1. Cole Fuchs- The Environmental and Political conflict in Columbia (1/25)(outside reading)

I attended the presentation that Dr. Shauna Gillooly gave on Columbia's current and recent history with its political and environmental struggle.  The presentation went over the constant fighting among the country and how private military and guerilla groups were forming in Columbia for about the last 70 years.  Dr. Gillooly talked about how the paramilitary groups and other private arms for higher would not pay attention to the political law of reservations and other environmental protected areas due to the lack of official government involvement.  The government can't get as involved due to its constant struggle to stay official.  The paramilitary and private arms have been at war with the government and vise versa.  With the governments struggle to take control of the country many company's and private arms will take over different areas of land for profit and personal agendas they have despite the environmental protection laws.  

  Dr. Gillooly talked about her friends experience's living in Columbia with the constant fighting and the guerillas fighting for land for different agendas they have.  She talked about how her friend had personally came into conflict with the paramilitary groups when they took her family's land when she was younger, but got it back a few years back when they paramilitary's groups fled after she fought legally.  She has the fear that they will come back later like how they did all those years ago but loves the nature reserve that she turned her families land into.  

My question for this is how much longer will the government and the private groups be at war and when will the country finally be able to experience peace and end the fighting.  I also wonder how the environment in Columbia will move forward as time passes.  It would be amazing for it to improve due to the thousands of endemic and local species that aren't other places in the world such as the golden poison frog.