DAILY JOURNAL (Caracas, Venezuala) 10 February 06 Demobilized paras offered snake-catching job (Matthew Bristow)
Bogata: Businessmen have been turning up at paramilitary demobilization ceremonies hoping to recruit ex-combatants, which would entitle them to government grants. Former paramilitaries from the AUC’s Bloque Resistencia Tayrona, which demobilized last Friday, have been offered work at a nearby snake farm, among other schemes. “We want to train them to catch snakes, bring the snakes to the farm, and extract their venom to make medicine,” said Iván Salcedo, the director of Serpentario El Paraiso in the town of Guachaca. “About five thousand people die each year in Colombia for lack of anti-venom.” He said he hopes to recruit as many as 500 ex-paramilitaries, but first he needs the go-ahead from the Interior Ministry.
The military structure of the paramilitary blocs has been transformed into various “peace corporations”, with the aim of providing work and training to former fighters. “Commander JP” of the Tayrona Peace Corporation said they were setting up 20 cooperatives to run small businesses in fishing and various kinds of agriculture, for which they will receive financial help from the government. Many of the former fighters told the Daily Journal they wish to work in the local tourist industry. Former commander Hernan Giraldo, widely believed to be one of Colombia’s richest drug traffickers, will receive $158 a month from the government, as will everyone else in the bloc.
A total of 21,300 paramilitaries have demobilized so far in a process which began in November 2003.
Demobilized paras offered snake-catching job