Plan Colombia: Cashing in on the Drug War Failure
by Gerard Ungerman, Audrey Brohy
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DVD details
Actor: Ed AsnerDirector: Audrey Brohy, Gerard Ungerman
Brand: CINEMA LIBRE DISTRIBUTION
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Subtitled); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 57 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2005-01-25
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Cinema Libre
DVD Reviews of Plan Colombia: Cashing in on the Drug War Failure
DVD Review: Its just not that simple
Summary: 2 Stars
Unfortunately the situation is not simplistic. For one thing it is a bit overreaching to say The Clinton Administration was looking for a puppet right wing government when he is attacked from the left as being a socialist. While no doubt there are some downsides to Plan Colombia the country has pushed FARC, hardly a bunch of "do gooders" into the jungles and isolated rural areas. The average Colombian enjoys greater security and the economy is growing faster than growth countries such as China and Brazil up until the recent global recession. The average standard of living has improved. What I have found there is a vibrant democracy although with some problems where debate rages and people feel free to support Green Candidates (Mockus) to more conservative candidates who vow to not rest until FARC is eliminated. At much risk to personal safety the Colombian Government killed the leaders of the Drug Cartels .To be sure there are plenty of drugs there but the business of selling and manufacturing drugs is not run by cartels the size of multinational companies which has the effect of minimizing influence over the government.Small or medium sized drug rings dont buy the latest military technology to run their business nor are they as inclined to take on a well trained military or police force in coordinated bold attacks as happened before. A city like Medellin which many assumed could not survive without the largesse of the drug lords, is now thriving largely due to its progressive hippyish mayor who is intent on providing enhanced education for residents. It is hardly a monolithic right wing banana republic.It is a modern state grappling with some serious issues. There is a value to having an ally in South America sandwiched between two Castro style regimes that produce oil. The ability to engage in open democratic debate and choose from among candidates without the imtimidation of drug lords or guerrillas is a positive by product of the Plan Colombia. Colombia produces flowers, coffee, textiles and other goods and services not just drugs. It is vibrant with arts, music and literature and all forms of creative expression, hardly hallmarks of a dictatorship or vassal state. Going there as a tourist to places like Cartagena or Santa Marta or to cities such as Bogota or Medellin one realizes there is a strong bohemian culture and I felt more secure to see a strong police presence. I did not feel they were there to keep me in line but rather to protect and create a sense of security. Again there are parallels to Israel where you know that without such presence you would feel less safe.
I do agree that without demand, which is viewed as a curse to Colombia there neednt be any supply. I tend to lean to the progressive side but this is hardly as simplistic as supporting the Contras in Nicaragua. Like Israel it is a country that needs to stress security and fight terrorism to allow democracy to prosper and lively debate to take place. Without US Aid I venture to say not as much of this would have taken place. As an earlier reviewer said it would be an entertaining film for someone that had a blank slate with no basis for questioning facts. I would have loved to see a nuanced view but documentary filmakers rarely pull that off
DVD Review: Too simplified...
Summary: 1 Stars
If you knew nothing about Colombia, I'm sure you found this documentary great. HOWEVER, if you know the very complicated political history in Colombia, you'll realize there are no "good guys." With the exception of American forces, every political organization in Colombia has committed horrible human rights violations! Liberals, Conservatives, FARC, ELN, EPL, and M-19 alike have committed atrocities this documentary can't even begin to address. Giving aid to Colombia helps Colombians. Giving aid to North Korea helps...no one. For a better understanding of Colombia, read Walking Ghosts: Murder and Guerrilla Politics in Colombia by Steven Dudley. Many *firsthand* accounts from FARC, Communists, Liberal and Conservative politicos and Dudley's own experiences as a human rights observer in the Peace Brigades. It will OPEN YOUR EYES.DVD Review: Another Failure In the War On Drugs
Summary: 4 Stars
This documentary interviews various politicians, policy wonks and even a few regular folks to explain why Plan Colombia has been a failure. In fact, it has not only failed to eradicate the coca plant but has actually made life worse for many innocent Colombians, including those made ill by the irresponsible dropping of dangerous pesticides on farm land. The doc also correctly points out that the profit margain is so great that it only takes common sense to realize that poor campesinos are going to continue to grow coca leafs as long as there is a ready market for cocaine in the United States and other countries.
The film makers do go a little too easy on the FARC guerillas, who are involved big time in narco-trafficking and have left this beautiful nation, which I have visited twice, in an ongoing civil war with no end in sight. But still the film's major points about the failures of Plan Colombia are on the mark and will help to educate the public on this issue.
DVD Review: Provocative but Too Biased
Summary: 2 Stars
For the most part this documentary got it right. The US government has no business going into the wilds of South America and destroying the fields of the peasantry. The problem with drug usage is our own and we should solve it without impoverishing those who--in the best of circumstances--barely get by. Sadly though, I do not have a solution to the drug war conundrum. Of course, I believe that we should decriminalize marijuana but do not see any benefit from decriminalizing cocaine and heroin. I'd like to see the government take a less vigorous approach with drug usage, however, as, in my mind, there's no reason to lockup users. That being said, the narration is totally biased and left-wing in its presentation. The flattering perspective on the nefarious FARC organization was appalling. They, just as with the paramilitary groups, are deeply involved in the drug trade. Given the evidence, saying otherwise is a lie. That disappointed me and caused me to give this film a lower rating than I normally would have.DVD Review: Plan Colombia: Cashing in on the Drug War Failure
Summary: 2 Stars
It`s a partial outdated version of the reality. It tried to look real, honest and actual by having several interviews, but those interviews only shows one part of the reality. The people selected to be presented were carefully selected to show only one part of the history. They did not interviewed anyone from the government, nor people that received benefits from the program, or simply, common people in Colombia that has a better perception of the country, that feels safer because of the Plan. They are a lot more than those presented in this video. Plan Colombia has several faces, not all of them are good, but one reality is that my country is a lot better now, than it was before it. Other interested parts of Plan Colombia aren`t well explained such us where the money relly goes....
Description of Plan Colombia: Cashing in on the Drug War Failure
A 20-year "war on drugs" in Colombia has been paid for by the U.S. taxpayers. Still more and more drugs and narco-dollars are entering the U.S. every year. Is it a mere failure by Washington? Or is it a smokescreen to secure Colombia's oil & natural resources?System Requirements: Running Time 57 MinFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre:?DOCUMENTARIES/MISC. Rating:?NR UPC:?881394500228 Manufacturer No:?DOC50022Spanish DVDs
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