Comments on: Limpiezas in Colombia: Social Cleansing

By: Robert Jorge

Robert Jorge — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 06:28:40 +0000

Yep, it is disturbing. I have known or heard about the social cleansing for years. But the 2 years that I lived in Medellin recently, made me much more aware of this filthy truth.

I ended up falling in love with downtown Medellin, despite a few bad experiences. I met an ‘indigent’ who actually had lived in the US years past. He is the typical story from that part of town … deported because of drugs, lives next to the Medellin river, tries to sell Chiclets around Cr53 – 54 with Cl 52. He admits he has a terrible drug habit. But he is a nice guy. He doesn’t deserve to be whacked and forgotten about. And every month, he would tell me: “Hey, I wasn’t around for the past 2 or 3 days, because ‘we’ heard that the cops or the paracos were coming through to clean the streets. (kill and dispose of homeless people) Once a month, every month, for a year, he told me this.
I knew several street kids downtown too. Little boys of 10, 12, 14 years of age I suppose. My best buddy was Phillipe. He would run up to me with a huge hug and we would go get some soup or a chorizo. Well, one day, he disappeared. I would like to think perhaps a social agency grabbed him up and rescued him. My gut tells me he got whacked. He was 12.

By: Karma

Karma — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 21:26:34 +0000

I find the whole situation unfortunate and disturbing. Because what it means is that rather than getting to the root of the issues that exist in the society superficial bandages are being applied. How many people will have to be killed before the society realises that is obviously not the solution and it is only a temporary measure. Which is only going to cause more collective dysfunction. This does not result in stability especially when you have a situation where natural disasters happen which leads to more homelessness and more poverty and more desperation. So unfortunately many more will have to be killed.

By: John Rivers

John Rivers — Tue, 16 Aug 2011 15:54:32 +0000

Fascinating info. Thanks!

By: Colin

Colin — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 18:21:26 +0000

Samuel, you’ve touched on something a lot of people don’t take into account. The limpiezas are largely financed by struggling, small business owners.

By: Samuel

Samuel — Fri, 27 May 2011 00:11:45 +0000

sometimes vigilante justice is highly appropriate, and just because they didn’t have badges or gavels doesn’t make them totally illegitimate in their decision to execute.

I would prefer social cleansing not happen, and would not care to personally be a part of it (either side!) but I bet a lot of the people that carry it out would prefer it not to be necessary either, but it happens because action is, in fact, often necessary.

I’d rather limpiezas than having good family-men business owners get shanked by crackheads and little children get accosted, and worst of all, these miscreants pulling others down into their mire/lifestyle.

I wonder if some of the limpiezas were once wictims of those they now ‘cleanse’

By: Students Serve Uribe, to Speak Under Oath About Paramilitary Ties | Coalition Adios Uribe! @Georgetown

Thu, 04 Nov 2010 13:03:45 +0000

[...] the military and the illegal, narcotrafficking armed groups known as the paramilitaries that performed “limpiezas” or social cleansing in Colombian [...]

By: George Hutchinson

George Hutchinson — Sat, 15 May 2010 03:37:50 +0000

I get very upset over these social issues pervasive in every country. But I have to keep cool, I can’t change the world. But I was surprised to find that this very intresting website with it’s very cool and professional set up, was also a smut site. I read the orgy bit. An orgy from what I understand is a bunch of people having a go at each other whenever and fucking like there was no tommorrow.
That to me is just gross and seems like a petri dish of bacteria and then coke, booze and pot. I’m no angel but my bits ain’t going anywhere near a bed sheet in that enviroment. That sort of stuff belongs in some sort off smut space for those to enjoy with out getting involved, your possible demise in a situation where it is very easy to go out of control. And in this case the American embassy sending some dead Americans ass back in a casket. Chill out is my advice there, here or even in the back streets of Munster. But hey
to each his own. But there is a time and space to divulge where you get off and where to expose one’s professional expertise. You crazy gringo. So peace and safety to your risks.

By: George Hutchinson

George Hutchinson — Thu, 13 May 2010 22:31:13 +0000

Let’s all go around to LA, NYC, Detroit, London, Paris, Madrid, Cairo, Johanasburg, Shanghai, Oasaka, Seattle and San Francisco and Mexico City and join in this barbaric practice of these obviously mentally ill people. and kill them. Lets study the practices the Nazi’s employed to rid their society and utilize social cleansing that then when on to anyone who wasn’t blonde haired and blue eyed Aryans. You’re obviously much better than other groups of prople. Unless that is untill something is found wrong with you, Nazi cowards.

By: Michael

Michael — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 20:57:35 +0000

Good call Mike. I find nothing wrong with the idea of social cleansing…in fact I wouldn’t mind the police combing the streets of detroit or other dangerous major cities and doing the same.

By: Mike

Mike — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:34:50 +0000

I find the comments here fascinating. One person wants to withdraw to his gated community, and the other lives in the the nice safe US of A. I hate to break the news to you guys, but this is not about you. It is about the average everyday Colombians that these people prey on. The Colombians have the misfortune to have a government that is not doing its job. When that happens you get vigilantes. And, whether you approve or not, that is the rational answer to this type of situation. Is it nice? Hell no, but icky or not people want stability and order in their lives. If the only way to do this is with vigliantes, so be it. Ugly but bettter than the alternatives. And if most Americans have lost the guts to make icky choices, I truly Thank God that there are people on the planet that don’t believe in that ‘lose their soul’ pap.

By: Ward

Ward — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:46:18 +0000

Good read Colin. Colombia has a long way to go yet…

By: Drew Cummins

Drew Cummins — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 23:41:48 +0000

It sounds like an absolutely deplorable action. I saw nothing in your piece to suggest you would feel any different than I do concerning this, so I am unsure about the previous comment referring to any lack of agreement. I am disturbed that this is not known more here in the states. I’ve always questioned what seems to be lesser value on life such countries appear to have, but have generally associated it with the cartel killings seen in present day Mexico or the the 1980′s. I didn’t recognize that it was something that could just easily be adopted by “regular” citizens.

By: Paul

Paul — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 15:17:55 +0000

I am also an expat living in Bogotá, although I live 40 blocks north of Calle 66 in Calle 116, which is a very safe slightly upscale area of the city. Like you I feel very uncomfortable on the few occasions I have to venture into less salubrious barrios, frequently wondering whether it’s wise for me to be there, even though I can easily pass for a Colombian as long as I don’t open my mouth. However, I could never excuse the wholesale slaughter of indigents merely because they are unsightly and pose a potential threat. I know that I also benefit from their removal but I would rather live in my gated community and restrict my shopping forays to the well protected malls of Andino, Unicentro and the tiendas in strato 6 neighbourhoods, rather than know that in order to make me feel safe hundreds, possibly thousands of people are being murdered. I can see where you’re coming from but I’m sorry I just can’t agree. My advice is if you don’t belong in 7 de agosto, which it would seem you don’t, then don’t go there and so spare your conscience.