More terrible than death - Robin Kirk

A vivid portrait of a catastrophe in Latin America: the drug war that is turning Colombia into a vast and violent slum. . In this compelling and disturbing narrative, writer and human rights investigator Robin Kirk maps the social, political, economic, and human devastation wrought by the drug war in Colombia. She limns the dramatic new relationship between the United States and Colombia in human terms--through her own experiences and through portraits of the Colombians and Americans involved--and offers an insider's analysis of the political realities that shape the expanding war on drugs and the growing U. S. military presence there. Looking at the war from the ground up, interviewing and profiling human rights activists, guerrillas, and paramilitaries to explain how it has changed their lives, Kirk combines the reportorial skills of Mark Bowden or Tina Rosenberg with the impeccable credentials of a seasoned human rights investigator for Human Rights Watch, the world's leading human rights organization, to give depth and meaning to today's headlines.;The first book on current events in Colombia written for a general readership, More Terrible Than Death is an invaluable history lesson about the U. S. role in the conflict and a gripping narrative about the Colombian lives most affected by the violence. It is vital reading for anyone interested in Latin America or the emerging war on terrorism and its links to America's drug policy.