This book belongs to the many Colombians who shared their stories with me.
Iván Velásquez and Ricardo Calderón spent countless hours talking to me, in person, on Skype, on the phone, going over events again and again, and digging up long-lost documents and materials. I owe them my deepest gratitude for their trust and time. Special thanks are also due to María Victoria, Catalina, Víctor, and Laura Velásquez; Calderón’s wife, “Mónica”; Miladis and Maryori Restrepo; Amparo Areiza; and Nelly, Magdalena, and Darío Valle, as well as Gloria Manco, Patricia Fuenmayor, María Victoria Fallon, Amelia Pérez, Gregorio Oviedo, J. Guillermo Escobar, Beatriz Jaramillo, Carlos Elías Muñoz, Jorge Núñez, Rainer Huhle, Judge Rubén Darío Pinilla, Darío Arcila, Juan Diego Restrepo, Ramiro Bejarano, Daniel Coronell, and the survivors of the Antioquia CTI and Fiscalía of the late 1990s. I am also grateful to the many other people in Colombia who shared memories, photographs, documents, advice, and books. Many would not want to be named.
My agent, Larry Weissman, was an enthusiastic believer in the project, knew exactly how to help me shape and sell the book proposal while staying true to my vision, and was a fierce advocate on its behalf. My editors Katy O’Donnell and Alessandra Bastagli at Nation Books were thoughtful and wonderful partners in this project. Katy’s suggestions and questions improved the book immensely. Kathy Streckfus did a terrific job copy editing it, and Sandra Beris, project editor, was a helpful guide through the production process.
My able and dedicated research assistant, Pamela van den Enden, did a tremendous amount of work chasing down news articles, cables, history books, and other sources and drafting summaries of her findings to help me verify or flesh out various parts of the book.
Human Rights Watch allowed me the time to write this book, despite the world’s ever-increasing demands on the group’s resources. I am especially grateful to Alison Leal Parker, with whom I codirected the US Program, who supported the project even when my repeated absences significantly added to her workload. Deputy Program Director Joe Saunders, my direct supervisor, and Executive Director Ken Roth were also both supportive of the project and of allowing me to take the necessary time to complete it. I am greatly indebted to José Miguel Vivanco, executive director of the Americas division, who introduced me to Colombia and taught me an enormous amount about the country and about human rights activism; and to Daniel Wilkinson, managing director of the Americas division, who in 2002 first mentioned to me that there was a job opening I might want to look into in the division.
The board and staff of the Drug Policy Alliance, my new professional home, embraced this project and gave me the space to finish it.
Photojournalist Stephen Ferry, who has taken some of the most powerful images of Colombia I know, contributed many of the photos in this book. Journalist and author Sibylla Brodzinsky offered sage advice and critical insights. Above all, I am grateful to both of them for their support and friendship.
Jairo and Ricardo were always helpful, reliable, and positive drivers and assistants as I conducted research in Colombia, though they did not know exactly what I was working on.
Many friends, colleagues, family members, and others read parts of the book, offered advice and encouragement, housed me at key moments, or were helpful in other ways. These include Kim Barker, Stephen McFarland, Max Schoening, Ana Arana, Amy Braunschweiger, Kathy Rose, Pierre Bairin, Nicole Martin, Laura Pitter, Joanne Mariner, José Miguel Vivanco, Daniel Wilkinson, Juan Pappier, Minky Worden, Dinah Pokempner, Patrick Ball, José Carlos Ugaz, Pamela Yates, Paco de Onís, Tim Rieser, John Biaggi, Bruce Rabb, Terry Christie, Andy Kaufman, Francisco Goldman, Jon Lee Anderson, Tico Almeida, Carlos Villalón, Andrea Lari, Juan Forero, John Otis, Adam Isacson, and Jim Moody Wyss. Leslie Sharpe and Jill Rothenberg at Mediabistro gave me valuable guidance when I was assembling the book proposal. The community of writers at Paragraph Writer’s Space in New York offered companionship and advice as I figured out how to pitch the book to agents.
John, Ivonne, Anne, and Karin McFarland, Carla Saenz, John Tisdale, Patricia Foxen, David McNaught, Jackie Robb, Bill and Robin Robb, Patrick Pearce, and María del Carmen Vega consistently showed interest in this project, even after several years of hearing me talk about it.
My beloved parents, George McFarland and Rosario Sánchez-Moreno, taught me to appreciate challenging places and to value standing on principle. They never failed to encourage me, even when they were afraid for my well-being. I could not have asked for more enthusiastic readers and listeners, or for better role models.
Phelim, you, more than anyone else, believed in this book and accompanied me on this journey. Your love and joyful partnership have made the past five years of writing not only easy, but also the happiest chapter of my life so far.