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History South America

Saddest Country

On Assignment in Colombia

by (author) Nicholas Coghlan

Publisher
McGill-Queen's University Press
Initial publish date
Oct 2004
Category
South America
  • eBook

    ISBN
    9780773572218
    Publish Date
    Oct 2004
    List Price
    $39.95

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Description

Nicholas Coghlan arrived in Bogota in 1997. A political officer for the Canadian government, it was his responsibility to report on Colombia's complex civil conflict, lobby the Colombian authorities on human rights, and provide visible moral support and other assistance to the victims of the war. Soon after he arrived it became apparent that he could not fulfill these functions from the relative peace and security of Bogota and he found himself traveling to remote and sometimes dangerous locations rarely visited by outsiders - the coca fields of Putumayo, the swamps of the Darien Gap, the vast savannahs of the Llano - meeting with everyone from impoverished inhabitants of the barrios to guerrilla leaders, from human rights activists to military commanders.

About the author

Nicholas Coghlan and his wife, Jenny, sailed around the world on their first boat, Tarka the Otter between 1985 and 1989. On his return he joined the Canadian Foreign Service and has written books about two of his postings: The Saddest Country: On Assignment in Colombia and Far in the Waste Sudan: On Assignment in Africa. Following their adventure, Coghlan accepted a two-year posting as Deputy High Commissioner in Pakistan. Now, he and his wife are living aboard Bosun Bird somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

Nicholas Coghlan's profile page