During decades of civil war, U.S. and multinational companies used the right-wing paramilitaries of Colombia as their private armies. Though mining companies were major culprits, other corporate criminals include Coca-Cola and Chiquita. Only the peace process, which was tentatively finalized last week, might reduce the ability of foreign companies to oppress the indigenous people and Afro-Colombians.
Of course, the same corporate power is on display in North Dakota, where Energy Transfer Partners is using both the police and private security to brutalize the Native American water protectors and their allies. The recent decision by the Army Corps of Engineers to reject an important permit needed to complete construction is a setback for the Dakota Access Pipeline, but the struggle is far from over.
