How a US military doctrine became Colombia's 'origin of evil' Part 2: Special warfare

[Judi Lynn]

by Adriaan Alsema August 3, 2020

“The origin of evil” in Colombia was the “National Security Doctrine” the US military kicked off in the early 1960’s and degenerated over decades, according to a Medellin Court.

This National Security Doctrine was a military doctrine that began developing after 1947 and initially was no more than a low-priority effort to secure “international security” in the hemisphere where US hegemony and corporate interests were pretty much unchallenged with the exception of Guatemala.

The 1962 Cuban Missile crisis changed the priorities and then-President John F. Kennedy agreed to active participation in “the methods of Heinrich Himmler’s extermination squads” to quell any perceived communist threat.

This decision came four years after the end of “La Violencia” while the authority of Bogota‘s elite was challenged by what were initially liberal enclaves increasingly shifted to socialist communes rejecting national authority.

Kennedy sent the commander of the US Army Special Warfare Center, Lieutenant General William P. Yarborough to Colombia, where he proposed to crack down on the communes that refused to recognize the authority of the duopoly of the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party.

[A] concerted country team effort should be made now to select civilian and military personnel for clandestine training in resistance operations in case they are needed later. This should be done with a view toward development of a civil and military structure for exploitation in the event the Colombian internal security system deteriorates further. This structure should be used to pressure toward reforms known to be needed, perform counter-agent and counter-propaganda functions and as necessary execute paramilitary, sabotage and/or terrorist activities against known communist proponents. It should be backed by the United States.

Lt. Gen William Yarborough

More:
https://colombiareports.com/how-a-us-military-doctrine-became-colombias-origin-of-evil-part-2-special-warfare/