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La firma proveedora de mercenarios en Irak, Blackwater, está miranado posibilidades de inversión en Latinoamérica.
Scahill presentó este lunes en España, junto a la editorial 'Paidós' , esta historia no autorizada sobre el imparable ascenso de Blackwater desde los atentados del 11 de septiembre de 2001 en EE.UU. y sobre su conversión en uno de los poderes fácticos más poderosos e influyentes del complejo militar-industrial estadounidense.
En declaraciones a Efe, este periodista de 32 años que colabora habitualmente con el semanario progresista 'The Nation', comenta que Blackwater ha conseguido beneficios récord en los últimos dos trimestres, pero que su objetivo es diversificar el negocio para adaptarse a nuevas realidades y que eso pasa por América Latina.
'Blackwater podría terminar en América Latina' , dice Scahill, quien destaca que el Pentágono ha instado a la compañía que preside Erik Prince, un ex militar de familia rica y muy conservadora, a optar a un plan de lucha contra la droga, principalmente para México y Colombia, que tiene un presupuesto de 15.000 millones de dólares.
Es a través de estas empresas privadas como Washington quiere garantizar su presencia en la región sin 'dejar una huella militar', explica el periodista, quien sostiene que los miles de millones de dólares que EEUU ha invertido en los últimos 15 años en la lucha antidroga en la región han sido para 'la lucha contrainsurgente'.
El caso de Colombia es ideal, pues recibe de Estados Unidos 630 millones anuales para luchar contra el narcotráfico, de los cuales, a su vez, Bogotá destina buena parte a pagar los servicios de empresas de las mismas características que Blackwater, como DynCorp.
'El futuro pasa por el entrenamiento y la preparación de militares latinoamericanos, con el objetivo de tener pequeños equipos paramilitares trabajando para estas compañías en América Latina. Veremos un incremento de la presencia de estas empresas que deciden radicarse en la región', pronostica Scahill.
La lógica es la del negocio y la del mercado libre, la misma que llevó a Blackwater y a otras empresas que contratan mercenarios a fijarse en la 'fuerza de trabajo barata' que ofrecían países como Chile, Honduras, El Salvador, Perú y Bolivia.
Frente a los 10 mil dólares al mes que puede cobrar un mercenario estadounidense o de otro país del primer mundo por prestar sus servicios en Irak, los latinoamericanos aceptan el mismo riesgo, ofreciendo la misma preparación, por sueldos de mil dólares.
Se trata en su mayoría de militares que se formaron en las décadas de los 80 y los 90, en el marco de las 'guerras sucias' instigadas por Washington, y que ya han tenido experiencia en técnicas de contrainsurgencia, tiro de precisión, guerra de comandos, espionaje militar y tácticas de interrogatorio.
Afirma Scahill en el libro que 'uno de los mayores contingentes de soldados no estadounidenses importados hasta Irak por Blackwater fue el compuesto por antiguos comandos chilenos, algunos de los cuales habían sido formados o habían servido durante la brutal dictadura militar del general Augusto Pinochet'.
Cerca de un millar de chilenos fueron enviados a Irak gracias a la gestión de reclutamiento de José Miguel Pizarro Ovalle, a quien el autor describe como 'un partidario acérrimo de Pinochet, que trabajó como traductor para el ejército estadounidense (...) antes de convertirse en enlace entre más de una docena de Gobiernos latinoamericanos y los fabricantes de armas de Estados Unidos'.
Scahill subraya también que en Irak 'los trabajos más peligrosos los hacen iraquíes o latinoamericanos, protegiendo edificios o contratados por empresas privadas y hombres de negocios para que los protejan'
Añade que actualmente 'los más buscados' son los peruanos, a los que se considera 'soldados baratos y luchadores'.
By Neonovo on May 9, 2008, 21:02 in Politics & the war.
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Monpirri says on May 9, 2008, 21:13: I thought that company went out of business for a breach of contract. "Anyone who still thinks that Colombia is not a gastronomical paradise needs to have their head examined." Darloup 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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CatGirl says on May 9, 2008, 21:33: Monpirri- you are up late Amor! Love and Time: the only two things that cannot be bought, but only spent 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Neonovo says on May 9, 2008, 21:34: http://www.blackwaterusa.com/
0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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webmanco says on May 9, 2008, 22:01: Paramilitarismo Version II No hay extremo cierto o verdadero, porque los extremos opacan, enruedan, (lavan cerebros) verdades. Yotas 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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billyb says on May 9, 2008, 22:11: Mercenary armies have been the norm in the history of armed conflicts. It has only been since the 1500s or so that kingdoms and nation states have kept standing armies and not relied on mercenaries and peasent armies supplied by the fiefholders as part of their obligations to the kings. Kind of like back to the future. "All I want to know is where I'm going to die, so I never go there" Unkown (at least to me) wise man. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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miamimike says on May 9, 2008, 22:19: I doubt they will be welcomed in Colombia after shafting all those Colombian Soldiers of Fortune they conned into serving in Iraq a few years ago then cutting their wages by 75% after the Col Soldiers got to Iraq. Not to forget, they told the Colombians if they broke their Contracts by walking, they were "On Their Own" No Plane Fare home, Nada,,,. Not the way to win friends and influence people,,, Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte después Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte de 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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billyb says on May 9, 2008, 22:23: I heard about that mike, but did not know it was blackwater, the POS. "All I want to know is where I'm going to die, so I never go there" Unkown (at least to me) wise man. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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miamimike says on May 9, 2008, 22:32: Billyb: What Blackwater attempted to pull on these Col Soldiers was simply shameful: Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte después Bésame, bésame mucho Como si fuera esta noche La última vez Bésame, bésame mucho Que tengo miedo a perderte Perderte de 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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billyb says on May 9, 2008, 22:42: Mike, I agree, shameful. I do remember that ex-colombian army proffessional soldiers were highly sought after and recruiters would take out adds on el tiempo and inteview them in a hotel suite in bogota, offering salaries like you mention above and then were screwed. Hope those fokers rot in hell. "All I want to know is where I'm going to die, so I never go there" Unkown (at least to me) wise man. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Robert Jorge says on May 10, 2008, 10:11: The scumbag recruiter for Blackwater was snuffed out this last year. I read the article right here in PBH. If I remember correctly, he was out of Colombia after the Colombian employees got screwed. Then, he was stupid enough to go back to Bogota several months later. Sure enough, his body was found on the street, a victim of a mysterious sicario. "You can not take the barrio out of the girl you really can't." Oneforamillion 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Monpirri says on May 10, 2008, 12:22: Miamimike, that's exactly what I meant, I thought that company went out of business for a breach of contract when they hired a handful of Colombians to go and fight in Iraq. "Anyone who still thinks that Colombia is not a gastronomical paradise needs to have their head examined." Darloup 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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webmanco says on May 10, 2008, 12:41: Recordar es vivir No hay extremo cierto o verdadero, porque los extremos opacan, enruedan, (lavan cerebros) verdades. Yotas 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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billyb says on May 10, 2008, 12:45: Street justice at its best. "All I want to know is where I'm going to die, so I never go there" Unkown (at least to me) wise man. 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Monpirri says on May 10, 2008, 13:04: I disagree that street justice is the way because it does not help all the ones that got screwed. "Anyone who still thinks that Colombia is not a gastronomical paradise needs to have their head examined." Darloup 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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bickerss says on May 10, 2008, 13:06: They didnt go out of business, and have had their contract extended bythe state department; was the cause of a bit of controversy recently in Baghdad (with people and the government who wanted them out). The colombians are no longer contracted by them i dont think. Investment Strategy - buying when others are crying!! Offloading when others are gloating!!! 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Monpirri says on May 10, 2008, 13:14: I hope not, and if they are contracted by Blackwater they should pay Colombians a higher rate since many Colombians have experience. "Anyone who still thinks that Colombia is not a gastronomical paradise needs to have their head examined." Darloup 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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bickerss says on May 10, 2008, 13:19: They changed to Peruvians. Investment Strategy - buying when others are crying!! Offloading when others are gloating!!! 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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Monpirri says on May 10, 2008, 15:17: Peruvians are good fighters as well. "Anyone who still thinks that Colombia is not a gastronomical paradise needs to have their head examined." Darloup 0 funny, 0 helpful. |
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