The Hill News

The Colombian Ambassador Carolina Barco held a reception in honor of my old boss, former House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert. Barco was effusive in her praise of Denny, who in the mid-1990s took a keen interest her country.

Back then, Colombia was teetering on the edge of complete chaos. Drug cartels and then narco-terrorists had the upper hand in their battle for control. Brutal murders, kidnapping and overall mayhem constantly terrorized Colombian citizens. Because the drug merchants had so much money, they were well-equipped and -armed, and they gave the Colombian military a run for its money. Because the cartels had so much money, they were also able buy off many in the justice system and in the police force.

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