CONVIVIR
CONVIVIR, an acronym for Servicios Especiales de Vigilancia y Seguridad Privada (English: Special Vigilance and Private Security Services) (the word to which the acronym owes its namesake, “convivir”, means "living in harmony" in Spanish) was a national program of cooperative
Members of some former paramilitary groups transitioned into CONVIVIR, where they were joined by newer recruits and victims of guerrilla aggression, while others, such as the
Reports argued that some CONVIVIR groups achieved results in providing security to communities and intelligence coordination to
After much political debate, a November 1997 decision of Colombia's Constitutional Court stated that CONVIVIR members could not gather intelligence information and could not employ military grade weapons. Other restrictions included increasing legal supervision, and in early 1998 dozens of former CONVIVIR groups had their licenses revoked, because they did not turn in their weapons and withheld information about their personnel. Due to these measures, some gradually turned in their weapons and phased themselves out. 237 of the restricted weapons were returned to authorities by the end of 1997. Other members did not comply and later joined existing
According to a 2007 U.S. indictment against the
In popular culture
- Narcos Season 3, Episode 8: "Convivir"
- [Narcos] (TV Series 2015–2017)
References
- ^ Human Rights Watch, Colombia 1997 Events, par.1
- ^ Human Rights Watch (1998), Guerra sin cuartel, par.8
- ^ National Security Archive (2007). "Documents Implicate Colombian Government in Chiquita Terror Scandal". Electronic Briefing Book No. 217.