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Markets in everything?
Who knows, but just maybe:
Doubts about the official version of the rescue surfaced in Switzerland where a public radio station quoted an unidentified source - "close to the events, reliable and tested many times in recent years" - saying $20m was paid to the guerrillas. "It was not a negotiation with the Farc directly but with a person who is very important in that organisation, commander César," Frederich Blassel, a journalist with the Swiss station, told Colombian radio. The reported suggested that a wife of one of the guards - possibly César - had acted as a go-between after being arrested by the security forces.
It's in any case spectacular news and a major blow against terrorism. Colombia remains an underrated economy and tourist destination and I expect this to serve as a further tipping point toward good things.
Posted by Tyler Cowen on July 4, 2008 at 09:47 PM in Current Affairs | Permalink
Comments
It's in any case spectacular news and a major blow against terrorism
How is it a major blow against terrorism if some government capitulated (probably France's) and gave into the terrorists demands? It satisfies Western nations' desire to look like they're beating the narcoterrorists without legalizing drugs, satisfies FARC's desire for money, and leaves would-be terrorists in the same position as before the whole affair – not entirely sure if a government would give in to such a demand. If anything, I'd say it's a gain for Betancourt and the other hostages, but a loss for society in that people will (at least marginally) be more willing to accept the war on drugs because of this piece of evidence (which I thought would be minor, but apparently you believe it's a "major blow against terrorism") that it is indeed possible to successfully combat narcoterrorism without cutting off their supply of money – revenue from illegal drugs. (Because if they were legal, there wouldn't be any money in it.) The victims of the war on drugs (both in the US, in places where drugs pass through [e.g., Mexico, Colombia, Mao's Red Army bases, the junta's Burma, Kim Jong-il's Hermit Kingtom], and then to the rest of the world) aren't as visible as Ingrid Betancourt's stylish teenage son, but all combined they make his plight look pretty negligible.
Posted by: Rationalitate at Jul 5, 2008 2:52:09 AM
"Comandante Cesar" manages a lot more money daily thanks to drug trafficking than 20 million dollars. They were in no way going to give up Ingrid Betancout, their most valuable political hostage, for just 20 million.
Besides, yesterday, "Comendante Cesar" recognized he was cheated. Ingrid gave statements confirming the authenticity of the operation.
And the colombian department of defense showed the video (edited of course, to protect intelligence officers) of the operatio.
Beware of FARC, they have many aides in Europe and other parts of the world paid with drugs trafficking and kidnapping money.
Posted by: Carlos at Jul 5, 2008 5:32:17 AM
Tyler, the Colombian government had offered much more money, up to US$100 million, for the release of these hostages. Read
http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/justicia/2008-07-05/cuatro-gobiernos-ingrid-betancourt-y-un-video-descartan-que-rescate-haya-sido-un-montaje_4362631-1
So, Uribe would have got a good deal if he had paid only US$20 million.
Please tell me, what's the purpose of circulating rumors from unidentified sources? It seems that you agree with NYT's policy of fabricating news.
Posted by: E. Barandiaran at Jul 5, 2008 6:25:54 AM
Put yourself in the shoes of a bright guy in Colombian military intelligence looking for ways of further splitting and demoralising FARC. Does not this story occur to you as a runner? Once the story is launched, FARC leaders and followers will be institutionally incapable of disbelieving it, and their trust and confidence in one another will be the less.
Posted by: Diversity at Jul 5, 2008 12:38:06 PM
FARC will whither without an outside sponsor. So long as people continue to shine a light on Hugo Chavez, they won't last long.
Posted by: Jason Armstrong at Jul 6, 2008 12:59:24 AM
