Page 11 - atoday

WORLD NEWS A11
Tuesday 1 December 2015

With peace near, debate grows over Colombia’s draft

Colombia’s President Juan Manuel Santos, center left, leans in a half century. Colombia, or FARC, which there hasn’t been a mur-
to listen to Colombia’s Armed Forces Commander Gen. Juan The military dragnets that has about 7,000 combat- der in almost a decade, lo-
Pablo Rodriguez, during a military ceremony in Bogota, Co- harvest new soldiers, of the ants. Gen. Jorge Eliecer cal youths say army trucks
lombia. While all Colombian men must register for the draft at type that snagged Rodri- Suarez, chief of recruit- looking for new soldiers
age 18, it’s mostly poorer men who are compelled to serve in guez, have been declared ment for the army, said he circle the town’s plaza ev-
this nation of 46 million people. illegal several times by Co- agrees Colombia needs to ery few weeks. This is where
lombia’s justice system, have a military composed Rodriguez was taken.
(AP Photo/Fernando Vergara) most recently last month of people from all classes, “When they appear in town
when the Supreme Court not just the poor, but he we all run away or hide so
JACOBO GARCIA Pardo, drew journalists’ at- likened the practice to kid- added that soldiers will still they don’t trap us,” said
Associated Press tention at her son’s funeral, napping. be needed after the con- 18-year-old William Jerez,
SACHICA, Colombia (AP) which was held with full But the roundups will likely flict ends. Among six Latin hanging out by a colonial
— The army truck pulled up military honors and Presi- continue as the armed American countries, includ- church with three friends.
at 4 p.m. on a Sunday as dent Juan Manuel Santos forces struggle to fill the ing Brazil and Cuba, with a In his re-election campaign
Omar Rodriguez, in a base- in attendance. Such sto- ranks of a military that now military draft, Colombia is last year, Santos vowed
ball cap and torn jeans, ries are familiar to Colom- numbers 250,000, of which the only one at war. Mexico that if a peace deal was
walked to a bus stop in his bia’s poor, whose young just 100,000 are professional doesn’t have a draft, but struck he would eliminate
rural village of tile-roofed men have been forced to soldiers. More than 25,000 every college graduate the draft, saying it was un-
white homes. fight for a government they soldiers have been killed in must work a year providing fair to the poor.
Soldiers demanded Rodri- barely perceive in their dai- the Andean nation during a social service. One pro- He recently proposed legis-
guez show his government ly lives. the war, the army says. posal in Colombia is that lation to eliminate the “mili-
military ID card. Because While all Colombian men The practice is apt to per- conscripts be permitted to tary booklet” that young
he never finished the mili- must register for the draft sist even if Santos meets a avoid the conflict with al- men must show employers
tary inscription process at age 18, it’s mostly poor- March deadline to sign a ternative public work. to prove they have either
required of Colombia’s er men who are compelled peace deal with the Revo- In Sachica, a sleepy town served or paid the special
young men, he had noth- to serve in this nation of 46 lutionary Armed Forces of in central Colombia where tax. q
ing to show. He was hauled million people. They can’t
away to serve 1½ years on afford the escape route:
the front lines of a conflict Enrolling in college and
in which leftist rebels have paying a special sliding-
sought to force a more scale tax of between $300
equitable distribution of and $1,200. As a result, 90
wealth, particularly in Co- percent of drafted youths
lombia’s rural areas come from the lower class-
He did only eight months. es, the Colombian Collec-
On Oct. 25, shrapnel ripped tive of Conscientious Ob-
into Rodriguez’s 18-year- jectors says.
old body as he and 11 oth- Now, as the government
er soldiers were killed in a marches toward a historic
rebel ambush. His relatives peace agreement with
are angry and bitter. Rodri- Colombia’s main leftist in-
guez died in a uniform he surgency, there is mount-
never wanted to wear. ing national debate about
The rural poor “are the whether the country still
ones who suffer the conse- needs a big army — and
quences of a war those in conscription.
the city don’t care about,” Many believe it fuels the in-
his brother Ricardo said. equality that is at the heart
Rodriguez’s mother, Alicia of a conflict that has lasted