Colombian Family kidnapped

[Traveller]

One of my girlfriends came over last night.She had an interesting story when I finally got it out of her.
She said she was muh aburrido.I thought she meant bored.With her new job she started last week that she loved?Another definition of aburrido is weary,seemingly what she meant.
She told me astory about a family that ownsa store in El Centro.The sell  Ropa de Cama,sheets,blankets,ect.Apparently they went to euador in a truck,picked up alot of merchandise and on the way back,on the Colombian side of the border near Pasto they got stopped by guirillas and kidnapped.They were driving at night,something not smart to do,the guirilla never block the road in the daytime anymore
My girlfriend said the gurrillaswanted money to release them but they were muh humilde,didn'tvreally have any money.Then she was going on about how she didn't have any money,muh picuino dinero.I wastrying to gert the connection.Do you mean if you had money you would help ransom them?No.It seems she paid in advance for some bedding items she inended to give her parents and her money was lost in the deal also,hence she was  very veary of the whole situation.
Most Colombians are real tired of FARC and ELN because of stuff like this.Alot ofv them can tell you stories of friendsand family kidnapped or killed.Another girl I met father was killed by FARC about 10 years ago and the whole family moved to Cali to get away from them.
About credit.Lots of small businesses use it to survive.Another girlfriend sellsclothes on the street.She saysshe can sell alot if shewill give credit.Howshe decideswhjom iscreditworthy I don't know,but peoplewill look her up and pay her later.Shewill be bummedout when somebody doesn't pay,happy when they do.Seems she at least has to know here they live so she can try to collect.Buying apair of jeans on the installment plan.Different world down here.
Hopefully FARC or whoever kidnapped the peoplewill let them go.Sometimes they get very little money but it is enough to wipe out a business.They have no more capital to operate.I heard another story about a guy in medellin who over yeasrsownedsereral, Taxis.He was kidnapped and killed.I don't know if they got any money.They needa little more lawand order big time.One Uribe idea was to arm people to protect themselves.Good idea I think,you need to use every resource.
Good wine and dinner and good amor got my girl out of her funk.She is hot.Wow!

Pete

[utopiacowboy]

... in response to Colombian Family kidnapped, posted by Traveller on Jan 25, 2005

Yes, they are tired of the ELN and the FARC but they don't do a damm thing to get rid of them. In a nation of 42 million, how hard can it be to get rid of 20,00 of these SOBs? They just try to pretend the problem does not exist and go on about their business. Either they lack the will to do something about it or the guerillas have much more support than one would believe.

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: Colombian Family kidnapped, posted by utopiacowboy on Jan 27, 2005

Thats basically what I have said for years.But the Wall Streeet journal did a good article on it a few months ago,explaining Uribes plan.First he had to raise taxes,not popular,then build up the army and police,which he has done.They have made some progress,kidnappings on highways are way down,but it still happens.Hopefully with the new power to inforce we will see alot more progress.
I think there is an underlying attitude here,about life in general,that you can't do anything about it anyway.Look at the lines people tolerate for govenment services.In the US people would be calling their congressman or city council person.Heads would roll.Here they just accept it.
They need to increase their expectations alot,but be willing to pay the price for better service.
Reminds me of the US.We need to face paying for the services we  expect from government,not keep borrowing ourselves in a hole.I fear it will get worse.Right now low interest rates have taken alot of pain out of the federal debt as it has gone higher.When that turns around watch out somemore.
We used to have a flaky governor in California named Jerry Brown.One of his mottos was lower your expectations.Bullshit.Raise them,but be willing to pay the price.

Pete

[Pete E]

... in response to Colombian Family kidnapped, posted by Traveller on Jan 25, 2005

Traveler is using my computer and it  looked like it was posted by him.

Pete

[Pete E]

... in response to Colombian Family kidnapped, posted by Traveller on Jan 25, 2005

nt