June 6, 2007:
Although the government is in the
midst of releasing 200 FARC prisoners, FARC refuses to reciprocate and free any
of its 60 high ranking hostages, and is holding out for a "liberated
zone" free of government security forces. FARC needs this liberated zone
desperately, for continued army pressure on FARC is forcing the organization
out of the country. The prisoner release is not popular with most Colombians,
and the FARC refusal to reciprocate does little for FARC popularity, at home or
abroad.
June 5, 2007:
In the south, FARC kidnapped a police commander, in an area they are
trying to have declared a "liberated zone", free of government
security forces. Another letter bomb went off in the capital, in a government
building.
June 4, 2007:
The deputy education minister was injured by a letter bomb. No one took
credit for it.
June 1, 2007:
The economy continues to grow, as does the value of the peso, which
increased in value against the dollar (1890 per dollar) to its highest value
since 2000. Inflation continues to go down, along with unemployment. With FARC
no longer menacing so many of the nations highways, trade and travel are
possible, and with that comes economic growth.
May 31, 2007:
Troops discovered an abandoned FARC camps where kidnapped officials had
recently been held. DNA evidence confirmed the identity of those who had been
there. The army is capturing more FARC controlled territory every day. The
leftist rebels and drug gang partners are constantly moving around their drug
operations to avoid police and army sweeps.
The drug gangs have to grow more coca, and ship more cocaine, in order
to maintain past levels of deliveries to North American and European customers.
More and more coca crops are being destroyed, and cocaine being seized while in
transit. Even with that, the business is still profitable.