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As we watch the effects of the pandemic and resultant social instability around the world, my heart breaks for Colombia – an American ally that is now reeling from third order pandemic effects. I have spent many of my adult years in Colombia – as a soldier training Colombia’s military, a contractor, and a USG employee. I am married to a Colombian woman, who is now an American citizen, and have children who are American-Colombian. I consider Colombia a second home and am deeply in love with the people of Colombia, and the treasures there.
We can look to Colombia and see the frustrations of a population reeling from economic strangulation. Colombia is a modern country with all the accoutrements of a civilized democracy. It is also the oldest democracy in South America, (61 years, 1958), the end state of the bloodless coup d’état of 1953 led by General Rojas Pinilla followed by the coup d’état removing him in 1958 and eventually leading to elections and a new constitution.
Subsequent elections where Pinilla lost spurred the creation of several guerilla organizations including the M19 guerilla group as well as the FARC, a U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organization which was intimately and consistently involved in illicit narcotics trafficking and related crime. The two guerilla movements grew in opposition to a political power-sharing agreement made by both parties in Colombia at the time – Liberal and Conservative – which negated election results because the two parties alternated power regardless of the electoral outcome. The result of this arrangement was a ruling class that consolidated power in the two parties, strengthened the military, and prevented political alternatives from taking root. These elites launched the “Accelerated Economic Development” plan, which essentially forced people from their lands in favor of government-subsidized large landowners. 70% of farmland in Colombia was owned by 5.7% of the population and 400,000 families were landless and displaced.
Taking all of this into account, we can fast forward to recent weeks of disruption and unrest in Colombia. The government tried to pass two reforms: the first focused on taxes, but which also reduced the ‘ingreso solidario’ – a program that is a rough equivalent of what is known as welfare in the U.S. This benefit is paid to roughly three million families in Colombia and the sum is equivalent to $50.00 USD monthly. At the same time, the Colombian Congress also included a pay raise for themselves, as well as levying taxes on many products which have been typically exempt in Colombia due to their designation as essential items or commodities.
The second reform centered on the SISBEN – a Colombian government test index used for the targeting of social programs, in this case the medical plan. In essence, this reform would have increased co-pays and eliminated specialists from the system. Both reforms were eventually removed from consideration, due in large part to the constant protests.
When viewing the social unrest in Colombia through the prism of governance, it is important to note that the government shut down the economy at the start of the pandemic. It is estimated that 60% of Colombians live below the poverty level, as the minimum wage is $251.00 USD per month. Some percentages of those people were essentially paid nothing when the shutdowns started. For the estimated 15% of Colombians who make a living from daily sales, that income dropped to zero. The government implemented strict measures, with some cities only allowing citizens out twice a week for essentials. Adding insult to injury, the people who worked as essential personnel saw many of their jobs being performed by Venezuelan immigrants accepting half the minimum wage for work – a situation not unlike that in several industries here in the U.S. Businesses – businesses in an effort to remain afloat – gravitated to this solution, further exacerbating unemployment and lack of income.
