Colombia

With dramatically beautiful rainforests, mountains and beaches, lovely cities and enchanting people, Colombia should be among the world's most attractive and intoxicating destinations.

Unfortunately, the current guerrilla war, combined with ongoing activities of cocaine cartels, has made much of Colombia – dubbed »Locombia« (the mad country) by the press – off limits to all but the most foolhardy travelers.

Judge frees chief of Cali drug cartel

Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogota
Friday November 8, 2002
The Guardian

"One of the world's most infamous drug lords was due to walk out of a maximum security prison last night after serving just seven years for shipping tonnes of cocaine around the world as the leader of a notorious drug syndicate.

Late on Wednesday a judge ordered the immediate release of Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, 56, thwarting government efforts to keep him and his brother Miguel, who once led the Cali cartel, behind bars."

And this has been happening in Colombia!...

http://www.guardian.co.uk/colombia/story/0,11502,835950,00.html

Colombia has gone from bad to worse since February 2002, when President Andres Pastrana cut off peace negotiations with the Marxist rebel organization FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia).

Colombian drug lords to go free

Government fury as judge grants Cali cartel leaders release from jail for good behaviour

Sibylla Brodzinsky in Bogotá
Sunday November 3, 2002
The Observer

»Two of the world's most notorious drug lords could be free in Colombia within days after a judge granted them parole for good behaviour, a decision that has surprised and infuriated the government.«

http://www.observer.co.uk/drugs/story/0,11908,825117,00.html

Still any questions?!?!?!?!?!?.....

Troops backed by helicopters searched mountains north of Colombia's capital for one of Latin America's leading Roman Catholic bishops, whose kidnapping a day earlier generated outrage around the world.

The search Tuesday failed to produce news of Bishop Jorge Enrique Jimenez's whereabouts, but officials expressed confidence he would not be in the hands of his captors for long.