his head in disbelief. He was right. Several days later, Colombia's veteran top army commander, Gen. Mario Montoya, resigned. The historic army purge signals a rare admission by the government that Colombia does indeed have a human rights problem.
By Anastasia Moloney
29 Oct 2008 |
World Politics Review
BOGOTÁ, Colombia -- Venezuela's strengthening military and diplomatic ties with
Russia have led to alarmist headlines announcing the return of a Cold
War standoff, and raising questions about the impact of Hugo Chávez's
arms shopping spree on the regional balance of power. But more alarming than Chávez's big ticket purchases is the
arrival in Venezuela of 100,000 Russian Kalashnikov assault rifles two
years ago, as well as Chávez's reported plans to build a factory to
produce his own Kalashnikov line.
By Anastasia Moloney
21 Aug 2008 |
World Politics Review Exclusive
SAN JOSÉ DEL GUAVIARE, Colombia -- The heavy losses suffered by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia have made Colombian
President Álvaro Uribe the most popular leader in this country's
history as he marks six years in office. Unlike other leaders in Latin America, Uribe's
populist message is about improving
security, not lifting up the poor. But threats to Uribe's legacy remain in the form of economic problems and the possibility that he will damage the country's democracy in pursuit of a third term.