Colombia: Recent Works. (Publications Update)

Goslinga, Marian, Hemisphere

Colombia is a land of unparalleled physical beauty and unrelenting violence. From the War of One Thousand Days beginning in the late nineteenth century through La Violencia in 1948-1953, violence has been the dominant theme of modern Colombian history. The current conflict took root in the 1960s, when several major insurgent groups began their war against the state, and soon afterwards narcotics trafficking dragged the country ever more rapidly into lawlessness and violence.

Besieged on all sides, the Colombian government appealed to the international community for help with its controversial Plan Colombia. In July 2001, the United States came out publicly in support of this plan with a $1.3 billion aid package. US assistance was intended to help Colombia in its efforts to fight the illicit drug trade, increase the rule of law, protect human rights, expand economic development, institute judicial reform and foster peace. Recently, the US government approved the release of military aid to assist President Alvaro Uribe in defeating the forces arrayed against the Colombian state.

The growing body of published works on Colombia reflects the urgency of the search for ways to raise the country out of its spiral of bloodshed and civil war and bring a long-deserved peace to the land Bolivar so loved.

Books and Monographs

Amnesty International. Colombia Human Rights Certification III: Briefing Paper. New York, N.Y.: Human Rights Watch, 2002. 34 pp.

Benatar, Raquel. Gabriel Garcia Marquez and His Magical Universe/Gabriel Garcia Marquez y su universo magico. Translated by Patricia Petersen. Houston, Tex.: Pinata Books, 2002. (Illustrated biography of the famous Colombian author).

Betancourt, Ingrid. Until Death Do Us Apart: My Struggle to Reclaim Colombia. Translated by Steven Rendall. New York, N.Y.: Ecco, 2002. 228 pp. (Translation of Rage au coeur).

Boraas, Tracey. Colombia. Mankato, Minn.: Bridgestone Books, 2002. 64 pp.

Caicedo Licona, …

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Publication information: Article title: Colombia: Recent Works. (Publications Update). Contributors: Goslinga, Marian - Author. Journal title: Hemisphere. Publication date: Fall 2002. Page number: 49+. © 1999 Latin American and Caribbean Center. COPYRIGHT 2002 Gale Group.

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