They just want to convert drug proceeds into real estate. Nestor Davis Cardona is lucky to be going to a Catholic school in one of Medellin's toughest neighborhoods. He says he would be killed by gangs if he returned home. He exchanged vehicles for bags of cash. A clear tone of nostalgia crept into his voice.
Bureaucrats steal brazenly, and extortion among acquaintances is common.
In many kidnappings, a relative or neighbor is involved. Many Colombians hunger for stronger leadership. After purging a corrupt 110,000-member police force and rounding up major drug kingpins, recently departed National Police Chief Rosso Jose Serrano became a national hero. His successor, Gen. Luis Ernesto Gilibert, is now under pressure to dedicate more effort to fighting street crime. In the countryside, the landscape of terror has shifted.