The Latest News on the Revival in Cali is now available!
Revival lampoon by truth without careful film editing.
The nation of Colombia has recently received an award, complete with an article about it with a lot of statistics. Since Colombia, or at least Cali, has now been "taken over for God," it is not
surprising, is it? What?! The article appeared in the Newsweek edition of July 9, 2001 and it was part of a cover story called "Greetings From the World's Worst Countries"?! I don't believe it! Somebody must be making that up because they
want to discredit the greatest revival to ever hit the face of the earth. Come on, you don't think 50,000,000 Christians who saw it with their own eyes in the Transformations video could be wrong, do you? What was it, one of the worst countries in
the world to be a sinner?
No, my friend, it is the worst place in the world to be rich! The title of the article is "Your Money Or Your Life" and the subtitle reads, "A vast gulf between the poor and the wealthy has given rise to
the world's largest kidnapping industry." (It begins on page 36.)
No doubt some "Transformations" enthusiasts will bring up the obvious fact that the world famous video series by "Jesus' death didn't pay for your sins" advocate, George Otis Jr and his Sentinel
Group, never said there was a "takeover for God" in Colombia, only in the city of Cali. Okay, for those of you in that category, most of this web page will be devoted to specific news reports from Cali.
I am sure that some well meaning (but naive) Christians will still respond the same way a friend of mine who is into spiritual warfare responded when I told him about my experience and the statistics in Los Angeles
after it had been "taken over for God" by John Dawson from his headquarters in Lake View Terrace -- He said something like, "Well, maybe the spirits don't stay bound."
Maybe we should get back to the Great Commission "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel; baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and teaching them the Word of God."
Greg Robertson, Jakarta
Recent news on the drug war in Colombia
"Indeed, though the United States has spent $1.7 billion since 1999 to stamp out drugs in Colombia, the amount of coca in Colombia has increased 25 percent from 2000 to
2001, according to American estimates based on images from satellites and projections by analysts." From The Orange County Register, "U.S. steps up drug war in Colombia," September 4, 2002, News p. 17.
"'After nearly $2 billion, our policy in Colombia has accomplished litle,' said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who is chairman of the foreign operations subcommittee of the
Appropriations Committee and who has criticized American policy toward Colombia." From The Orange County Register, "U.S. steps up drug war in Colombia," September 4, 2002, News p. 17.
Global News from the Frontlines
From the September 21, 2001 edition of Compass Direct, E-Mail Version
Latin America News in Brief
(3) Colombian Pastor Killed as Drug Past Catches Up
by Deann Alford
AUSTIN, Texas (Compass) -- Two men on a motorcycle approached a
Christian pastor -- also a former narco-trafficker -- as he was leaving a meeting at his Cali, Colombia, church on August 25 and shot him dead.
The deceased, Guillermo León Hernández Gutiérrez, 52, became a Christian in a United States prison where he was serving time for drug crimes. After he completed his
sentence, he went back to his native Colombia to preach about his new faith.
But Hernández Gutiérrez went to Cali, a city famed for its drug cartel and high murder rate. Five years ago, he started Genesis Christian Church in Alfonso López, one of
Cali’s roughest neighborhoods.
“In his sermons he used to say that he knew that one day he’d have to pay for what he’d done in his life before he went to prison in the United States,” said Luz
Elena Maya, whose father Alvaro Maya is vice president of Cali’s pastoral association. Although the church was small, with only around 100 members, his story was well known in Cali.
“He had a truly good testimony, a good outreach, and his church had a very healthy doctrine,” she said. “The church is in a neighborhood of Cali that was quite
dangerous, not at all healthy.”
Both Cali’s press and Christian community speculate that the murder was “a settling of accounts,” or payback for leaving his former life of crime.
“Everybody knows about the drug ties,” Maya said. “We all know that it’s very hard to enter (the drug trade) and very difficult to get out of. Narco-trafficking
runs with consequences, be they sooner or later.”
Cali’s El Pais newspaper reported that two men on a Yamaha motorcycle shot him three times as he was leaving the church
building. Witnesses reported the motorcycle’s license plate.
Maya knew few details of Hernández Gutiérrez’ life before prison, how long or where he was imprisoned in the U.S. or how long he had been a Christian. She said that two
weeks ago, he had married one of his church members in a civil service. The pastor and his bride planned to have their church wedding service in early September.
“In prison, Guillermo León’s life changed,” Bonifacio Chica, pastor and secretary of the Christian Ministers Association of the Valley, told El Pais. “That’s where he found God, and for this reason, when he was freed, he came back to Colombia and dedicated himself to evangelizing and helping people.”
Genesis church member Oscar Rojas told the paper that Hernández Gutiérrez always said that it didn’t matter when his past caught up with him. “He didn’t care
because his life was to serve God.”
There are more than 70 pages of news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
Below is just a small sampling. Cali is specifically mentioned in every article that has been included here.
"Several ELN operations have been particularly spectacular. The hijacking of a domestic airliner, the abduction of an entire church congregation in Cali and the kidnapping of an angling club out
fishing. In the year 2000, the ELN emptied a restaurant outside Cali and set up roadblocks nearby, netting some 80 people.
"The attacks showed Colombians they were not safe anywhere, whether at sea, on land or in the air. Kidnapping had previously been a fear of only the very rich. Many ordinary Colombians will no longer travel long distances by road, for fear of
being abducted at rebel roadblocks.
"In many cases, hostages are released following negotiations or payment. But others have been killed or mutilated. In November 2000, the body of a businessman, Fernando Betancur Sanchez, was found bearing signs of torture. A ransom of
US$400,000 demanded for his release had already been paid. Foreigners, and especially oil workers, are a favorite target, particularly of the ELN." From the Colombia Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are more
than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
"The revival of car bomb attacks has sparked fears of a repetition of the bombing campaign that terrorized Colombia in the late 1980s and early 1990s -- at the height of the wars against the Cali and Medellin drug cartels. In January, a powerful car bomb timed for rush hour exploded outside a shopping center in Medellin, killing one woman and injuring 50 others.
"Thursday's blast, the deadliest in at least a year, came just hours after gunmen of the United Self Defenses of Colombia (AUC) -- an outlawed militia that targets leftist guerrillas -- killed execution style the leader of The Terrace, a
notorious Medellin-based criminal gang. The surviving Terrace leaders threatened to turn over to the District Attorney's office evidence linking high-profile assassinations and kidnappings carried out by the gang on the orders of the AUC's leader,
Carlos Castano. President Andres Pastrana has ordered 100 members of an elite police unit to Medellin to investigate the blast and prevent more attacks." From the Colombia Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are
more than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
"05 May 2001
"COLOMBIA:
"At Least 32 Wounded By Car Bomb In Cali
"Emergency officials said at least 32 people were wounded when a powerful car bomb exploded at a luxury hotel in Cali on Friday night. Police and fire department officials said there were no
confirmed fatalities, but added three victims, including a hotel security guard, were hospitalized in critical condition. The bomb went off at 1900 hours local time at the Hotel Torre de Cali and shattered
windows in the first 20 floors of the 41-story building -- the tallest in the city.
"Hotel guests were trapped for hours in levels above the flaming ruin of the first floor. Police said the bomb was made with 110 pounds of dynamite that was loaded inside a stolen pick-up truck. No one immediately claimed responsibility for
the rush-hour attack, and the entire event remains under investigation..." From the Colombia Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are more than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
"16 Nov 2000
"COLOMBIA:
"Peace Talks Put On Hold By Guerillas
"Citing the government's U.S.-supported military campaign and use of paramilitary forces against the rebels as the reason, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) announced on Tuesday that it will halt peace talks with the Colombian
government. Also on Tuesday, two bombs exploded in a market area and in front of a police station in Cali, killing at least one person and injuring several others. Police officials have not yet named any
suspects." From the Colombia Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are more than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
"10 Nov 2000
"COLOMBIA:
"Car Bomb, Improvised Mortars, Rock Cali
"Authorities said suspected leftist guerrillas detonated homemade mortars and a car bomb in an aborted attack on a military base in Colombia's second-largest city on Friday, wounding at least 11 civilians and causing extensive damage to
nearby buildings. Army officials blamed the four separate blasts, which rocked the southwest city of Cali at dusk, on National Liberation Army (ELN) rebels." From the Colombia
Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are more than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
"The National Liberation Army (ELN) is suspected in the other bombing, which occurred on Saturday night in Cali. The bomb, attached to a car, exploded at 21:45 hours local time, wounding seven
people. Cali is Colombia's third-largest city." From the Colombia Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are more than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
"19 Sep 2000
"COLOMBIA:
"Rebels Abduct At Least 30 People
"In an operation blamed on leftist rebels outside of Cali, Colombia's third-largest city, gunmen abducted at least 30 people Sunday from two restaurants. About 50 armed men, many wearing
military-style uniforms and bulletproof vests, rushed into the restaurants in the highlands outside Cali. Gunmen also seized a couple from a nearby farm.
"Police said that the mass kidnapping may had been carried out by the National Liberation Army (ELN) working with members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The hostages were taken from the Cabana Restaurant and the
Embajada de Ginebra restaurant, ten miles outside Cali. There were no immediate demands for ransom or claims of responsibility.
"As we have mentioned many times in the past, Colombia has one of the highest kidnapping rates in the world. According to a private group called the Free Country Foundation, 1,750 people were kidnapped in the first half of this year. The
group said that the FARC was responsible for 477 and the ELN 381 of the kidnappings." From the Colombia Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are more than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
"02 July 2000 - From: http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm
"COLOMBIA:
"Missile Attack On Police HQ In Cali
"One innocent passer-by was killed and at least 11 other people were wounded when crude missiles were launched at a police station in the Colombian city of Cali on Saturday. No one immediately
claimed responsibility for the attack, which was similar to ones previously carried out by the country's main rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
"Four explosive devices were fired from the back of a pickup truck parked next to the police headquarters in downtown Cali. One landed on a car passing by on the street, exploded and killed the
driver. Another landed on the street and blew up, injuring pedestrians. The other two missiles did not detonate upon landing.
"The missiles were made up of explosives wrapped around a gas cylinder. They are launched by a primary explosion and are difficult to aim. The FARC has used such missiles in previous attacks. None of the missiles landed inside the police
compound, and no police officers were hurt." From the Colombia Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are more than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
"14 June 2000 - From: http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm
"FARC Blamed In Killing Of 14 People
"In what officials said on Tuesday was a revenge attack by suspected leftist rebels on supporters of a rival ultra-right paramilitary gang, at least 14 people were killed and 15 others were wounded in northwest Colombia. The killings occurred
overnight Monday in a village close to the town of Frontino in Antioquia province. Villagers blamed the attack on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). FARC has reportedly been trying to regain control of the area, considered a strategic
transit route, after paramilitary gunmen recently moved into the area.
"In a separate incident, police said they found the bodies of eight people on Tuesday who had apparently been murdered by a paramilitary gang last Friday. The motive for the murders was not immediately clear but the right-wing gunmen
traditionally target civilians they suspect of collaborating with the guerrillas.
"Gen. Serrano Announces Retirement
"Saying he's "tired of seeing his policemen die," Colombia's top police official and an important U.S ally in the war on drugs announced Tuesday that he was resigning. Five years after making history by dismantling the Cali cocaine cartel, General Rosso Jose Serrano said Colombia's battle against drugs, kidnapping and guerrilla violence has claimed too many lives.
"Serrano's retirement was widely expected. Late last year, he published his memoirs, which became a best seller in Latin America. The 40-year police veteran -- whose reputation for valor and honesty have made him Colombia's most revered
public official. Serrano is highly regarded by U.S. officials for his close cooperation in the drug war and for cleaning up a police force riddled with corruption. About 8,000 officers were fired or retired during his six-year tenure. Serrano's
replacement has not been named." From the Colombia Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are more than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
"12 Apr 2000 - From: http://www.emergency.com/ennday.htm
"COLOMBIA:
"ELN Rebels Attack Mormon Temples In Cali
"Officials said one man was killed and 20 people were wounded in an explosion. Separately, four Mormon temples were damaged by leftist guerrilla bombs in southwestern Colombia on Tuesday. Police blamed the National Liberation Army (ELN), for
targeting the Mormons in Cali, Nobody was hurt in the explosions at the temples. It is thought the ELN, allegedly heavily influenced by "radical Roman Catholic priests," attacked the Mormons in a
protest against what they see as excessive U.S. involvement in Colombia.
"In a separate attack in southwest Cauca province on Monday, one man was killed and 20 people were wounded when ELN fighters blew up a bridge near an illegal roadblock the rebels had set up across the Pan-American Highway." From the Colombia Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are more than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm
"DEA SAYS MIAMI IS NORTH AMERICAN HEADQUARTERS OF CALI CARTEL...
"JIM TEEPLE - MIAMI
"The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) says the city of Miami has emerged as the North American headquarters for the Cali cocaine cartel.
"According to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration the Cali cocaine cartel supplies about 80-percent of the cocaine coming into the United States. The illicit trade is
estimated at eight-billion dollars a year.
"James Milford, the DEA's special agent in charge of the Miami field division, says even though much of the cocaine coming into the United States is smuggled through the southwest border states of Texas, Arizona and California, Miami has
emerged as . . . ." From the Colombia Advisory Sheet. See for yourself! There are more than 70 pages of bad news at: http://www.emergency.com/colbwarn.htm