Colombia: August 2, 2000

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FARC's success in fighting, and negotiating with, the government has brought it into conflict with other rebel groups. The tiny (500 fighters) EPL (Maoist Popular Liberation Army) has joined with the ELN to resist FARC attempts to push them out of the kidnapping and extortion business in areas where two or more rebel groups were active. A national newspaper reported that violence had reached the point where, every 24 hours, 87 Colombians were killed, 127 injured by criminal activity, eight kidnapped and 204 mugged. Colombia has the highest crime rate in the Western Hemisphere.