I-Search+by+Ian

by Ian I do not know much about the FARC. I only know a few things about them. I know they are a gang in South America that that terrorize the people in Columbia. They kidnap people, demanding money then if they are not supplied with the incredible sum they request then that person is dead. Sometimes they won’t even kidnap them just kill the person and take their belongings.
 * Farc **
 * Part I--What I already know about my topic **

I also know that they are drug dealers and make a profit through the drug trade. They also try to take the government officials. I know this because one of my friends has a relative in Columbia who is a congressman. When my friend goes there he is in lock down with 24-7 guards and bullet proof vests.

The FARC is one big drug company that supplies drugs to many people and a lot of the drugs in the US are from the FARC. I do not know much about the FARC. I only know a few things about them. I know they are a gang in South America that that terrorize the people in Columbia. They kidnap people, demanding money then if they are not supplied with the incredible sum they request then that person is dead. Sometimes they won’t even kidnap them just kill the person and take their belongings.

**Part II--What I Want to Find Out** I want to know what the FARC wants. The question was not answered and it still is burning in me. I want to know why what the FARC want to do can't be done peacefully​. I don't know if anyone knows the answers to these questions, but I am going to find out that. Also why isn't the government in the U.S. and in Colombia taking control of the situation?


 * Part III--The Search **

The book I chose to read was one of the only ones I could find. There was a limited choice of books on the matter and so the book I chose was "out of captivity" by Tom Howes. It is a book about these very lucky pilots who crashed in the Colombian rain forest and survived the crash but were welcomed by the FARC. The FARC are deadly people who go around and capture tourists and demand money from the U.S.

I decided to have a look on the internet and I only found useful stuff in wikipedia and this one pdf. I knew that I was not really supposed to use wikipedia because anyone can edit it. In one article I confirmed a thought that hovered in his head. I had briefly thought that the FARC had to have set up a prisoner exchange with the government. I was correct about that, however i had not thought that the FARC would exchange a prisoner for a prisoner. The trade that the FARC had set up was that they would give back the people that they had captured for some criminals that the Colombian government held in prison. I thought that it was a sensible trade. It made me think that people in prison is the same as the FARC capturing random people they see. To the FARC they are criminals for siding with the government and to the Colombian government the FARC capturing people is wrong and it makes them bad. They are like separate governments at war with each other.

Continuing in my research I went to another wikipedia page, unfortunately. There really is a limited amount of places to go. Either way it is weird that the FARC makes money in one way and one way only, of drugs. It is the only thing that they make money off of. We Americans feed our money to the FARC when we consume drugs. Not only do we hurt ourselves but also we also feed the enemy with money.  I decided to interview an uncle of my friend,Herman Navas who is a government official in Colombia. He is an official who deals with the problems the FARC creates. He deals with the demands that the FARC asks for like money and other things maybe guns. He has to negotiate with the FARC to return people to their homes. My friend who is also doing this topic was going to interview his Uncle via phine, so i asked him if I could join him. For the time they talked in Spanish, I understood most of what was going on and the rest of the time my friend was translating to me. He knew English really well so most of the time I understood everything he spoke in English.  I have come through a long journey through surviving with the pilot crew to getting directly inside with the Colombian government. I cannot do anything about this terrible thing on my own and it is really starting to make me mad. The FARC have been keeping people in Colombia for a long time and America does nothing of it. Although, in "Out of Captivity" it does say the U.S. came after the FARC with a Mini Gun.  I am just shocked that this all started because my friends mother brought it up randomly with me. I was hooked instantly and when I had to do work in a global issue I knew that I had to choose it. Few people know about the FARC and I had to raise awareness.
 * Part IV--What I Learned **

If I had to learn one thing from all of this is if you get captured by the FARC comply with their wishes. Although there is one loop that the government clearly sees, they give guns to the FARC the FARC uses the guns to capture hostages. With the hostages they demand guns. I think the U.S. should just take them all out. It would increase the tourism in Colombia which would improve their economy. Also the FARC affects a lot of South America not just Colombia.

__**Works Cited**__ Howes, Tom, Keith Stansell, Gary Brozek, and Marc Gonsalves. //Out of Captivity//. HarperCollins E-books, 2009. Print. Herman Navas Telephone interview. 15 May 2010.