Colombia: Death of Black Blood

Slowly but surely, Colombians are writing an end to la violencia, which began in 1948 as a political war between the Conservative and Liberal parties, continued as degenerate terrorism long after the leaders made peace, and now has claimed 200,000 lives in the country's backlands. In March, troops trapped and killed "Desquite" ("Revenge"), one of the most notorious of the bandit leaders; in the past 15 months they have erased three other bandits responsible for 1,100 murders among them. Last week the most vicious killer still at large met his death. He...