Violence has escalated near the Bari territory on the Colombian side of the border with Venezuela. Guerrillas from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have entered the area, prompting retaliation from the U.S. funded Colombian military and unofficially allied right wing paramilitaries. All sides have attempted to co-opt the Bari, who wish to remain autonomous. This case highlights a pattern in the over 30-year old war, in which all sides frequently use indigenous peoples as pawns in violent tactical maneuvers.
